William Coleman
Today I faced a whole new set of challenges with inner city towing and hairpin bends as well as amazing weather and a massive surprise breakfast that could have fed the spartan army.
Upon waking up at Camping Bled the team were presented with 1 hamper for every 2 guests. What was inside the hamper blew me away. 1 large thermos of coffee, 1 whole bag of chocolate croissants and rolls, chicken pasta salad, cheese, 3 different hams, roast beef, salmon, frape cheese, yogurts, salad and spreads. Now times that by 4.
Another mile heavy day today with 345 miles to get through which is around 8-9 hours of driving. The drive from Bled to Split is filled with the most beautiful mountain views. This is scenery that makes you realise just how amazing the world really is.
Half way through the day we stopped off and decided to finish what was left over from breakfast for lunch. As me and the Bailey team sat there we reflected on what the highlights of the trip so far have been. The Camping Bled meal was the dominant opinion.
As we entered Croatia we were met with a rather unfriendly police officer who made us very aware we were in the wrong lane at passport control, but as soon as we got past him the beauty that is Croatia exploded in front of us. It was here I decided it is my time to drive.
Once I was back behind the wheel of the Skodia Kodiaq I felt right at home. It has enough power and steadiness to make towing feel effortless, but then we came to almost vertical dual carriageways down the mountains. At this point my nerves were trying to kick in and tell me to panic as the speed picked up very quickly once we started to descend down through the mountains. I simply slowed it down and took my time, once that was done all was well.
The one thing that did make me feel somewhat uneasy was the very sharp bends. As you know towing a motorhome round bends requires a little bit of skill. Now try it going down and round a Croatian Mountain, it could make the hairs on your arms stand up every so slightly.
As soon as we got into Split we were faced with some heavy traffic which was full of drivers who have clearly adopted the Croatian way of driving. Thankfully the roads in Split are quite wide with concerningly smalls pavements, probably why there were so many people walking in the road.
The challenge had be set for Wes and I to cook the team dinner, some people angled it as CaravanTimes V Bailey but it worked out as more as a team effort than an interpromotional battle. I opted to make the starter, a nice easy Bruschetta, which seemed to go down well. Wes went big with his beef sausage and chestnut mushroom penne pasta.
Making enough food for 8 men can be a challenge when using the kitchen of a caravan, but not today. We worked well as a team and delivered the goods with smiles all round. For pudding there was red wine and Peroi which helped close what was an amazing day.
After a few twists and turn, which were followed by some tricky maneuvers, we arrived at our site. Stay tuned for the Kamp Galeb review.
