A Young Person’s Guide to Split

The young people of Split have put together their own local version of a tourist map.  Published by the Youth Association Info Zone and supported by The City of Split it’s a good example of the sense of humour to be found in Split.  It’s actually quite hilarious.

Here are a few excerpts from their section of the map ‘Act Like a Local’…

• IT’S ALWAYS COFFEE TIME – locals have a unique ability to drink a single cup of coffee for hours.  If you find yourself outside in the middle of the working week, noticing billions of people sitting in bars and drinking coffee as you struggle to find a place to sit yourself, you’ll probably think that it’s a holiday.  But no, it’s just a coffee break.  If you wish to experience this ritual fully, don’t forget to bitch about life, the universe and everything in between while drinking your now cold coffee.  P.S. Try ordering velika’s ladnin – something that no other Croatian says except us.  It actually means big with cold – and see what kind of coffee you get.
• ZUGAJ: BITCH ABOUT EVERYTHING – It’s simply a way of life.  Here people bitch because it’s sunny or there is no sun; because it’s too hot or it’s too cold; because the city is crowded or the city is empty; because there is not enough work or there is too much work to do … Try it, you’ll like it.
• RIDE LIKE A LOCAL – If you’re a driver, step on the pedal when you see a pedestrian.  If you’re going somewhere by bus, don’t allow senior citizens to sit, ‘forget’ to buy a ticket and enjoy the feeling like a sack of potatoes while the bus is hitting every hole in the road.  All you cyclists out there, we hope you brought a lot of nerves together with your helmets.
• WHAT’S THE TIME? – Be late. When making plans, be sure that you know the difference between real time and Split time, which is usually 15-20 mins later than agreed.  You’ll get used to it quickly.  Since we do everything in slow motion, our understanding of the concept of time is different from usual.

I will share though that through all my time cycling down the coast of Croatia I’ve not had one car or lorry or bus to not have patience and give me lots of space and I’m so thankful 🙂

The beauty of travelling – meeting people who inspire and give insight into new worlds.

The beauty of travelling is meeting people from all different countries, backgrounds and cultures. With each meeting you are given an insight of the life they lead. Of the choices they made in life. Why they made them, where they are now and where they want to go. It’s fascinating.

An example of this in travelling was yesterday evening and this morning in Slide.

I was having dinner on my own when a pair of retired women joined my table. They were from New Zealand and had both travelled extensively in their younger days. As we shared some wine and chat I learned one had travelled the world for 5 years on her own. Including countries such as Afghanistan! It’s always a real treat to hear such stories and experiences especially from women who have travelled on their own before mobile phones and technology.

After dinner we parted ways; a piece of paper in my pocket with contact details written. They were already planning where I would stay and my route when I arrived in New Zealand.

I then headed onto a social gathering on the sea front, invited by a local girl who’s cousins birthday it was. I enjoyed the local beer and conversation; the sea for the background music and the docked ships for our light not too far away. The Croatians love to find new ways of swearing and this was all very entertaining for me. They have much skill at this and I must say I was very impressed!

Afterwards I went off to find some live music and ended up chatting to a Canadian girl who works as an assistant for the speaker of their House of Commons. Thought that was pretty cool. She organises events and looks after all the delegates when they visit. Fascinating to hear about. We chatted about her studies in politics and why she chose the line of work she is in. Everyone always has hilarious takes on their own lives.

This morning I began the day by having breakfast with a fashionable & eccentric Croatian women who has lived in Florence for 15 years now and was back to renew her passport. As a child she had been destined to be a ‘big deal’ in classical music. Until she reached teenage-hood and that was that – she would be no slave to the piano! She embarked on a career as a successful journalist before giving it all up to follow her true dream of fashion. The risk paid off and she has become one of the greatest designers around working for some of the worlds biggest and most successful fashion houses. It’s a life surrounded by fame but in order to keep herself in a world she is happy with she refrains from “chasing the money”.

All the women I have met here on their journeys have inspired me greatly.

The Hammock. Hitchhiking Austria to Kosovo; as used by Jonas Frey aged 21.

Meet Jonas Frey a 21 year old who is a keen and already a greatly experienced traveller. He is currently hitch hiking to Kosovo from Austria to work in a clay construction project for one month. His trip began in Vienna where he studies Natural Resource Management.
Last year Jonas,incredibly at only age 20, travelled the continent of South America for 7 months. He covered Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia & Peru. When asked if he thought it was dangerous travelling these regions his laid back reply was,

“There is no reason to be scared it’s actually quite easy to travel there.  Many people say that Columbia is unsafe to travel but it’s actually one of the easiest places to travel – lots of cheap buses anytime everywhere to travel.  Columbia is one of the best places to travel really.”

For his South America trip, Jonas used what he describes as “a random tent I don’t even know the make of!”

He has chosen a hammock for his current trip which comes with a tarpaulin for those rainy nights and is completely mosquito proof.

 

 

 

At 860g it’s worth serious consideration for weight conscious travellers. You can see from the photo how small it packs.

Jonas says on good authority that this hammock would be ideal to use when travelling through the jungle. He explained the worst mosquitos surround you by day and the hammock is easy to use to rest in or sit in to have lunch being protected from the mosquitos.

I tried the hammock out myself and I have to say it was an attractive option!

Are there anyone else choosing the hammock over the tent on their travels?

