Second trip to Cres

Our Second trip to Cres, Croatia

Please bear with me as this is the first time I’ve written a story on here and this is about our second visit to the beautiful island of Cres, Croatia.

So why didn’t you write about your first trip, I hear you cry? I don’t know why. I suppose when you’ve experienced something a bit special, it can take a long time to sink-in and there’s some mechanism within my selfish side which doesn’t want to share it! However, after weeks and months of plotting and planning, we headed off to Cres again. It’s important I mention this, because we are not a couple who have ever been to the same place twice for a holiday as the world is such a big place and to be honest, I slightly ‘lured’ my better half (affectionately known as Miggs, or Mrs Miggins) back to Cres, with a promise of 5 nights in Lake Garda on the way home!

This trip would never have occurred if I hadn’t read the stories on the Club site from Chas n Cath, Roy and Sharon, Another David and of course Dianne T (who we met in Germany, 3 years ago on our very first night in Germany, all quite by chance!) I am indebted to you all.

Our outfit is a 2015 Adria Adora Isonzo which was our first ever brand-new caravan, towed by our 14 plate Kia Sorrento 2.2 diesel Auto, which replaced our older 55 plate 2.5 manual Sorrento. I was a little concerned to begin with that the newer model, with less towing capacity (2200kgs compared to 3000kgs) may not be up to the job, but my fears were allayed as soon as I hitched up, turned the key and selected ‘Drive’. Why hadn’t I done this sooner?!!

Right oh, with most sites and ferry booked, the caravan packed, insurances/breakdown cover/travel insurance/car serviced/caravan serviced/passports/money etc (how long is this list?) all taken care of, we set off from home on the Shropshire/Cheshire border to head down to our first stop at Folkestone and the Clubs’ Black Horse Farm site and our allotted ferry pitch. This was June 13th and although not a Friday, we were unlucky in that our pitch was adjacent to the main road, which, due to the M20 being closed, was akin to stopping a lay-by along the road. Sleep quality? About as good as the shower block. ‘Nuff said.

Somewhat bleary-eyed we headed off with renewed spirits to catch the 06.40ish ferry. Previously we’d gone via Eurotunnel but thought we’d try the ferry this year and the £100 plus saving certainly helping to redress the current weak pound. Once onboard we headed to the restaurant and breakfast. Crisp, clean linen tablecloths and serviettes greeted us, along with pleasant staff and we enjoyed a full English (Mrs Miggins had Omelette) with a sea-view table and only a pane of glass separating us from ‘La Manche’. All-in-all a very pleasant experience which further helped at Passport Control when I was asked to remove my spectacles. Thankfully, the officer could see my still slightly blood-shot eyes were due to staying at Black Horse Farm and not the local hostelry!

And so to the maps and the setting up of the in-car Sat Nav for our first stop, Prumtal-Camping, in Oberweis. Germany. (we also had our trusty Garmin portable which took us to the door last year, just in case as she had all European Maps) Our route was through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. We knew the road near the end of our journey was closed and although there was bound to be a diversion, decided to head for Vianden in Luxembourg, which was only 20 minutes from our destination. The journey was uneventful; easy roads, beautiful scenery and very little traffic in comparison. We stopped for lunch at a service station in Belgium and then refuelled in Vianden @ 94cents/litre arriving at the site around 3.30pm. After a refreshing swim in the outdoor heated pool, we went for dinner in the excellent on-site restaurant followed by a brilliant night’s sleep, the distant trickling of the river……..

A shower in the morning, in some of the best facilities we’ve encountered, followed by a walk along the river to the bakers in the village and breakfast with proper rocket-fuel coffee!! As I was drinking it I had visions of 70’s comedies…..’Ve have vays of making you stay avake!’

Onwards to our second destination, Lech Camping, which we’d booked through the Club and is about an hour this side of Munich, just north of Augsberg and apparently near to the spectacular ‘Romantic Road’ Southern Germany’s Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) is a picturesque 350km route through the forests and mountains of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Its northern endpoint is Würzburg, a wine-region city known for the Residenz, an 18th-century baroque palace with a Tiepolo fresco. In the south it ends at Füssen, in the foothills of the Alps, near King Ludwig II’s iconic Neuschwanstein Castle. Somewhere to be investigated on another trip?

