Borderline

Back-blip 1 of 4

I drove from home in Bristol to Gatwick airport this morning. Traffic pretty heavy which added an hour to the journey so thankfully, as ever, I plan for such delays. Got the courtesy bus from the airport parking site then a quick bite before flying to Zagreb, Croatia and picking up the hire car for the two-hour trip to Slavonski Brod where daughter Danielle and her England team-mates are performing at the European Majorette's 9baton twirling) Championships this coming weekend.

As I later found quite typical, the hire car was running on fumes when I picked it up, despite the claim that it had 1/8 of a tank remaining, and that it was the previous Customer's fault for bringing it back so low(!). Added to which I was about an hour down the motorway with the windscreen gathering a fair smattering of former insects and guess what? No water to clean the screen - no doubt either the previous Customer's fault or that of the kamikaze insects!!

Anyway, I almost made it without further ado except that the satnav couldn't get me to my final destination, clearly confused by the one-way system - and frustratingly I was just 500 metres away. Having done a fruitless circuit while trying to watch and listen to the satnav, driving on the other side of the road, paying attention to traffic signs, other road users, pedestrians, stray dogs etc. I decided to admit defeat and called the owner of the apartment here I'd booked. Despite some translation difficulties his daughter and a friend kindly came out on foot to rescue me, guiding me through the rather complicated route through the town to arrive at long last. Satnav I forgive you.

Prioities in order, I dumped the bags, took the camera along the river bank to capture a blip then set off or dinner and a well-earned beer.

This is the river Sava which in fact, for the most part, designates the border between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, for which visitors need a visa and additional car insurance to visit. I'll just stick to the Croatian side of the river.