It is said that the journey is more important than the destination, as the journey teaches you a lot more than the destination. It is true in life but often, it can be true while traveling as well. Many of the journeys I have taken within Europe have proved this adage. The Adriatic coastline route that I took from Dubrovnik to Split was an exceptional experience, which gave me a peek into the Croatian way of life.
As I left Dubrovnik, I saw many cruise ships making a beeline towards the picturesque city, made even more famous after the Game of Thrones craze spread like wild fire.
There are few towns along the coast, but there are a lot of places which are uninhabited. Occasionally, the road moved inland bypassing small villages. If you take your car for a drive along this route, you could just park on the side of the road and take a dip in the inviting waters without a single soul for miles - it is like you own a massive swimming pool !
The border control like no other - I enter Bosnia & Herzegovina for a few kilometers, even though I am traveling from one city to another city in Croatia. Strange !
Even though the country changes crossing the border, the view outside my window remains unchanged. Two rounds of immigration control and traversing the Bosnian Riviera adds 1-2 hours to the journey, depending on the traffic.
As we descend the mountain, the farms and the irrigation technique present a stunning picture. Grapes and oranges are the main fruits grown here. Life is lived at a considerably slower pace as compared to the towns and whiling time away in these non touristy places is blissful.
Once we cross the small villages dotted along the farmland, the coastal views are back & the mountains present a stunning background to different shades of blue -
I witness a bus stop with the logo of HNK Hajduk Split (football team of Split), even though I am around 100kms from the city.
No wonder, Croatia is a hot tourist destination - sights like these are so common in Croatia.
I was mesmerized by the different shades of blue -
The transparent waters just add to the beauty - I was desperate to get out & spend an entire day here.
The dramatic Adriatic coastline, blue skies and warm sunshine accompanied me throughout the 270km road trip. There was a tinge of sadness when I reached Split as I did not want the journey to end & I wondered when I would be lucky enough to take this route again. I had not envisaged that the drive would be such a stunner - one of those trips which can be taken multiple times !
Comentários