19 August 2025 (windy start, sunny and hot 31C) 30km

Talk about windy during the night. It really got up and the tent was moving.

Heard one drunk German female being given the hard word by an older German guy at one point because she was being too noisy. Saved me the bother.

All in all, a good night's sleep until 5.08am, when the wind had subsided, although still there.

Pack up went smoothly and soon we were cruising the main road and doing some climbing into the bargain.

The wind picked up at certain points and we definitely had to watch the gusts, especially on the high mountain corners, with low crash barriers. 

Ever since Split we have been seeing evidence of the recent fires and it's scary to see how close it got to the houses. People must have been dousing the houses with water to stop them catching alight.

Soon we entered the Makarska Riviera. Forty years since last here, so I was interested to see what had changed. Just about everything in fact.

All the roading has been updated, which it needed to be.

We were literally driving over bridges with holes where you could look straight down, a couple of hundred feet below. We used to roll the front tyres into the gap and then slowly drive out and do the same with the back.

There are tourists and tourist shops for Africa. Beach loungers everywhere, beach bars, jet ski hire etc.

The apartments and hotels are amazing. There is certainly some money being pushed through this area. 

Anyway...(and I know you're waiting for this) we shopped at a Ribola supermarket.

Over the past couple of days in these tourist areas, the employees have tried my patience. Generally not interested, rude etc.

Today, I was waiting for bread...and waiting.

The woman was looking straight at me. When she thought she'd tested me sufficiently she says, "What you want"?

I pointed to two buns in a crate, (freshly baked)

She says, pointing to the cabinet

"Get them yourself out of here"

"No, they aren't fresh. Two of those", pointing to crate.

Well she huffed and puffed and nearly blew her own house down, before slamming them down in front of me.

Of course very politely I told her in no uncertain terms what lovely service she had provided and then found two minutes later, I was having the same conversation with the checkout person.

This was at 7.30am, so it's not like they'd had a long, tough day. I just hate rude, obnoxious people, especially when they're taking my money. 

Rode slowly along taking photos and soaking it all in. At the end of Baska Voda, a lovely, but packed spot, we found a place for breakfast down the far end of the beach, right where the naturist beach was. 

Had a lovely swim and had just settled into our breakfast when we had a large extended Italian family come and sit by us.

This is my observation from this tour. Italians love to talk. I'm sure they would admit to that.

But on a quiet beach, with the sun on the crystal clear turquoise water and no one else within cooee, they suddenly start having an argument, loudly. Seems like Mum wants to sit in the sun, but the four teenagers want to sit in the shade. Dad is caught in the middle.

So Mum and kids are shouting at each other from the top of the beach to the water line and dad's off to the side by neither group putting in his ten cents worth. All at high volume and fitting in about 200 words per minute.

Not satisfied with making their point once, they up the volume and take it further.

Now, I know they love the sound of their own voices, but do it somewhere where no one is affected by you. In the end, kids sat in the shade, mum and Dad in the sun for about ten minutes before they all adjourned to the bar. Honestly, the arguing lasted longer.

After breakfast, we had another swim and a lay on the beach, while the naturists, all older, cause they don't give a fuc#*!, dangled their bits and pieces in the hot Croatian morning sunshine. 

After another swim we made our way along a smaller road/track in and out of beautiful bays, until we had to climb up around the headland and into Makarska itself. 

Wow...it has certainly changed.

Multiplied out of sight.

Checked in at the camp with a young guy called Dubre', who was in Timaru last year, visiting a friend.

Got a good pitch, just off for swim and lunch. 

Makarska has gone from a tiny fishing village to the most amazing tourism hotspot on the coast.

I didn't recognize one particular part of it amongst the heaving throngs of humanity that now spend their two week vacation there, only to be replaced by the next group and so on..... 

Went for a couple of swims while we were out. 

Julia had bought a dress on the beach at our first swim this morning.

Not very often you do that, but it's very nice..

This afternoon, she bought two bikinis, also very nice. After our last swim we walked around another headland and there in front of me was the Makarska I knew from years ago. 

The old town, still sitting pretty, surrounded by water, rock and boats, although now they were jet boats and cruisers.

Tomorrow when we leave at 6am, we'll take a ride through and get some shots, that I missed forty years ago, because it was probably out of focus, or the film didn't wind on. 

This morning, one of our favourite meals was on sale, so we thought we'd get it tonight. (It was canned tuna salad with beans and corn in case you're wondering).

At the checkout we got charged Euro 9 or, $18 as they'd increased the price in three hours.

I was so pissed off.

We had also stopped at one of the many fruit vendors thinking we'll support the locals instead of always going to the supermarket and picked out two nectarines. She charged us 4 euro!!! When we queried it, she said .50 cents for the bag, which she had got and put the nectarines into. Told her to keep the bag and nearly told her to keep the nectarines as well. Should have done. Bought two today for 68 cents. They weren't as big but bloody hell. Hate getting ripped off. So she's ruined us for all fruit vendors.

Then we get back to camp and see reception to pay and were told it was Euro 41, when this morning it was 39. 

Robbing bastards.

To put the icing on the cake, we tried to tune into wifi to do the blog, but not from our tent.

Walked up to reception...nothing

Walked down to the bar….nothing

In a camp this size,they should have wifi everywhere. 

It's now 6pm and we're about to eat our dinner. I'll probably bloody well choke on it. 

Plenty of people trying to make a bit of money round here. We see the poor sods walking up and down the hot beach, trying to sell some kind of bun. Not quite sure what they were but pretty sure they came with extra gluten, so wasn't tempted.

However, I was tempted when we're on a pretty uncrowded beach and I see two women walking round with dresses on hangers, trying to sell them. 

“How much?” I asked, more out of curiosity as carrying anything else on the bikes was pretty unrealistic.

But this girl had a bite and she planned to reel me in. 

She quickly flicked the dresses one by one, from one arm to another and when she saw my eyes rest on a blue one, she stopped and invited me to try it on.

I was still wearing my slightly wet sports bra and bikini pants, but that didn't worry her and she said she could take a photo so I could see it, which she did. 

All the while she was giving me the sob story about her sick child and her husband running off, which may have been true as she had a lot of details. 

But two months of wearing the same thing, coupled with the 20 Euro price tag, I didn't need much convincing.

Very impractical, but hey, that's what being a woman is all about at times.

After we checked into the camp, we walked into town, unencumbered by the bikes. Strolled along the seaside and lo and behold, bikini shops everywhere.

“How much?” I ask.

20 Euro. So far so good.

We were both happy to stay out of the sun for awhile so I tried on a few pairs and ended up buying two.

I was on a roll now and next on my list was some aqua shoes, as these little beach pebbles are murder on your feet. Plus I could also wear them in the showers.

They wanted 20 Euro for a pair of them as well, but I waited til I found some for 15, then later threw out my old sports bra and black bikini pants and an old tank top to make room for my new purchases.

I've got to say, they have a huge array of bikinis and clothing, all for about 20 Euro and it would be easy to buy a whole lot more.

After eating our outrageously priced tuna, beans and corn with some avocado and tomato, we walked round camp trying to get wifi and gave up, going to bed at 9pm, just as the Italian family two doors down started gathering for dinner......