The ABs - oh my gosh! Saturday 6th October

Above, an old chapel, that was in the wall of the city, but was blown-up, however, the only thing to survive is the painting of Mary (see below - although it is now kept behind a grate). So a chappel has been errected in the entrance way here to honour the picutre, which is said to be important as it managed to survive. Well, what can i say, our day started with froot loops and warm milk for Josh and a banana for me - camp food is not the greatest! We travelled in the bus for 5 hours to Zagreb - the capital of Croatia and did a walking tour in the rain! Our day looked up as we checked into a hotel for the night - so very very nice and much better than camping! We all headed out to a pub in town to watch the game and how fortunate we felt to be in a room with some French so we could gloat when we won! Need i say more, Josh is in gross depression and our experience is dampered!! A very disapointing day! Oh and lets just add to the day that Josh in addition to bumping his head yesterday now has an officially infected mosiquitoe bite and stubbed his toe and is now limping and gushing blood each time he moves his foot! Ah yes! An experience to say the least!

Thursday 4th October- Split

In the picture above we are eating lunch at a restaurant on another 'beach' with pebbles with sunloungers on them - look in the background of the photo. The town square below. Walking around the town, along the waterfront. Today we were organised for the Island and got up early to catch the 9am ferry to Hvar, an island off Split. It was again characterized by an old town with monastaries and pebble beaches. From what we've seen most areas in Croatia seem to have an old town with narrow lanes and orange/clay roof tiles. We walked around the water then once again lay on sun loungers - which cost $9NZD each - how expensive, but it's not like you can lye on the pebbles - too hard, although we have seen some people lying on lilos! After cocktails at the harbour we had a luch of meat! Our first non-seafood meal since we have been here! We caught the ferry back to Split for 7.30pm and got a quick bite to eat before going to bed! Saving our energy to join up with our camping tour tomorrow!

Wednesday 3rd October Dubrovnik to Split

We spent the morning lying on sun loungers at the beach in Lapad before leaving to fly to Split. We were going to catch the bus but thanks to Josh and his blackberry and Mike and 10 extra pounds we took a 35minute flight instead of a 5 hour bus ride! Befor leaving Dubrovnik it is noteable to mention the amount of cats everywhere, they would sit next to you begging for food! We arrived in Split at 4pm and once again are staying another great guesthouse only minutes from the harbour and old town. We walked around the place and looked in the shops after having dinner at another lovely seafood restuarant and eating mussles again! Although, not before trying black risotto - which is made blacke from the ink in the squid! It tasted good but the colour was slightly off putting!

Tuesday 2nd October Dubrovnik

Look how far we climbed and this wasn't even the top! View from the top of the old town in Dubrovnik The beach! We planned to go to a nice sandy island today except we slept for 12hrs and missed the boat! oops! We went to a closer island called Lukum on a ferry instead, we walked up to the top of the island to an old fort and got some beautiful pictures of Dubrovnik. We then sunbathed at eh beach - which is rocks along the adriatic coast! These are called beaches, despite there being no sand! We ended our day again by having cocktails byt the water in Lapad and eating seafood for the 3rd day in a row! Yum!

Monday 1st October - Dubrovnik

The bar we ended the day at - looking out over the harbour! Look at all the roofs! Pictures of Dubrovnik and walking around the wall

Today we went into the old town and walked around the walls of the city. The gates of the city are foretified. The walls are inland and along the coastline were large cliff faces leading down to the crystal blue adriatic sea. The day was beautifully sunny about 26oC and no wind. Inside the walls are a myriad of narrow pathways that have loads of restaurants and lots of tiny churches as back in the day each noble fmaily had their own church! We had a look around a couple of monastaries and a palace. Notice the different colourd roofs in the picutres (when they come), this was from when Dubronik was bombed in 1991 and rebuilt. The middle of the old town is Luza square with the clock tower and in the front a flagple called Orlando's column. it was erected in 1418. The walls and forteresses were also built in the 15th century. The church behind to column is St Blaise, he is their patron saint and his head is enclosed in a jewled crown in another cathedrals treasury, along with his leg and hand. These are paraded down the city once a year on February 3rd for Saints Day! We enjoyed a lovely and cheap mussell risotto for luch and mussels again for dinner! Before dinner we found ourselves a fancy bar overlooking the port whre we spent 3hrs sipping cocktails and lazing in the sun on bean bags! What a day! Who could ask for more!

Croatia Sunday 30th September

Today we flew to Croatia - Dubrovnik. We arrived at 4pm. The runway is set amongst the hills - so beautiful. Our guesthouse host piked us up from the airport and gave us a rundown of what to see and do. Dubrovnik is beautiful, all hilly with the hill meeting the adriatic sea. They call Dubrovnik the pearl of the adriatic and you will see why from the photos. We are styaing at Lapard Bay and in the evening we walked around the coastline to a little restaurant recomnded to us where we had guge king prawns, done hot in honey and sage and mussles (not greenlip, but still nice) and fish. The pictures are of Lapad Bay where we ate dinner, just as the sun is going down. The pictures will be loaded up when we come back as it is not working here for some reason.

Dans Le Noir Dinner Saturday 29th September

Tonight we went for dinner with some friends from Hillsong to a restaurant called Dans Le Noir. it's a french restaurnat where you order a set muenu at the bar of either - everything, no meat, no meat (fish) or vegetarian. Then a blind person leads you into a totally dark room to eat your meal. You can't see a thing. it's a bit scary at first, i felt a bit clustrophobic but after a whileyou just go witht he flow and no your eyes dont adjust to the dark! It is totally dark, you can't see a thing! After getting asparagus spear on my nose and moose on my chin from Josh trying to feed me and having to put my finger in my glass to guage how much water to put in it - we went down the road to a local pub to discuss our experience. A great time was had by all and off on Holiday tomorrow!