Split, Croatia (March 28) -- Yes, I know the subject line is spells this country's name incorrectly, but given how this trip has been dominated by exciting hours spent in my rental car as well as the car belonging to a real estate developer, I figured a change of spelling was needed.
I am here in this country seperated from Italy by the Adriatic Sea trying to write about luxury real estate.
In planning for the trip, I figured that having a car would be the easiest way to get around. I suppose it is, but it is miles from the most calming way to get around because the people drive like 16-years-olds racing on the way home from school.
The most common behavior involves passing on blind turns at high speeds. This seems to be the national
sport.On the highway from the Istria penninsula to Split, a large part of the highway was one lane, so if you got
behind a semi-truck then things quickly slowed down.
Let the passing begin.
At one point I felt my jaw actually drop when I was sure one these crazy Croats was going to slam into head first another one. Nothing happened, though.
And the excitement has not been limited to when I have been behind the wheel. One night earlier this week, an
English real estate developer, Peter Ellis, and I were driving through the countryside of Istria. Ellis, who
interacts with the locals here in the same way I imagine the British got on with the natives of India back in the day, was happily chatting away on his cell phone with his secretary.
Even though it was pitch black, I could see that we were coming to a bridge up ahead and the bridge appeared to end over the water. We had a few drinks over dinner and I remembered that a war was fought in this country not long ago. Maybe the bridge had been blown up and the locals never bothered telling Peter.
We are going to plunge right off that bridge, I thought.
The car turned right to approach the bridge. As the headlights hit what I expected to be open water, I was
happy to see that the bridge was one that turned left in the middle.
About five minutes later we were racing toward a white house and again I thought we were going to keep going
right through that front gate and into the on through the front door. Again the wheels turned shaply at the
last moment and disaster was avoided.
More than one developer has told me that the famous race care driver Michael Schumacher purchased a house in Istria. They think this is proof that the area is special. I think he wants to live around people who
drive just as fast and crazy as he does.
And it should be noted that Mario Andretti was born in the Istria area in a little mountain top town called
Motovun or something about motoring. I have seen the shack he was born in. The roof is missing but there is
a plaque on the wall celebrating the fact he drove out alive.
I have a few more days here before I return to Paris.
My plan is drive from here to Dubrovnik tomorrow afternoon before reversing course and ending in the
capital of Zagreb where this strange week of driving began.
I will have a smile on my face when I board my regular means of transportation, the Paris metro.
Hope all is well with all of you.
Take care and drive safe,
Brett
