Croatia's complexities

But by far, the most memorable trip of the year was to Croatia with Gavin. The country is made up of over 1000 islands – some are just forest, others are a string of beaches, others are like teardrops that have fallen from the sky, and one of my favourites was a national park with all of the above and a hotel! Croatia is a must in every respect, the history of the country is fast disappearing in some places, and there is rapid progression. But other areas are like deserted ghost towns where the remains of bombings have not been cleared up – a visual reminder of the serb-croat-bosnian conflict that has been etched in some minds here, forever. We were given a ride by a Muslim Serb who had run away to Croatia and joined the army. Though he could not speak a word of English, and our Croatian is certainly limited, he was able to convey some of the many complexities of the conflict through the intricate lines of divided loyalty which continue to separate people, states, and futures.

The EU was now being resented for the demands in place, and locals seem not to want their leaders to join. There were some places with incredible religious and regional harmony, and in other towns were literally divided in two by a town or bridge. I also visited Sarajevo which is a fine example of this.

Dubrovnik is like something out of a fairy tale, with cobbled meandering streets surrounding tiny fountains, the large town hall and a massive cathedral – all enclosed by a grand and guarding city wall.

Though Croatia is popular with Europeans, in some ways it also feels like the best kept secret, but in fact we realised it is the way that the tourists are kept that is the secret. The tourist industry is not the usual string of hotels running down the coast, but rather you are encouraged to stay with locals. This is, of course, also helped by the 1000s of islands one can escape to, in addition to the long and diverse mainland, which is covered with modest, classy, private holiday homes. Honestly, if you are looking for somewhere to retire to, Croatia should be high up there – with great food, hospitality and sense of friendship. Living with locals is great because not only do you get a sense of all three first hand, it feels as though your memories are richer somehow, thoroughly recommended.