There are some days on tour when everything goes to plan. Then there are days when you have a conversation over breakfast, change the itinerary, squeeze in another country and end up sitting in the Adriatic Sea wondering why you ever considered skipping Croatia!
Welcome to Day 16 of our European motorhome adventure.
We’re Steven and Suzanne, travelling around Europe in our motorhome with our two girls, Tilley and Frankie, and today we swapped the mountains and cool waters of Slovenia for the sunshine and warm seas of Croatia.
And yes… we also found cake. 🍰
☕ Breakfast in Bled… and a Change of Plan
The day started in Lake Bled, where we were still thinking about our route home.
We have one important deadline hanging over us: the dogs need their tapeworm treatment within the required timeframe before we sail back to the UK. That means finding a vet in France and making sure we're back in plenty of time.
Apart from catching the ferry, that's really our only fixed date.
The original idea was to head towards Italy, spend some time crossing the country, then make our way back through France. We absolutely love Italy, so naturally the idea of skipping it wasn't going down particularly well!
But after chatting to another travelling couple, Croatia suddenly became part of the conversation.
And we thought…
Why not?
We'd come this far. Croatia wasn't exactly miles away from Slovenia.
So, Croatia it was.
🚲 One Last Ride Around Lake Bled
Before leaving Bled, we decided to make the most of the morning.
The rain had cleared, the weather was looking promising and Steven had checked whether he could finally get the drone out.
So we took the bikes off the motorhome, left the girls relaxing in the van, loaded up the camera gear and headed off around the lake.
It's a fantastic place for cycling and walking, with the route around the lake coming in at roughly 6–7 kilometres.
Suzanne took the big camera, Steven took the drone, and between us we were determined to come back with something that looked vaguely professional.
Suzanne is enjoying learning more about the camera and discovering what all those lenses actually do.
After 30 years of touring, Steven has apparently finally discovered that Suzanne can use the cameras instead go carrying the camera equipment.
The views around Lake Bled were spectacular, and we managed to capture some fantastic photographs and drone footage of the famous island and church.
The church is officially known by the rather impressive name Church of Mary, Mother of God on the Lake, although there seem to be several variations of the name depending on who you ask. Whatever it's called, it looks absolutely stunning from above.
🍰 And Then There Was Cake…
Of course, no bike ride is complete without breakfast. And breakfast in Bled came with an unexpected bonus.
Cake.
We found what looked like a vanilla slice-type creation and decided to give it a go. Now, Suzanne will happily tell you that she doesn't really do cake. Except apparently she does. Because this one disappeared remarkably quickly.
It was enormous, delicious and, according to Steven, one of the best cakes he's ever had.
There was also coffee. Honestly, it was a difficult morning.
We also took the opportunity to ring Amy as it was her birthday, before heading back around the lake for the obligatory souvenir shopping.
A couple of magnets later, including one for Imogen, because apparently she has a serious magnet addiction!!! and we were ready to get back to the motorhome.
🚐 The Boring Bits Before Croatia
Back at the van, it was time for the glamorous side of motorhoming.
- Water topped up.
- Toilet emptied.
- Fuel purchased.
- And then we were off.
We travelled through some beautiful Slovenian countryside, although much of it was viewed from the motorway.
Eventually we crossed into Croatia and headed towards Pula. The journey included an impressive bridge and some fantastic new roads, with plenty of signs that Croatia is investing heavily in its infrastructure.
And then we arrived.
🇭🇷 Hello Pula!
Our destination was a huge campsite/resort near Pula, and when we say huge, we mean huge.
We're talking more than 1,000 pitches, multiple swimming pools, excellent washing facilities, electric hook-ups and even an area that reminded us of Go Ape.
It's almost more like a holiday resort than a campsite.
Everything was clean and well maintained, although with so many people using the facilities, the shower controls seemed to require constant attention!
The pitch itself could probably do with a little TLC, but considering the size of the place and the number of people here, it's surprisingly pleasant.
And then we discovered one of the best things about the site…
🐕 The Dogs Found the Beach!
There are dog-friendly areas on the beach, which meant Tilley and Frankie could have a proper explore.
And the sea?
Absolutely gorgeous.
The Adriatic was ridiculously warm.
So warm that Suzanne described it as being like getting into a bath.
The girls enjoyed a good swim, although they were absolutely shattered afterwards.
We'd gone from the cooler mountain temperatures around Lake Bled to sunshine and warm sea air, and the difference was incredible.
The beach is pebbly rather than sandy, which actually has its advantages.
- No sand.
- No sand in the motorhome.
- No sand in the dogs.
- No sand mysteriously appearing in places it really shouldn't.
- That's a win.
There are even dog-washing facilities, which is another bonus when you're travelling with two enthusiastic swimmers.
🌞 Are We Actually on Holiday?
This is the third week of our European adventure now, and one of the nicest things about it is that we don't feel rushed.
Yes, we have to work around the ferry and the dogs' paperwork, but we're not constantly chasing the next destination.
We can decide to go somewhere because we fancy it.
And that's exactly what happened with Croatia.
From Bled to Pula is only around 160 miles, so it seemed almost rude not to come.
And we know we would have kicked ourselves if we'd driven straight past.
Croatia is beautiful.
The coastline, the warm Adriatic, the beaches and the relaxed atmosphere have made it a very worthwhile detour.
🔋 Charging Up and Getting Ready for Day 17
One of the other great things about our current setup is being able to recharge everything while we're here.
The batteries were already around 75%, largely thanks to the solar panels, so we're expecting everything to be fully topped up and ready for the next leg.
Tomorrow is looking like a much slower day.
We're going to have a bit of a lazy day at the campsite and beach, possibly take the SUP out onto the sea and find somewhere to grab some food.
The dogs will probably have another swim.
And we'll probably do what we always do on tour…
Absolutely nothing for a while.
Which, strangely enough, is becoming one of our favourite parts of the adventure.
🐾 Day 16 – Another Country, Another Adventure
So there we have it.
We woke up in Slovenia thinking about Italy and France.
We cycled around Lake Bled.
We flew the drone.
We took some cracking photographs.
We ate a rather spectacular cake.
We bought magnets.
We emptied the toilet.
We bought fuel.
And then we drove to Croatia and ended the day swimming in the warm Adriatic.
Not a bad day's touring. And that's the beauty of this trip. The itinerary might change, the weather might change and the plans might change… But there's always another adventure around the corner.
Day 16: done and dusted. 🇸🇮➡️🇭🇷
Now, where's that cake?
#TouringIdeas #MotorhomeAdventure #MotorhomeLife #EuropeanTouring #MotorhomeTouring #TouringEurope #EuropeByMotorhome #VanLife #MotorhomeTravel #LakeBled #Slovenia #Croatia #PulaCroatia #AdriaticSea #CroatiaCamping #DogFriendlyTravel #TravellingWithDogs #TilleyAndFrankie #TravelWithDogs #EuropeanRoadTrip #MotorhomeDogs #DronePhotography #TravelPhotography #CampingLife #AdventureAwaits #RoadTripEurope #LifeOnTour #TravelVlog #MotorhomeVlog #Day16
Add comment
Comments