As expected, Rijeka was nothing special. Nothing particularly bad about it, but wouldn´t reccommend a stay. Highlight of the day spent there was our walk up 540-something steps to a small, village-like cluster of buildings overlooking the town, including a monastery and small castle (legitimate - had turrents and canon). Good viewpoint, and so would have been a nice view if there had been something good to look at.

Hostel dorm-mates review, Art Hostel Rijeka: two giggly Swiss schoolgirls, who slept a lot when not giggling.

Following Rijeka, we took a 4 hour bus down the coast to Zadar, as recommended by the Rough Guide. Would have liked to have stopped at a couple of spectacular sounding National Parks on the way, Plitvice and Paklonica (or something like that), but too tricky and expensive on public transport. Rough Guide Croatia writer is an idiot. Zadar was OK, but surely can´t be one of the top 5 Croatia highlights. A bit too tacky and touristy for us, illustrated perfectly by the hugely popular interactive (pieces of art?) which were a "sea organ" built into the port, played by the incoming waves, producing a sound that is, to be fair to Rough Guide, is at least accurately described as a cross between pan pipes and whales, and the big solar disc built into the ground next to it, which collects energy during the day and then uses it to power neon disco lights, also built into the panel, at night. Which so many people are walking on at any one moment that it´s too hard to see properly anyway. Highlight of Zadar was stumbling across a live Croatian rock band in the evening, playing outdoors next to a park. Set hilariously kicked off, after first allowing the compere to do a version of Billy Idol´s White Wedding with the band, by the slightly chubby, greying 50-something year old lead singer (a generation older than the rest of his bandmates), with a shout of "it´s a long way to the top if you wanna fackin rock n roll, mate (started in Cockney accent, ended Aussie)!". Selection of classic 80´s rock covers to follow. It will indeed be a long way to the top.

No hostels, as had a private apartment (private rooms being the done thing in Croatia, it seems, so thought we´d test the concept), so no hostel dormmates to report on. On to Split, and not a moment to soon.