We didn’t know, but it happened to be a Holiday in this region of Germany, which meant no HGV’s (Or at least we’d only encounter those carrying perishable goods. Think we saw less than 20 all day).
We arrived following a pit-stop en route and were greeted by the owner who was resplendent in national costume, as were all the staff. We were shown to our pitch, which was facing the lake and had to park ‘front end in’ which was handy as it gave us a lovely view. It took us ages to set up, partly because our neighbours on one side were from Blighty, but more so because our neighbours on the other side were the friendliest Germans in the world! Introductions to all the family, including their three children and a brief life-history ensued and all in English (the 3yr old didn’t say too much!) Facilities were exceptionally clean, good quality and we came out of the showers feeling ‘jet-washed!’ Brilliant. The restaurant and bar was situated lake-side and was full, probably due to the holiday. We waited well over an hour for our food to arrive, which was very good when it came, but there’s only so much time a beer glass stays full and I probably had one too many refills whilst waiting. I was conscious that Mrs Miggins may have been counting, whilst she sipped her non-alcoholic beverage with raised eyebrow! Ah well, when in Rome….

I like the Germans. They get up early. They are (in the main) very friendly. They respect caravans/drivers on the road. They have good roads, good standards and even better facilities. During a pit-stop I encountered a WC that even cleaned itself, before and after it was used!

Now we are on our third day in Europe and heading to Seecamping Berghof in OssiacherSee, southern Austria and a drive that is one of the most spectacular and beautiful journeys. After passing Munich on the ring road and stopping for coffee and buying our vignette, we got our first glimpse of the Alps. It was just as breath-taking as we remembered and poor Mrs Miggins had to endure a rendition of ‘The Hills are Alive’ at full volume in my best amateur dramatic voice. She did in fact join in, whilst keeping her ever watchful eye on the Autobahn. She may not tow, but she drives every mile (sorry kilometre) with me and is the perfect co-driver.

And then we entered Austria.

And then it started to rain.

And it didn’t stop raining, with low cloud obliterating our view, until we reached the summit and started to descend. Just how beautiful is this country? Stunning. We stopped for a break and were amazed at the beautiful services and the quality of the fayre on offer. Fresh salads & pasta, hot roasts, fresh pizza, sandwiches made in front of you, the list is endless. Ok, €30 maybe a bit dear for lunch, but on holiday, in such fabulous surroundings and it’s all fresh? A certain burger joint with a cardboard tasting filling might be half the price, but, thankfully, it wasn’t on offer.

We encountered our first ‘Maut’ (toll) on this motorway, which, considering we’d driven all the way from Calais, wasn’t too much of a hardship. (Other than the vignette)

Seecamping Berghof is on the southern shore of Ossiachersee, just east of Villach and easy to find from the A10. They do a deal if you arrive after 6pm for €20 for a pitch but we got there about 3.15pm so opted for a pitch with water & elec for €30. We don’t use an ASCI card, because we’re unable to take advantage of the out-of-season offers. To say our pitch had spectacular views is an understatement with views straight across the lake and 100ft drop on the other side of the pitch! The facilities were top-notch for a big site which was about ¾ full but it was quiet. I found the walk to the toilet/shower block a tad difficult, but then I’m not as fit as I was (requiring a new knee doesn’t help) Perhaps I should have chosen another pitch.
The restaurant was excellent, great food, fast service and very reasonable. Super place.

Day four. Today is the day when we get to Cres. Firstly, we get some fuel and a Slovenian vignette, pay the toll through the Karawanken Tunnel, head through Slovenia, skirting Ljubljana, turning off on to the 6 before reaching the border control. As last year, it is the only spot where we were asked for passports and yet again, as soon as they see we’re British, they just wave you through, without even a cursory glance! Are they jobsworths or excited about Brexit? Well I don’t mind waiting 20 minutes so long as they catch ‘the baddies’
50 metres more and a toll to enter Croatia, about £1.50 and this time the passports are taken and scanned. ‘Dobra something or other’ and we’re on our way again. The roads are like billiard tables and as we descend from the hills, we get our first glimpse of the Adriatic and the Gulf of Trieste, the sun glistening on the surface.

