WHERE ARE WE ANNE?

Monday, 19 August 2013

DUBROVNIK TO SREBRENO

FRIDAY 16th AUGUST 2013

SREBRENO Cove is a pretty little holiday spot. What was immediately noticeable coming in was the hollow, roofless, war ravaged buildings on prime waterfront tourism real estate that were still sitting there twenty two years later contrasted to all the carefree holiday makers of summer around them. It begged explaining.

The answer came when Anne and I swam ashore and spoke to a stall holder selling holiday stuff. He explained that this area was a Serbian strong hold during the seige of Dubrovnik. When the Serbians retreated they torched and destroyed the buildings as they left. For reasons more due to the stalling effects of politics and corruption since, a lot of buildings have not been repaired despite the obvious loss of valuable tourism income over the last twenty two years. It is only now and indeed in two weeks time that one or two will be demolished and a new hotel built.

There are many, many deserted buildings in Srebreno. The stall holder despaired of the situation in Croatia today, saying that he worked as a builder during winter and a stall holder during summer with his wife and four daughters trying to make ends meet. He was a Croatian soldier in Zagreb during the war because he said freedom and democracy was worth fighting for. Now he despairs at the bleak political situation citing many instances of corruption from Franjo Tudman on. He said he was ashamed to be a soldier because he fought and killed for what? While he loves his Croatia he is saddened that it can't make more food for it's five million people and improve it's economy and tourism industry in obvious ways.

A great insight for us from a passionate articulate bloke.

ON ENTRY TO SREBRENO

RUINS WITH WATER VIEWS

STALL HOLDER AND BUILDING TO BE REBUILT IN TWO WEEKS

CROATIA JOINED THE EU ON JULY FIRST THIS YEAR

HOTEL ZUPA IN RUINS

SHADY PINES

REFLECTIONS OF ANNE, CAFE WIFI

THE SHIP'S READING LIST

ONE NIGHT IN DUBROVNIK

Thursday 15th August 2013

We motored more than sailed the 35 nautical miles into Dubrovnik from our little anchorage and fig plucking spot.

They have you over a barrel in Dubrovnik, there is not really anywhere to stay except in the marina at 81 Euro per night, so that's what we did.

We did the med mooring shuffle, Bill made it look easy reversing in to that tight little spot between two Sunsail charter boats. After paperwork and discovery that the wifi only really works up at the office we decided we had to solve the empty gas bottle situation. A hot afternoon walk and an overshoot, we finally found the gas man and ticked that job.

That left us free to have showers, a pre dinner sundowner and head into Dubrovnik old town on the bus.

Dubrovnik is all about the medieval old town. We headed in with approximately one or maybe two million other visitors. It was heaving. Cruise ships and summer and us, joining the tourism bonanza.

So this was the Dubrovnik, the iconic old town that I saw on TV being blown to bits over eight months in 1991. The scars of war were hard to discern as we walked around the rebuilt stunning old town streets that were all about tourism for their lifeblood.

We navigated the throngs, passed long queues waiting at the more prized restaurants, passed hip doof doof bars, good jazz sax, buskers, hawkers and gawkers to plump for a vacant table outside in a perfectly picturesque street that turned out to have perfectly reasonable prices as well. A slow amble back to the bus station after dinner and we weary travellers were ready for a worry free night in the marina as the wind whistled through the Aeolian harp of the collective rigging.

Bill and Linda did a day trip the next day into the Old Town while Anne and I dodged the heat and crowds knowing that we were planning to be back later when cooler and less peak season.

We did a shop, reprovisioned, rewatered, rebeered, refuelled, spoke to a couple of Australians who tied up next to us, and headed south 7 nautical miles to the next spot, an anchorage in Srebreno near Cavtat.

BEACH RESORT DUBROVNIK STYLE

DUBROVNIK APPROACH DODGING WATERCRAFT

WE DIDN'T FOLLOW BUT WE WERE GOING TO THE SAME MARINA

DUBROVNIK ACI MARINA

SAFELY WEDGED IN

THE GAS REFILL SCHLEPP IN AFTERNOON HEAT

DUBROVNIK OLD TOWN MAIN DRAG

VIEW FROM OUR TABLE

DINNER SPOT

EVEN OLIGARCHS NEED A HOLIDAY

Saturday, 17 August 2013

POETS CORNER

Bird Life

I saw two shearwaters today

Or perhaps was stalked by the one

I've seen the odd seagull

But otherwise, bird life there is none

Anne said on the contrary

She's seen seagulls by the ton

But they were at the back of the fish shop

Otherwise bird life there is none.

FREE RANGE FRUIT FIND

Friday, 16 August 2013

LAYING DOWN THE MILES

Rogoznica to Dubrovnik 110 nautical miles.

Three days, 13th August to 15th August 2013

Rogoznica to Soline Bay, Palmizana to Zaglavac Bay, Peljesac to Dubrovnik

A late start leaving Rogoznica after we enjoyed showers, washing clothes and then spread out on various sorties. Bill and I went looking for gas refills and hardware items with limited success while Linda and Anne did a resupply operation at the supermarket to return with that bright smug look of success that only two women can share when they have both bought two dresses each at bargain prices on the way back from the supermarket.

Not much wind so a motor sail to Soline. Turns out, about 50 to 60 other vessels had the same idea and were packed in to all the good spots over several bays on Palmizana which is near the popular spot of Hvar. We arrived late about 7.00pm and had to nose about for a bit before settling on a spot with suitable mix of depth, bottom, shelter, ambience and best separation from others. We deferred to Bill's experience and he delivered. Anne put in sterling work as glamour deckie and anchor person. Distracted with welcome sundowners and then dinner, we didn't even get around to a swim.

We are, in the end, on a mission to get south to Greece so Bill and Linda can reunite with their yacht Lati. For that reason we have to motor and put in some long days chugging to get the miles behind us without the side trips. We left Soline Bay early on the 14th at 6.50am after a heavy dew and motored south in still air despite the Bora forecast for later.

We passed by Korcula, a popular, atmospheric island and town. The sort of island you would definitely explore with more time. Marco Polo was born there in 1254 and remains their explorer poster boy. There was a mile or two only of good local wind through the narrow strait between Korcula and the island of Peljesac. The local windsurfers knew it but once past Korcula it was all over.

After 48 nautical miles we were looking for an anchorage. We made a drive by into Trstenik and then just south, a pretty little surprise find of a bay with no one anchored in it save for the obligatory nudists getting sunburnt. Well actually there was one yacht, but they left just as we anchored and had jumped in for a swim in particularly clear water.

A note on the nudity meter. It was bouncing around with registrations all day, going through all the zones from very pink heading for painful sunburn, tanned leather look to just plain showing off. It is working overtime and often needs the glass tapped to dislodge the needle from the extreme end and get it back on the scale. This is because it is still set to the Australian Standard where it hardly does any work and has yet to be recalibrated to the European standard when I'm sure it will behave more sedately. Coming from a country where we spend our lives avoiding excessive exposure to the sun, it takes some adjusting to seeing people who are absolutely nuts about getting as many rays as they can squeeze in.

Arrived Dubrovnik. More as time allows for next post.