Abandoning their cruiser , The Butterfly , in France , our roaming correspondents , Peter and Judi Burleigh, head to Dubrovnik , providing further entertaining pages from their travel diary .
Croatia
fought a nasty war against the Serbs in the 90s. That fact , apart from knowing Serbia used to be
part of Tito’s Yugoslavia, is the sum
total of my knowledge of the country – oh
yes, and that it’s not part of the Schengen Agreement although it’s applied for membership.
Consequently we front up to our flight on Aigle Azure , the unknown charter airline, to fly to Dubrovnik. Terminal 2B at Charles de Gaulle is similar to Room 101 in the Ministry of Fear and is over-stuffed with lost souls in bureaucratic limbo, a shrilling of screaming kids, and blank-faced officials wishing they were somewhere else. On cue we switch on our mental ‘blank mode’ which gives us cow-like stoicism and the patience of Job.
Consequently we front up to our flight on Aigle Azure , the unknown charter airline, to fly to Dubrovnik. Terminal 2B at Charles de Gaulle is similar to Room 101 in the Ministry of Fear and is over-stuffed with lost souls in bureaucratic limbo, a shrilling of screaming kids, and blank-faced officials wishing they were somewhere else. On cue we switch on our mental ‘blank mode’ which gives us cow-like stoicism and the patience of Job.
Our first week is spent on the MB Leonardo, a small 12-cabin passenger cruiser. Our route hugs the Dalmation Coast from Dubrovnik to Split and back again. The crew of five speak English (or different versions of it) and are efficient and friendly. The boat is spotless, the cook tries hard, the days are sunny and of perfect temperature, and the Croatian villages are pretty and picturesque.
We stop in a different village harbour each night, some large and developed like Split and Hvar, others with concentrated charm like Karcula and Cavtat. One of our favourite Sydney eateries was the Balkans Seafood Restaurant near Taylor’s Square in Darlinghurst, and we found the same BBQ style is a Croatian standard. Fresh calamari and Sea Bass cooked over the coals doesn’t get better than this.
It disturbed to realise the war was happening in 1992. But tourists have their own needs; remembering a conflict is not on their agenda. Far from being claustrophobic the boat is relaxing and exciting at the same time. Two of the crew are named “Igor” but bear no relation to Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant. We vow to repeat the experience sometime, preferably with a group of friends.
Our
second week is spent in the Epidaurus Resort near Dubrovnik. Despite its name
it’s not a plastic surgery clinic or a tattoo supermarket, it’s all Germans
fighting over deck chairs and guttural karaoke in the evenings - but that’s the
worst of it. The best of it is the ‘all-included’ wrist band we wear 24-hours a
day which entitles us to all food, drinks and activities in unlimited
quantities. The Croatian staff is smoothly professional and good-natured.
