Across Croatia

Sat - Mon 21st - 23rd Oct

What’s the issue with UK broadcasters and people like me who want to access sports events when abroad? They know it’s me, as I am logged-in to my account on ITV X or BBC Sounds. I have declared that I have a TV license.

I can listen to the rugby build-up but at the moment of kickoff, I can’t listen anymore “due to rights issue”.

What a load of tosh. It’s me. It’s just that I’m here, rather than there. Let me watch the rugby.

Well they won’t, so for the first time I do a simple thing. I get a new app and join the thousands of others who have already done this. I am magically in the UK. Now I can watch and I do.

I watched England v South Africa (in the RWC semi-final) using the iPhone 5G providing a hotspot for the iPad.

A thunderstorm had raged from the moment we got here into Croatia from Serbia. The chosen campground at Ranc Ramarin  was rejected just before nightfall because a wedding was about to start. From experience they van be very loud and very late. I doubt the last dance would be at midnight.

We therefore moved along the road and used Park4night to find a big green space behind a bar where the attached hotel was closed. The young woman at the bar shrugged and said “no problem” when I showed her our request using Google Translate, saying “no money”’as well.

We drove 100m into the darkness and over long wet grass, lifted the roof in the increasingly heavy rain and then stayed inside for about twelve hours and ducked every time there was a flash and a bang.

The storm lasted quite some time but we fed and watered ourselves and then Dawn retired and I settled down with the iPad and headphones. 9pm kick off meant that I crawled into bed, very tired and deflated, after a 10 hour drive and that one point losing margin.

On Sunday we had a shorter drive across northern Croatia, along the border with Bosnia. We listened to an Archers omnibus and looked at the lovely scenery. This looks so much more prosperous than those villages in southern Bulgaria.

Early arrival at Brcko mini pet farm (click here) meant a nice lazy late afternoon. Nic proudly showed us the recently constructed (by him) rustic style facilities and the animals. A Minnesota pig, two horses, plenty of ducks, and lots of small goats.

It is no doubt heaven for kids. Nic is trying to develop this business, along with the campervan pitches, financed by his main work as a joiner and roofer.

We liked the double shower room building with the timber features. There are some nice touches like galvanised bucket washbasins. Unfortunately the authorities have already said that the timber building must be replaced with concrete and all the statutory blah blah blahs that they require. 

Poor Nic is showing the signs of stress with a viral infection and he’s only in his twenties.