Sunday, April 16th
Another early wake-up call, before setting off at 9am for a brief tour of Jelsa. Our tour guide this time was given by a local, wh o also gives "herb tours" during summer months. Being Palm Sunday meant that we saw smartly dressed locals carrying palm branches take part in their procession to church. We were soon off again on another hydrofoil for our journey back to Croatian mainland, this time to Makarska, a long-term favourite to many holiday makers to Croatia. If you get the opportunity to take the journey from one of the islands to Makarska, I would highly recommend it - the sight of the impressive Biokovo Mountains rising up behi nd the city is certainly something to be seen. More hotel tours (the Hotel Excelsior in nearby Baska Voda; Hotels Meteor and Biokovo in Makarska) before lunch in the smart Hotel Biokovo and brief sun-bathing time in the seafront cafe outside the hotel - I wish we could have stayed longer!

Makarska

But we had to make our move to get onto the coach for the 3-hour drive down to Dubrovnik, again with stunning scenery on all sides and expertly guided with commentary by Tomislav. Our journey was also lengthened slightly by a stop for some cheap shopping (cigarettes & alcohol, to quote Oasis...) in Neum in Bosnia - Hercegovnia. It is said that this is one of the cheapest places in Europe to stock up on duty-free goods. [To drive to Dubrovnik, it is necessary to drive through a small portion of Bosnia - however, most border officials do not bother stopping to check passports, especially if they know foreigners are passing through.] The longer journey meant we were all grateful to reach the Grand Park Hotel, our accommodation for that night and the next for a bit of relaxing, dinner and drinks.

Monday, April 17th
Absolutely gorgeous weather today! Also quite pleasing was that we were able to spend a bit of time in one place, and even more pleasing was the fact that this place was the enchanting Dubrovnik. In the morning, we toured three hotels including the lavish Hotel Villa Orsula and the high standard, five star Hotel Excelsior. The short walk and tour of the wonderfully-preserved Old Town, a must-see for any visitor to the city, before sitting in one of the cafes on the Placa (the main street in the Old Town), another requisite. Then it was time to try out a few of the Atlas tour company's offerings: a delicious lunch at the grand Atlas Club Nautica, outside the Old Town. Then spending a lazy one hour ride on the Atlas boat to the island of Lopud, for a brief tour of the island and its only hotel, Hotel Lafodia. As to be expected on an island with no roads and no cars, Lopud was very, very peaceful - ideal for anyone who wants a relaxing holiday but still wants close proximity to a larger place like Dubrovnik. However, we needed to make a speedy return to make our preparations for the final night's dinner, held at the Taverna Rustica, next to the Hotel Excelsior. Here another four-course meal was to be had, with plenty of drink and fun: some of the limericks that we had been writing the past few days were read out, including a superb one by Rupert! Prizes for these, and for the competitions, were given out by Holiday Options to our group and awards were given to those who had made our trip possible (Atlas, the Croatian National Tourist Office and Croatia Airlines). We were also joined by the Managing Director of Holiday Options, Hamish Manson, who officially thanked those involved with the trip.

Tuesday, April 18th
Our final day meant we only had a few hours in which to cram in our final tours. Departing from Dubrovnik in the morning for the nearby resort of Cavtat where more wonderful weather was enjoyed in both one of the town's cafes, and in eating in the outside restaurant at the Hotel Albatros. We said our goodbyes to the country and to those that had made our trip so enjoyable - including the team at Holiday Options. Many vowed to come back as soon as possible!