Dalmatians to Dalmatia

Thursday 4th October

Today we leave Camp Selce and we can’t get away quick enough. Even if it is open on our way back we will not be dropping by.

Today is also the day that our two Dalmatians go to Dalmatia, the home of their breed, and a kind of coming home or pilgrimage maybe. Not that Lily or Vincent would have a clue as to the significance of where they were.

We’re heading to Okrug on a small island called Ciovo and a campsite called Rozac. We had seen this site receive positive reviews and it seemed a natural place to head for with it’s close proximity to the historic town of Trogir. It is also near Split although we hadn’t planned to visit there from this site. Although technically on an island Ciovo is only separated by a short bridge and so seems more like an extension of the mainland.

We had initially identified Camp Rozac as a stopping point but later discounted it when we discovered that it was no longer listed with ACSI as a Camping Card site. In fact there were quite a few sites that we had to discount because they were no longer listed. It was weird because we stayed at a site earlier that was no longer on the list but they still accepted our Camping Card. It was only some way into our trip that all became clear – we had been using the new ACSI app on our iPad because it seemed so much more convenient together with access to the reviews of each site. However, the clever little convenient app doesn’t list all of the sites, despite us having all latest downloads and updates. A quick check through the hard copy ACSI guide and bingo there were many more sites listed. So, sadly we have reverted back to the good old hard copy guide and consigned the app to history.

ACSI make no mention that we can find about the listings being different and it is not clear why this should be. We wonder whether sites have to pay extra to be listed on the new app maybe? Whatever the reason, ACSI – you need to do better!

Anyway Camp Rozac was back on the agenda.

We initially headed off down the E65 in confident knowledge that despite the expected hissy-fit that would be thrown by the satnav at the non-existent weight restriction we could safely and legally navigate through Senj. The journey down the Adriatic Highway is beautiful but also quite slow because of the speed limits along it’s length. After Senj we decided to head for the motorway and struck off up and over the adjacent mountain range on Croatias national route 23. It’s quite a steep ascent on a very winding road but a beautiful drive – if you like that sort of thing. It wasn’t long before I had the tail of vehicles behind me, not that was I going slow, I was just observing the speed limit. It wasn’t long also before we picked up on the tail of one articulated lorry, and then another, presumably like us heading for the motorway. This didn’t deter the vehicles behind from overtaking us or the lorries in front. It seemed that nothing would stop drivers from getting past, not even blind bends.

The motorway (the Croatian A1 and the European E71) was a breeze, virtually no traffic. In fact on the early stretches you could be forgiven for thinking that we had strayed onto a newly finished but as yet unopened motorway. The motorway didn’t have service stations as such, the occasional parking area, and the even less occasional parking area with a hut where you could get a coffee. We stopped at one these for a coffee, a stretch of the legs for us and the dogs, and a chat with the chap running the cafe who was quite interested to see our Dalmatians in Dalmatia.

The rest of the journey was straight-forward, mostly motorway until we headed off toward Trogir. Trogir itself was very busy with people, cars, motorbikes, and cycles everywhere, and all wanting to go in different directions. We needed to turn off near the centre for Ciovo but the junction was just a free for all and the only way of making the turn was to go for it. That done, we crossed the short bridge and over to the island where the roads are very narrow in places and seemingly populated by youngsters on motorbikes who were determined to get wherever they were going as quickly as possible, by whatever route took their fancy, and with no regard for other road users. We were to learn over the next two days that this was normal behavior. In fact during our stay there was the frequent noise of screaming motorbike engines.

After successfully negotiating our route to Camp Rozac we checked in and found a pitch. Actually, you have to park up, be shown around the site to choose your pitch, then take the chitty you are handed back to reception to check-in. A little bit different from the norm but it seemed to work OK.

We hadn’t expected the site to be as busy as it was but in early October it was practically full, and certainly no chance of getting one of the beach side pitches. Although Rozac are listed in Camping Card ACSI all of their pitches carry a surcharge, so whilst they may advertise an ACSI rate it is not what you will end up paying.

Situated on a small wooded penisula, Camp Rozac was quite pleasant, we had a nice pitch, although they are all a little but crammed and difficult to manoeuvre in and out of. The facilities are all there but look a little tired. They are kept clean however by what seems to be a constant guard of cleaners ensuring things are mopped, swept, and dispensers topped-up throughout the day. We had trouble finding a water point. The row of beach-side pitches are serviced and have their own taps but we couldn’t find anything anywhere else. Ruth asked at reception to be told ‘there are everywhere’. What was meant by this was that all outside taps were suitable for drinking but not those inside the toilet areas. So, no specific tap, but you can take water from the outside showers, wash-up sinks, and a particular one we were directed to that was only about 150mm about the ground – no chance of getting anything reasonable underneath and I suspect that this particular tap is used for irrigation of the grounds. We did manage to get some water but it smelt and tasted of disinfectant.

There is quite a pleasant walk along the sea front with numerous cafes and bars although many of these had closed for the season during our stay. You have to be a little careful coming out of the site on foot as there is no footpath immediately adjacent to the site and the drivers seem to pay scant regard to pedestrians.