  

Running from the tent again …

Well I did it again … I ran out my tent … mid post beer siesta … In a thunder and lightening storm in Carlobag again Croatia. There really was no need this time – it was all very normal. I just got scared. This time the patio I ran too housed a group of Croatians all singing along to a guitar. I was welcomed into their afternoon and sipped a few Rakija-travarica, which I’m told was home made from the surrounding plants. And may have infact been illegal. It was very strong and had to go swimming and diving to clear the head. I’m so glad I ran from my tent scared – turned out magical.

Never Boil your Swiss Army Knife

You can’t boil a Swiss Army Knife to get the Nutella off.

The Sandal Experience on Entering Slovenia

This morning on entering Slovenia from Italy …

I accidentally pished on my sandals.

Descending into the Slovenian town of Kozina wearing pishy sandals and singing ‘I’m in the mood for dancing … romancing’ on repeat. Quite simply because that’s the only words I know.

I am now in acceptance of the kids in primary school calling me Pishy Ishy – it’s clearly justified now; at age 33.

The Lightening Experience in Croatia

They say you learn a lot on the road.

They say learning new ways can be tough.

Tough? I absolutely shat it!

Cycling through the beautiful Slovenian countryside for only two hours I arrived at the Croatian border check point.

I hadn’t made any effort to check the weather so far on the trip and I was waved through customs completely oblivious to the impending storm the locals were expecting.
Of course people assume I’m heading for a hotel or campsite …

Anyway I was all pitched up by 8pm under some trees in a field having a much needed early and relaxing night.
The following posts are taken from my social media page that evening:

9.06pm

OH MY FRIGGEN GOD THERE IS AN ANIMAL JUMPING AT MY TENT TRYING TO GET IN!!!
There goes sleep, my heart rate is maxing out!!!
I need to calm the fck down because we humans are top of the food chain and that makes me boss in this situation.

23.19pm

WTF WTF WTF!

The animal may well be in my tent now cause I’ve done a runner.
I don’t even think I closed the tent on legging it.

Out of nowhere a massive electrical storm began. I’ve never in my life experienced anything close to this. The entire tent was lighting up with the sky. The constant sound of the almighty thunder was nothing on the deafening crackle and boom of lightening hitting the ground near my tent!
I opened the tent and ‘flew’ out it running across the field to a farmhouse where I stood under the porch of the doorway shaking and trying not to cry. I just stood there. Looking out at the storm. My plan was to stand there all night. I saw another bolt hit the ground – again it was the sound that consumed all the senses. The air had changed. Something had changed in me. I was whimpering by this point. The front door opened and there was the understandable ‘fright’ moment for home owners being greeted with the sight of me on their porch. But I was past all that and remained with my back to them looking out to the storm freaking out in an English rambling whisper,

“It’s okay I’m just going to stand here all night, I’m just going to stand here all night, that’s what I’m doing, everything’s okay”.

They spoke little English but when they realised my tent was out there in the field they took me in and gave me a warm sugary drink and a bed for the night.

I can’t begin to put into words how thankful I was and as I lay safe in my bed I resolved that from that point on I would check the weather forecast on a daily basis. I also threw in that I would know which signs meant motorways also.

The extravaganza in the sky lasted throughout the night and I woke up with each bang thinking I still had a tent to run out of …

The next morning I had such the strangest descent into Rijeka from where I had been ‘camped’. Things kept jumping off my bike onto the road – it was seriously freaking me out. First my solar charger jumped off which had been securely fastened to my bike then the whole Ortileb handlebar bag jumped off scattering all the contents across the road. I was glad to reach the sea.
Nobody on the coastline could believe I had camped out on top of ‘the’ hill as they had all been watching the sky in disbelief and too hadn’t been able to sleep in their homes from the fear the lights and sounds and caused in the night.

A Swiss Army Knife is for Life not just for the Chocolate Spread

Tips 4 Life 1

It doesn’t matter how desperate you are to get the Nutella out from the bottom of the jar never ever use your Swiss Army knife. And never ignore the reality that the chocolate is covering the complete tool not just the knife.
50 tools with baby wipes.
There are some parts that will never be unchoclofied.

A Swiss Army knife is for life not just for the chocolate spread.

The wonderful family of the Trentons, Lerino, Italy

Feeling blessed!

I rang a gate (yes it was a gate – not a door) to ask if I could camp in a field outside the house. I was getting too tired to look for somewhere secluded to wild camp. This lovely family took me in, fed me, watered me and I showered. We spent the evening chatting and laughing with my Scottish accent becoming robot like to minimise the repeating and sharades. In the morning I experienced the typical Italian breakfast of a bowl of coffee with biscuits floating around. We went to an early morning village mass in the Church of St Martin in Lerino. It was an absolute joy – especially the singing being in Italian.  And an absolute blessing perhaps that my dulcit tones were not singing along.  Afterwards I was introduced to their friends over coffee.

There are places of nature that have impressed me far more than that of Italy but the Italian people have been so friendly, caring and hospitable it adds another dimension to enjoy the country with and makes it a very rich and feel good travel experience.

I cycled on towards Venice that morning filled to the brim with love and contentment.  I’ve always been the ‘wild’ traveller but I doubt any scene in nature would bring about such good feeling within.

I’ve thought of this family often since meeting them – every day in fact. Thank you Elisa, Peter, Mark and Matthew!

 

 

Andre 30 years cycling around the world.

Andre, from East Germany has been cycling around the world for 30 years now. His dog Sweet even has his own home on the handlebars….