ITINERARY
May 26
Route A1/E90/E75 Athens to Evzonoi 6 hrs.
Route E75/D8 Bogovdica - Cavtat - Dubrovnik 11 hrs.
Accommodation: Pension outside Dubrovnik city walls
Yugoslavia: In 1978 six socialist republics made up the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. These were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes had been formed in 1918 after WWI and subsequently became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. In November 1945, the monarchy was abolished, becoming the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946 and finally in 1963 the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. By 1991 Yugoslavia had broken up into these constituent countries, in 2008 Kosovo broke away from Serbia while Macedonia changed its name to North Macedonia in 2018. Our route to the Adriatic coast took us through what is now North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro before hitting Croatia. Driving through the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park, we ate at a wooden hut on top of one of the mountains where an old Kosovan or Montenegrin served us delicious stew from a bubbling pot. Buoyed by our lunch we were cruising comfortably down a hill when a police motorbike requested us to stop for speeding. We didn’t think we had, but we weren’t able to argue otherwise. As in many parts of Europe then, fines were levied and paid on the spot; although we remained unconvinced the cash would ever see the state’s coffers!
Reaching the Adriatic coast, our first port of call was Cavtat, a beautiful Illyrian town with a tree-lined harbour, a Renaissance Rector’s Palace, and a baroque church, St. Nicholas.
Our second port of call was Dubrovnik, where we stayed the night in a pension just outside the city walls. Famous then as now for its distinctive Old Town with red roofs and surrounded by massive stone walls, the town was completed in the C16th. Despite devastation in subsequent Balkan wars, its remarkable buildings range from the Baroque St. Blaise Church, the Renaissance Sponza Palace and the Gothic Rector’s Palace. A year after our visit, it was recognised as a World Heritage site.
ITINERARY
May 27
Route D8/A10 Dubrovnik - Trogir - Salzburg 11 hrs.
Accommodation: Hotel Stein, Salzburg, Austria
From Dubrovnik we chose the slower coastal road (D8) to Trogir, taking about 4 hours through Makerska and Split. Trogir's medieval core, recognised as a World Heritage site in 1997, is surrounded by walls and comprises a preserved castle and tower, the C13th Cathedral of St. Lawrence with the Renaissance Chapel of St. John, and a series of dwellings and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. It lies on a small island between the mainland and the island of Čiovo and is connected by bridges.
From Trogir, we drove through Slovenia and into Austria for about 7 hours before finally stopping at Salzburg for the night.
Up Next - Austria, Germany, Home
The Travellers
Richard, Stan, Graham
© Words Richard Thom
Credits: Stan Peters and Graham Edgson
Images:
© Richard Thom
*Original article edited for cultural and geopolitical sensitivities.
About the Author
Richard Thom grew up in Ahmadi, Kuwait 1954 – 1969 where his dad was Chief Health Officer for the Kuwait Oil Co. He worked in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia between 1976 and 1980 for Aramco’s Internal Audit and Contract Cost Compliance departments. He undertook this journey halfway between two contracts.
When not working, playing rugby, squash or trying his hand at amateur dramatics, he used his organising skills on the Aramco Employees Association and was Treasurer 1976/77 - 1978/79 and Chairman 1979/80 for the Dhahran Rugby Union Football Club (DRUFC).
He continued with a varied finance career in shipping (Japan) automobiles (Guam) and dance education (UK), before finally retiring in 2015.
Richard has contributed a number of articles to AramcoExpats including a review of Not the May Ball 3 in September 2022; a 10-part serialization of the unofficial history of the Dhahran Rugby Union Football Club; a look back on life after Aramco “Dance in the Desert” and “Jimmy Abdul McGregor, and Other Stories: Tales from the Yemen”.
Richard published his book Dance into Business in 2018 a how-to guide for dance students, teachers and professionals wishing to start up a dance studio or go freelance. It contains helpful tips, practical examples, and points to consider whether just starting out or already in business. It is available from Amazon websites as a printed book, or an e-book priced locally.