We continue, amazed by the overhead signs, which, instead of warning you of speed cameras, accidents, roadworks and queues ahead that last until next millennium, proudly announce the roads are clear to all destinations, giving their respective mileages and better still, advising us that it’s now 28c. The air-conditioning gets ramped up a notch. Soon we’re on a new stretch of motorway which drops us onto Croatia’s largest island Krk, where a one-way toll of around 15 Kuna is paid. We cross the two bridges and head for the other side of the island, to Valbiska, where we catch our ferry to Cres. The 25-minute crossing only heightens our expectations and it takes a further 45 minutes for us to eventually arrive at Camping Slatina, which is a stone’s throw from the fishing village of Martinscica on the west coast.

The campsite is set on a hillside, covered in pine trees and shrubs and all the pitches are terraced. It is a big site with 4 or 5 shower blocks, all brand new, all superb. There is an attendant there from 07.00 -17.00 keeping the facilities spotless. The dog shower will impress your pooch! Even though the site is large, it was quiet and peaceful. Maybe the sea-views helped.
Whilst there is the usual ‘European’ way of keeping older caravans on permanent sites, this is limited to one area of the camp site and for me, spoils the overall effect on the site. There are fixed rental caravans and further along the bay, chalets and a separate, secluded beach for those who’ve forgotten their swimming costumes. These type of beaches are very common in Croatia, but are clearly marked to protect everyones' privacy. The newly designed ‘Premium’ pitches are large, spacious, fitted with EHU and water and occupy sea-front locations and is why we had to book ours a year ago. The only downside to this being the steep ascent, back to the facilities block. It’s ok if you don’t have any mobility issues.

Our neighbours were a mixture of Danish, Dutch and German, all very friendly and polite. There is an onsite café & bar, pizzeria and separate restaurant, but we chose to go out exploring and trying different places.

If you like fresh fish or lamb (Cres’ speciality), this is the place for you. It is not the gastronomic capital of the world, but the food is tasty, especially when washed down with local wines. They are also very proud of their olive oil and rightly so. Cres is relatively inexpensive to eat out, even with a poor exchange rate and we were embarrassed at how well they speak English and how little we spoke Croatian. At least we tried and they were receptive to our efforts.
It is an island easily covered in a week and there are stunning little harbours, lined with pastel coloured houses, cafes and eateries and the Venetian theme is evident throughout. The island is covered in sweet scented greenery which hide many little coves and secret treasures, which for those who can walk or cycle for miles will surely be utopia. Don’t forget your swimming shoes though as the beaches are stony and are perfect for snorkelling with azure blue seas. It is only when we ventured into the main Cres town that we encountered any form of ‘tourism’, but the lack of ‘kiss me quick’ hats, buckets and spades and general crud was, for us, a boon, preferring the Venetian inspired architecture and café culture.

At the southern end of Cres, a 15metre swing bridge connects Cres to the island of Losinj, which is a long and thin island and contains some of the most beautiful villages and harbours we’ve ever encountered. A visit to Mali Losinj and the neighbouring Veli Losinj are a must. There’s a large campsite near Mali Losinj which would suit those with children as it houses a water park.
We did go back to one of our favourite restaurants from our first visit but ate at new establishments we hadn’t previously tried. There is plenty to choose from, but most will offer something for everyone from a burger to fine dining experiences. There are "markets" dotted around too to stock up with supplies, but they're definitely not like Sainsbury's and if you like a G&T, you'll need to take your own tonic!
We loved our stay in Croatia’s Kvarner region. Would we go back? Yes, but to the Istria peninsular or the Dalmatia coast and we haven’t seen the Plitvice National Park either. It is a long way (approx. 1,000 miles) and I’m sure it could be reached in a quicker time, but it was worth the effort.
So now it’s on to Lake Garda……and that’s another story……..