We didn’t really know what to expect of Croatia, but we had an inkling we might like it so we gave it four weeks in our travel plan –boy oh boy are we pleased we did.  We fell head over heels in love with this unassuming country, where the dramatic rocky coastline is met by the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic, which in turn is overlooked by historic stone towns inhabited by people with a sense of good simple living and great simple eating.

We spent the first week in the Istra region, well known for its slow food, and the Kvarner Bay – equally rich in island life.  Arriving in Umag in the north, we set up camp overlooking a small shingle beach, and across the Adriatic to Italy, which was backlit in orange each night as the sun was setting.  A super day lazing on the beach in glorious sunshine lured us into a false sense of security that the storms were behind us….we should have known better…..

On the second evening in camp, it was so calm that William and I took the little boat (whose factory given name is Poseidon by the way) out for a row on the glassy water about 8pm, and after dinner, Deane and I sat outside looking at the moon creating a silvery trail across the sea.  It was about 1.30am that we awoke to the rain pelting on the roof, and the thunder starting to roll.  A quick zip around the van secured the windows, and as the wind quickly increased, I thought I would check everything outside was tucked safely away.  What a shock I got! When I opened the door, I was knocked back by the wind and saw our awning being lifted up.  ‘Deane – the awning’ I squealed as it was literally torn off in front of my eyes, thrown up into the sky, over the top of the van and landed in a crumpled wreck on the other side.

We both leapt outside, (Deane slipping in the now rain soaked van and onto the corner of the bench in the process – for which he was to sport a vivid blue butt cheek for a week), and secured our now wrecked source of shade and shelter, while the thunder and lightning did it’s best to terrify us – at which it succeeded – and it’s best to wake William – at which it failed.  Luckily the two naked panic stricken loonies running around in the torrential rain didn’t have to worry about putting coats to avoid scaring the neighbours – it was another naturist site!!

We had to wait out a fitful night before we could check the van for damage, but amazingly, with the exception of a couple of minor scratches, the van was undamaged.  Many phone calls later we realised we would not be able to get it fixed in Croatia, and we had to accept that the hot month of July would be spent without an awning – boo hiss – but that we were extremely lucky to get away without serious consequence to the van or our neighbours (who had retreated to their car to see out the storm).

Onwards and downwards, we headed down the peninsula, stopping at Poreč for lunch and a visit to a local market (where Will successfully haggled for some brilliant wee binoculars) and the Euphrasian Basilica.  A popular holiday destination, there was evidence that this is a town on the way up, but which is successfully retaining a lovely feeling of history and where we were more than happy to wander for an hour or two – especially given the price of ice cream – 80 Euro cents for a proper big scoop of fresh ice cream.  Nom Nom….

From Poreč we headed to on our first island foray, catching the ferry to Cres and Losinj.  Here we found one of our most favourite places of the trip – Mali Losinj.  Mali Losinj is a fishing harbour, set in a narrow inlet, where sun bleached stone fisherman’s cottages cuddle up with pastel hued townhouses from the past.  Far enough away from the rat race to retain an air of calm even at the start of the high season, children came out to sell their shells as the evening visitors emerged and we managed a white table-clothed dinner (in our shorts alas) on our budget.

The next day we headed out on ‘an excursion’, taking a pirate ship out to the Islands of Susak and Ilovak. Susak, with its historic upper and beach orientated lower town is most famed for being a sandy beach (a treat in rocky Croatia).  What amazed us was the warmth of the water.  Thanks to the black sand and shallow bay it was literally bath temperature and it was hard to drag me out of the shallows to return to the boat for a lunch of barbequed mackerel, the remains of which William fed to the gulls off his plate.  Ilovak was a sweet little island with a chapel on the point and where we snorkelled but on finding only sea cucumbers and cables gave up (no doubt the locals would say we were just in the wrong place!). A super day out!

Reluctantly leaving Losinj, we caught a ferry to Krk, an island between Cres and Rjeika (on the mainland).  Krk is the most populated of all of Croatia’s islands and it shows.  We were on a busy road and rejected our first campsite as it was a pure holiday resort.  Even our second choice was a large (expensive) site, but we were given a seaside pitch and decided to stay.  The inevitable storm (yep, still with us) couldn’t touch this seriously paranoidly secured family, but another family was not so lucky as they sought to unburden their speedboat from the rocks which had torn a hole in the bottom.

Krk was the first of the Roman Croatian towns we were to visit and is a perfect place to wander through sand coloured alleys over ancient cobbles, with lots of small corners still untouched and slightly worn, but perfectly atmospheric (and photogenic).  The boys took a touristy but affordable high octane (testosterone) jet boat ride on the harbour before we wandered the coast path back to camp.

The next day we crossed the bridge to Rjeika thinking that while Istra and the Kvarner Bay Islands may be less well known than their Southern counterparts, we might keep them a secret too!