Saturday, 2 May 2009. Ocean Village Two sails into Croatia and is moored up at the dock in Gruz, a couple of miles northwest of Dubrovnik.
I know very little about Croatia other than it used to be a part of Yugoslavia and all I know about Yugoslavia was a feeling of mild terror, formed as a child watching Cliff Richard forced into marriage by gun-wielding peasants in the film Summer Holiday. All in all, not the best preparation and grounding for a holiday visit. But at least I was going on a ship and not in a red bus...
As we sailed in, we passed another cruise liner, MSC Musica, anchored in the bay. She was putting her passengers ashore in tender boats.
We had elected to take an excursion this day called Easy Adriatic Coast, which was basically a coach trip with a stop in a coastal town called Cavtat.
We got off the ship and again marvelled at the sheer size of it. We had cruised for several years on the old Island Star which weighed in at 42,000 tons. Ocean Village Two's 70,000 tons was a whole new kettle of fish! Then we walked over to the coaches and found our coach. We were told to have our passports ready for examination, but the officer on duty was talking on his mobile phone and waved us through. The coach turned northwest out of the docks up to the Ombla river and then climbed the hillside, before turning southeast towards and past Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, it has been a major centre of power in the Mediterranean since the 1200s. Despite earthquakes and wars as recent as 1995, it has retained its ancient walls and churches. But we're not going there and it is already receding behind us as the coach continues along the coast...
Just off the coast is a small island, uninhabited but landing by day-trippers is permitted. There is a wildlife sanctuary there and it is popular with locals who take picnics to eat on the beaches of the island.
After a spectacular cliff-road drive along the coast, we come into a small bay and the coach pulls to a stop with a hiss of air-brakes.
Next time: Doggy-doos in Cavtat... has anyone got a tissue?
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