Croatia 1999
In summer 1999 my wife and I planned active holidays in mountains - hiking on famous "via ferrata" in Italian Dolomites, difficult tourist paths protected by steel ropes. Our plan didn't survive the confrontation with bad weather - the first serious storm invited us immediately when we arrived to Cortina d'Ampezzo. Next week consisted from a series of storms and rainfalls with few short moments of better weather and one fairly sunny day in the middle. Using all our long mountain experience and with a good dose of pure luck, we managed to make four excursions - two shorter ferratas in Tre Cime di Lavaredo area and two longer hikes to Tofana di Roses and Tofana di Mezzo summits. After that, the weather decided that we had enough fun already - next series of night storms covered all summits with thick layer of snow.
It made no sense to wait in crowded and unpleasant Cortina for the snow to melt. We changed completely our plans and decided to go somewhere where the good weather should be guaranteed - to southern Croatia. The trip appeared to be very pleasant and also kind of exotic! Only two months earlier the war in Kosovo has ended, NATO bombing of Serbia frightened most of the potential tourists and normally very popular in summer Dalmatian coast was almost completely deserted. Even the most popular tourist spots were sleepy and quiet. Please read the relation from our trip (currently only in Polish) and see the photos from the Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik and Korcula Island!
