We are in no hurry this morning and have a cooked breakfast. Nick and Grete go off on their bike while we amble the few hundred yards into town.

The harbour front is decorated with a few iron cannon, anchors and ancient iron bollards, framed by the backdrop of blue sea and bare islands in the distance. Small colourful boats bob on their moorings while underneath them shoals of mullet, lit up in the refracted sunlight, nibble on weeded ropes.

We enter the pedestrianised area of the old town. Senj [pronounced Sane] is more of a working town than a tourist destination, and although only mentioned briefly in guide books as the gateway to Plitvice Park, it is absolute gem. There are two or three souvenir shops but mainly it is cafes and restaurants, all open waiting for trade as we discovered Croatian eat out a lot as it relatively cheap.

As we wander the narrow streets the town's history is laid bare; plaster on walls varies from smooth, newly painted through faded and work to old, crumbling and patched. Carved wooden doors and shutters might be centuries old. Previously grand buildings surround the main square with Palladian detailing around windows and doors, Roman style cornices and carved panels still visible. There are ornate, Venetian style balconies and the occasional bronze bust on plinth.

One of the town gates bears more evidence of the town's Roman past. A set of cornerstones is inscribed ABISTHIS TERMINUS with distances to a list of significant places measured in 'Mill.Germ.' Zagreb is 21, Vienna 63. Outside the gate is a long stretch of the stone lined moat, now empty.

The church square is another revelation. Its facade in a mixture of sandstone, ornate brickwork and plaster. The wooden doors are inscribed 1866 and inside are simple pews with Greek lettering on the sides and a turned marble font. Opposite the church is the empty shell of a small apartment block, whether bombed or just derelict we don't know.

We find a little backstreet restaurant, Kod Veska naned after the Proprietor, and enjoy a delicious lunch. A main course and large beer each comes to £16. As we eat, singing and accordian music spills out from a nearby bar.

Ali buys some postcards and the shopkeeper tells her the Bura wind can be a real problem, stopping the fishing boats and making everyone unhappy. A local saying says " If there was no Bora, there would be no Senj. If there was no Senj, there would be no Bora". Senj's most important building is its hilltop Nehaj Fortress built in 1558 by Uskoks to defend against Venetian and Ottoman attacks. The square, schoolboy-style fort was supplemented by a fleet of fast rowing boats that were effective against bigger ships in the confined coves. The view from the fort over the pantile rooves of the town and out to the islands is stunning.

We return to the camperstop to find Nick W out in his boat and Grete sunbathing. In the evening we visit the site restaurant, named Gajeta after the aforementioned rowing boats, and enjoy a simple dinner watching the sunset. As we are leaving we meet a Dutch couple and soon discover the woman is the chief editor of the Camperstop guide which we use extensively on our travels.