When I bought my house in Jelsa in 2002, many of my friends were a little concerned. Having been an aid worker in several dangerous places – Rwanda 1994, Somalia etc – they assumed I had bought a house in a war zone, as this country called Croatia was part of that problem in former Yugoslavia. I smiled, sent them pictures. They smiled, came to visit, and came to visit again.
Tourism is booming in Croatia, but still there are so many people who have yet to fully appreciate what the country has to offer. Before the regional conflict, former Yugoslavia was the second most popular destination for British tourists after Spain, some 440,000 a year, but it was not so well-known in America.
If you have the time, watch this great – and hugely positive – American travel show from 1986, as the presenter discovers the country’s various treasures for her American audience. If you are short of time, Split starts at 06:49.
(The man in the lead photograph is a younger Lupino, the well-known photographer).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g341xyctFLw
