Namaste!

Dubrovnik, Dalmatian Coast, Croatia - even more heat, old walled city, fantastic views, fantastic amount of tourists, decidedly unfantastic touristy vibe. Look I don't deny that I am one, but its just that on this of all trips I'd like to avoid those sorts of places that seem to have no energy or interest for anything but tourists (only due to their sheer number). Its a beautiful, beautiful place, the eateries look brilliant, the sea is mouth watering, the town a gem. I wish this is what I am looking for but I guess it isnt. So I'm planning on moving on to Zadar promptly tomorrow. Have been reading about Ljubliana and Zagreb and they sound promising, hopefully a little cooler too.

Someone in Italy asked me why on earth I would go on holiday on my own, which threw me a little. I felt like saying that I'm not on holiday exactly, and then vaguely tried to fashion an argument around travelling being some kind of work... obviously thats not true - in theory at least I should be out to enjoy myself, though I'm rediscovering the uncomfortable challenges inevitable in lone unplanned travelling. Still theres a marked difference between my idea of my holiday, and say the lonely planet's, and the dubrovnik tourist board, and the guy in Italy. Hopefully I will discover what my idea is before this is all over.

In the meantime I can't complain. Apparently the sea is so clean that swimming is like
flying