We had great recommendations from friends that Dubrovnik was a MUST SEE stop on any RTW adventure. So from Bern , we were heading across Italy and over the Adriatic Sea to Dubrovnik on the south coast of Croatia …...
Dubrovnik Harbor……
Old Town……………
Weather leaving Switzerland was nice and we climbed quickly to 15,000' - a safe altitude for crossing the area of the Alps where we were flying. You rarely get GPS direct routing in Europe and we were given “airways” to follow; which turned out to be fairly direct and convenient anyway. Leaving Switzerland we passed through Italy – directly overhead Venice – then across the Adriatic Sea and followed the coastline down to Dubrovnik . We had great views of Switzerland , Italy and the coastlines but north of Dubrovnik we encountered poor weather. The last hour of our flight was in cloud with scattered rain but no thunderstorms so we continued comfortably on to Dubrovnik . We were vectored to the ILS approach and had the runway in sight 3 miles out.
After following the airport lead car to our parking spot a nice young man turned up in a new van to take us to the terminal. He offered us full handling service for 50 Euro's (including 3 days parking, transportation, customs clearance and flight planning assistance). It was a good deal and we gladly accepted his help. Three days later when leaving we were lead passed long lineups of tourists, through immigration, over to the flight office, fuel was arranged and we were on our way without delay – well worth the expense of having them do the handling for you in Dubrovnik .
Remnants of the passed…….
Dubrovnik itself was “different”. The scenery is absolutely beautiful; no denying that. Perhaps after coming from the more sophisticated parts of Europe the unpolished style of the Croatians was a bit of culture shock. This is a booming tourist area but the service attitude of many (not all) Croatians was weak. An example; we arrived at the hotel with about 5 various size bags. Camera's, flight documents, clothes etc. After check in the “bellman” announced that he would show us to our room. He stood by as Lec and I struggled with our bags; then he marched, empty handed, ahead to the elevator. He pointed to it, said something about breakfast hours and shouted “3 rd floor”. Then he walked back to his post. This was all funny as we had been very spoiled in Europe . It just dawned on us that we were really “traveling the world” and part of the great adventure was experiencing (and enjoying) various cultures.
Of course we toured the Old City of Dubrovnik along with thousands of other tourists. For mid September it surprised us to see how many foreigners were in Dubrovnik . There were a number of large cruise ships in the harbor and when they came ashore the town packed. None the less it was very pleasant and extremely interesting to walk the old city including the “wall” which is in very good condition despite the bombings and attacks it has withstood.
Our second, and last, day was spent on a small cruise ship which toured around three local islands. Each island had its own history, quaint villages and things to see and buy. We had fun with the people on board and marveled at the way they crew did everything – from sailing to cooking. For $50 per person we spent 8 hours cruising and visiting these islands just offshore from Dubrovnik . The crew served a very nice lunch of fish with wine and/or soft drinks. It was not luxurious but fun and good value.
Touring Croatian Islands……..happy time
Next day it was up early to get on the way to the island of Crete in southern Greece .
Months ago I was contacted by a Greek pilot who recommended we plan arrival at Sitia (LSGT) rather than Iraklion in Crete . Sitia is a small, relatively unknown, airport to the transient aviation community but it turned out to be a great recommendation.
Nang Fah Crew at Sitia (LSGT) Airport, Crete…….
Departure out of Dubrovnik was delayed one hour as we had trouble getting our flight plan accepted by Euro Control. Although the routing looked good, on Jeppesen Flight Star and on the paper charts, our plan kept getting rejected. No specific reasons are given and alternative routes are not offered so you just keep reworking the plan and resubmitting until they accept one. Eventually it was done and we were off……
The flight was again nice…….good weather and scenic as we flew over Albania , Macedonia , down the eastern side of Greece and over numerous islands before arriving at Crete .
Our new Greek friend and local pilot, Giannis, who had been extremely helpful in advising us of procedures to arrive at Sitia, was waiting on the apron as we parked Nang Fah. He had arranged for Customs and Immigration, for parking, hotel and many ideas for spending our limited time on the island. After customs we toured the little terminal and met Demetrious the friendly and efficient airport manager who makes everything “tick” at Sitia.
Thanks, to Giannis & Demetrious………
That night, Giannis and his wife Maria, hosted us for a lovely Greek dinner at one of the beach restaurants nearby the hotel.
We wanted to fly over to Santorini island, but 48 hour prior notice is required before landing at Santorini and we had not done that. So we rented a car and drove to Iraklion for the high speed ferry ride to the famous island. The drive along the southern coastline of Crete was beautiful passing beaches and clean, clear coastal waters. Along the way we stopped at a small village restaurant for one of the best meals we have had in Europe .
Arriving at Santorini harbor you are met by many vendors and service companies. We thought it would be convenient to rent a car and find our own way to the hotel recommended by Flemming and Angela – Hotel Matina in Kamala beach. We saw one of those crazy Smart Cars for rent and took it just for fun. It turned out to be just that – lots of fun to drive this flexible, quick and maneuverable little machine. Quite a contrast to the Ovation 3.
Flying Low in the Smart car, Santorini……
Two days touring around Santorini were great….we explored every corner of the island; included was an adventurous ride up the cliffs on a donkey. The main town is Fira where all the famous villa's and boutique hotels are located high on the cliffs. However, there are nice smaller villages, beaches and scenic viewing points all over the island.
Our ferry back to Iraklion was nearly two hours late; we did not get to Iraklion port until nearly 10pm . This meant that we had 2 ½ hour drive, in the pitch dark (no roadside lights on Crete ), back to Sitia on tricky, winding mountain roads. It was far more dangerous and difficult than any flight we have had to date. That night we were delighted to get to our hotel for 5 hours sleep before setting off for Egypt .
Bern, Dubrovnik, Sitia
Thanks, to Giannis & Demetrious………
