The Last Post!

Well, our’ trip is ending.. This is coming to you from Jeff & Bridget Pratley’s in Watford north of London.

We’re packed, think the weight’s OK! It’s 5pm and we’re taking off in five hours’ time! 2 nights in Bangkok (wasn’t that a song!) and we’re home Wednesday.

Last post was from Orebic, in Dalmatia. We had a lovely three nights there, did manage to get across and explore Korcula Island. Korcula town is supposedly the birthplace of Marco Polo – though Lonely Planet says that’s in dispute, as is the fact that he ever got to China! Can’t tell that to the locals though – far too big an impact on the tourist industry.

Dropped into a winery, conscious that some of the founding fathers of NZ’s wine industry were Dalmatian (Brajovic, Vistonivic etc). Interesting wines, again nothing much happening with the whites, but I’m bringing back a bottle of red to cellar – high tannins and very dry, so hoping it might open up a bit.

We had a lovely drive north along the coast towards Split. Again, LP had suggested the coast line around a place called Brela was lovely – and it was. Found some good accommodation there at the northern end, and then God turned the taps on! It rained solid (pretty much) for two days. We got one swim in, on the afternoon of arrival, and MC one long walk – but then tied to indoors. Not a bad thing is some ways, and we have been so blessed with the weather.

We drove on up to Split, intending to get a ferry north to Rijeka, but worked out it made more sense to drive. The drive took us inland for the first time, quite different scenery – beautiful lakes and national parks, bit of an adventure tourism area (hunting, white-water rafting etc). Found a hotel to stay in and were met by a woman who would have fitted right in at Stalag 13! It was OK, but not great value.

Drove the last few hours across to Venice on the morning of Tuesday 28 September and found the hotel we’d booked in Mestre, just north of Venice. Villa Crispi – just gorgeous and it was great vfm! Lovely welcome, lovely room, great position, just a 15 minute bus ride into Venice proper. Weather again was mixed, wet on arrival, but we both fell in love with Venice. Enjoyed our time there more than Florence – what an awesome place. Easy to explore too – for 16 Euro you get a 12 hour pass on all buses, and the public boats that ply the canals. We took a couple of trips down the Grand Canal, visited Murano Island – a glass-blowing centre – and boy did they turn out some sensational stuff. Ate lots of Pizza, drank some wine, got lost a couple of times and both determined that we would have to come back and do it “properly”.

Then we drove to Milan to hand Yvie back. All uneventful, but we were sorry to let her go  She’d done 7200 km, over 44 days – not including ferries! - at 7.2 l/100km at a surprisingly low average speed of 59kph. That must factor in time spent in towns at traffic lights etc, because we were averaging more like 120 over the last week! So that means 518 litres of diesel.

Jeff & Bridget had generously offered to put us up again for our last two days here. We’ve really enjoyed catching up with them again! Phil and Simon went to see Santana at the O2 last night. Fabulous concert. All the old favourites, plus a couple of surprise but spectacular 60s covers, full on. Whole Lotta Love, and Sunshine of your Love. Carlos Santana must be 65 at least, and was still playing spectacularly! We both spent a nice morning with Simon, then here to pack!

See most of you soon!

Will post some last photos when I get a chance..