Montag, 19. September 2016

Croatia 2 - trip from Peljesac to Dubrovnik, via Brač and back to Zadar


One hour driving, with a short stop at a beautiful small bay we would be visiting on our way beack, brought us to Ploce. Here, the ferry would be departing for Trpanj on the peninsula of Peljesac. As our rental car was not allowed to enter any other country than Croatia and the straight way to Dubrovnik always leads through a part of Bosnia, we chose the detour via Peljesac. This would take longer but proofed itself to be very beautiful, taking us through a landscape of mountains and vineyards.
After 2 hours of driving from Trpanj we arrived at Dubrovnik. Rene navigated us to Hotel Argentina where our hosts had recommended to park the car, as they took only 120 kuna per day (approx. 15 EUR per day).
As we had reckoned that we had quite a march on foot to make to the apartment and that the ground in an ancient town might not be trolley-friendly we had repacked everything we would be needing the next three days (which was almost everything we had brought) into bags and rucksacks. That proofed to be a wise decision. Not only is the ground quite cobbled, there are also several stairs in Dubrovnik!
When we arrived our host told us on the phone where the key was and that he would be arriving in 20 minutes. So we spread out and made ourselves at home at Kameo Apts.
The apartment was absolutely lovely! Ancient furniture, a kitchen with everything there (oil, spices, wash powder, a washing machine (yesyesyes!)... and a small table and two chairs outside in the lane. As this was the last building there, nobody ever came to disturb us, except maybe the tons of tourists passing the city walls next to the house all day and every day.
We had a lazy evening with washing, cooking pasta, shopping a bit and watching the series Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik actually has been a major film location and we discovered quite a few spots where they had been filming.

The next morning we took a walk through the streets of the old city, having a look at the tiny harbour around our corner, went to the market to buy some local ingredrients for our home-made salad and were quite horrorstruck by the masses of guided tourist groups that walked about town. Quickly back to our quiet apartment!
In the afternoon we went for a sea cayaking tour all around the nearby island of Lokrum. We paddled around the city walls to Betina cave, where people could snorkle for a bit, before heading all around the island. After 8 km, actually even before finishing the tour, I was so exhausted, because I was feeling a little seasick and wanted nothing more than to get home. I even paddled harder and harder to get home quickly, but being on a boat with two overweight people makes the paddling harder, because the boat lies deeper in the water and so the restistance is higher.
When we had reached the shore, the guide offered us local wine, which was included in this sunset tour. We gladly took it home with us. I couldn't drink it on the spot, I was feeling to sick for that. As to the sunset: I saw it of course but could not really enjoy it.
Walking through the old town now in half a bikini and shorts and wearing a towel made me feel very giddy, it was just bizarre. I was happy to end the evening with some more pasta accompanied by the wine. At 8 pm I went off to bed.

The next morning we got up very early (for holidays anyway). At 8 am we were heading towards one of the entrances of the wall surounding the city to avoid the crowds. The beginning at Ploce gate meant a lot of stair climbing and a fantastic view all over the city. I took a lot of photos, especially of some abandoned houses and the ramparts. We also had a good look at castle Lovrjenac and the small marina where our kayak trip had started from (and where Sansa Stark had a conversation with Littlefinger - G.O.T. fact).
After taking a tiny break at a cafe on top of the wall and seeing our apartment from above, we left the city walls and went to the market again to buy salad ingredients and bread.
After lunch we took a ferry boat to the island of Lokrum (where we had paddled around the day before). We walked through the green trees, the olive grove, around the old abandoned monastery and to the tiny salt lake, where we took a swim.
All over the island there were hundreds of almost tame rabbits and peacocks.
Thunder could be heard from somewhere near Dubrovnik, but luckily this time we were spared from the rain. After a coffee and a delicious dessert near the monastery and discovering and of course sitting on the actual Iron Throne (from G.O.T. series again) we went back to the ferry and returned to the old town. Pasta again, hanging the wash while being accompanid by 2 very curious and also very cute kittens and their mama and we called it a day and hung on the couch for the evening.

The next morning we met our very charming and amiable hostess to return the key and then climbed the hill to Hotel Argentina again. The drive out of the city was quite relaxed although it is best to drive a scooter around here, not a car.
After an hour we reached the town of Ston, where the peninsula Peljesac begins.
Because of Ston's famous city walls we took a tiny lunch break, before we noticed that we had to hurry up to reach the ferry at Trapanj in time. We just made it, phew!
Once on the other side we drove back the well-known road near the seaside until Drvenik, where we had booked a room at Luna Apts. The walk to the beach took 2 minutes and so we went directly there and enjoyed the waterfront for the rest of the day.
The next morning we returned to the nearby lagoon we had discovered before and spent 2 hours there, snorkeling, lying between the rocks, swimming and reading.
Then we had to get back to Makarska where the ferry to the island of Brac would leave. And it would leave without us. We were half an hour early, but the ferry was already full and would not go again for 5 hours!!! As we were not particularly fond of this town (it was also quite crowded here) we had a coffee and then decided to go to the beach to spend the time reading on our beach mat. That was a fantastic idea. The car waited in line all the time on its own and we were among the first cars entering the next ferry. It was really tiny and could only take 25 vehicles.
Once on the island of Brac, where we had rented a house with pool near Supetar, we drove for an hour to get there. House Ranjak was not easy to find, it lies between two restaurants and had no sign whatsoever indicating its existance. The owner called and met us at one of the restaurants and drove with us to the house. It was just beautiful!
A small house with 2 bedrooms and a large living and kitchen area. Stairs lead down towards the pool area with several lounge chairs. The view was breath-taking: an enormous hill with olive trees and a view onto Split on the other side of the coast.
And we got to spend 3 days here!

The first evening, shortly after our host left, however, a weird stanger came up the drive-way and asked strange questions. We told him we didn't know and said goodbye. But he didn't leave. It was dark now and there was no car leaving. We could see a flash light going off and on and wer quite confused. Having watched way too many criminal movies, I suspected him of wanting to rob the place. After all he had acted strangely and we had told him we were tourists...
I was ready to call the police, the number already dialed, when Rene went down to talk to him. I panicked a little while he was gone, but when he came back he had told the guy to leave. But the guy was not leaving. We called our hosts, the guy didn't understand until finally the hostess called somebody who was friends with him and had accidently told him he could stay in the caravan in our drive-way. We insisted that he could not and then - finally - he left. Phew!
We celebrated this with a glass of Rosé and a jump into the lit pool! Yes!
From now on we spent an undisturbed time in the house, jumping in the pool every now and then, reading, writing this blog, watching G.O.T. and cooking. One evening we walked up to one of the restaurants next to us and had a wonderful meal. They even sold us fresh olive oil. Delicious.
The two glassed of wine I had had there made my head sore the next day. Still we went to the south-side of the island, to the town of Bol and the famous beach of Zlatni Rat.
The weather was not great and so we just took a stroll through town, had a horrible ice-cream sundae, and walked towards Zlatni Rat to watch a few surfers. It was just no bathing weather.

The next day we stayed until lunch, said goodbye to Bepo, our host, and then took the ferry back to the mainland, towards Split. Behind Split there is a wonderful castle ruin named Klis that we hadn't have the time to see, but from driving by it was quite fascinating already. Then we drove 90 minutes back to Zadar to a pre-booked apartment near the airport. It was drizzling again but we still went down-town and had a wonderful dinner at the pasta place from our first evening and an ice-cream from around the corner of our old apartment. It was nice to be back at Zadar. I am very sure I will return to Croatia. There are so many things we could not see this first time and many things I'd like to see again.