Driving east from Pompeii to Bari (Italy’s east coast with a ferry to Dubrovnik, Croatia waiting for us) we detour slightly through the town of . . . .
It’s deserted today because it’s a public holiday but we find only McDonald’s open for lunch and it is full of people.!!
In Bari, as we wait to board our overnight ferry with JADROLINIJA lines, the heavens open up and soon the carpark is a river!! Torrential rain we hadn’t witnessed before plus hail, thunder and lightning. Fortunately, by the time we made it aboard, the storm had passed and we experienced calm waters for our overnight crossing to Dubrovnik (aboard the vessel named Dubrovnik!!)
We disembark at 8am and Bruce takes us up on the hill above the old city of Dubrovnik where we enjoy a spectacular “birds eye” view.
Heading south 10km, we find Camping Kate & what a great spot!
We chose a site with the best view of the coast! The view comes at a cost though . . . . there are 200 steps down to the gorgeous village of Mlini, but definitely worth it.
We have found our perfect little paradise . . . away from the crowds!! Mlini is a small, idyllic, fishing village and a restful holiday destination.
It’s an oasis really, with rich vegetation, beautiful natural beaches, great bars, cafes and seafood restaurants.
Many quaint holiday villas available to rent and also the ultramodern new Hotel Mlini tucked away behind the main street that meanders along the waterfront.
Mlini lies between the numerous freshwater springs that used to power mills used to crush olives, etc. That is how Mlini, “the mills”, in translation, got it’s name.
We can hear the water from the springs at our camp making it’s journey down the hill and to the sea.
Bev admires the old plane tree – planted in 1743!!
Our taste buds savour delicious meals at the local restaurants and we share lots of laughs & great food at the Flamingo restaurant with our new friends from Sweden, Anne and Leif!! We are camping next to them and hope to visit them in Sweden in a future trip. 
We experienced a fun day boat trip to the three Elaphiti islands from Mlini.
This elaborate smoker hanging from the stern of our boat cooked our fish lunch to perfection!
Dubrovnik Old Town was 1/2 an hour on the local bus.
We enjoyed a wonderful relaxing 5 days in peaceful Mlini!! What a great beginning to our Croatian adventure!
Croatia is one of our favourite places. Beautiful coast, crystal clear waters, historic towns. Have a fantastic time x
Wow it looks amazing and there doesn’t seem to be anybody else there, not like Italy where it looked like it was standing room only. Croatia is amazing, one of my highlights from over 20 years ago and it still looks as unspoilt as it was then. You lucky lucky people! Your photos are amazing, every one looks like a postcard. xxx