Guru Geri in Croatia

Yugoslavia 1980 that what was then under Tito still strictly Soviet-dependent. Entry was not that easy and Bakshish was common. The passage to Greece had to take place over the Autoput. The distance was much driven on and very ailing. On the first Tramptour Michael and I had to change more frequently the car. In Lubljana, Zagreb, at the Plitwitzer lakes, Belgrade, Skopje and in between we stopped. In total we spent one week there. Especially the Plitvice Lakes (where the Karl May movies were shot) fascinated me a lot. We slept in the most impossible places in concrete pipes at the street, in new houses or simply at the street. The return trip we made with a Rainbow bus, that went substantially faster.
During the second transit with the train in 1983 we didn't notice much, because it went overnight. But we could (with Barbara, Sabine) experience the sluggish train. Almost two days through the country. We did not come back through Yugoslavia.

The third tour with Gundi in 1988 was also one week long. We drove again to the Plitvice Lakes, to Split, Niz, Dubrovnik, through Belgrade and other cities and landscapes. But the people were very reserved, at a lake our car was broken open (but nothing got out, because there was nothing valuable in it). The return trip was rather not exciting. We drove through fast.

After many wars in the 90's (the last war in Europe) Yugoslavia today merged into five other states: Slovenia (now a member of the EU25), Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia-Montenegro, Macedonia. Germany has military control in Bosnia.

I had already been to Croatia in the eighties. Especially the Plitvice Lakes inspired me very much at that time. Otherwise the coast was quite interesting. But at that time it was still a part of Yugoslavia and socialist. 

In 2004 Klaudi, Ayla and Kim went to Croatia with Anna-Lea and Henrik because we wanted to camp at the coast. But we arrived there for the high season of tourism. At 16.00 o'clock we were on a camping site, which was described as very beautiful and comfortable. We saw a queue of people in front of the few toilets, the place had pines but gravel ground. Tent was next to tent, no place in between. The water was very rocky and warm broth. It was terrible. At 17.00 o'clock we decided to go back to Germany. At 18.00 o'clock we drove again over the border to Slovenia. Was a very short holiday visit - a whole 3 hours.

2015 for 6 days in Croatia, this time in April. Very pleasant, friendly, beautiful landscapes, not too hot, practically no tourists. Goods from Slovenia via Zagreb to Split, Dubrovnik and via Plicvice Lakes and Senj to Italy.