Our final destination was Dubrovnik having paid a fleeting visit to Split. The intention as we made our journey from Zadar to the Montenegro border was to spend a few days in and around both these towns enjoying their history as fortified old towns

Split in reality was built at the turn of the 4th century AD as the retirement palace of the Roman Emporer Diocletian, not as a conventional palace as its area was large enough to house a small community and military garrison. But it’s recent history as a venue for the blockbuster TV drama Game of Thrones has resulted in an over commercialism of the old town with the majority of shops becoming GoT merchandise venues turning it into a themed shopping mall.

Walking in to the old town of Split we found the narrow streets far to crowded for our liking and the historical area lost behind restaurants and market stalls, deciding this was not for us we abandoned Split and continued on our way.

Driving down the scenic coastal road we came across a small wine tasting bar so obviously had to pull in for a taster or two. Continuing on our way three samples later we came across a small bay with a harbour and a couple of hotels at one end. Driving down into the village centre we found a free parking site adjacent the working harbour perfect for a couple of nights wild camping

Our first night was spent with a drink at a harbour bar where locals were gathering before they set off to do their evening fishing. As we sat having our drinks a young lad came walking past our table speargun in hand. Within minutes he was back showing his grandad his prize catch. The next day we walked the length of the bay and around a headland into a picturesque collection of seafront houses before returning for a fish lunch and an afternoon on the beach. This time in Podgora was one of our best memories of Croatia.

The old city of Dubrovnik is a fully intact walled town. Entering through the main gate you come upon a large plaza with a central fountain leading to a wide limestone paved avenue with typical narrower side streets on both sides. In the entrance area we were pleasantly surprised to come upon an exhibition of some of Salvador Dali’s work.

Dubrovnik like Split was also a major location venue for the Game of Thrones and yet the GoT commercial ventures was a small part of what the town had to offer making it a more pleasant experience. At the far end of town from the entrance was an Archway leading to the protected harbour