BUSMAN’S HOLIDAY

AN IDIOT ABROAD

Apologies but it’s just a short blog this month.

I’m a little pushed for time with a few business loose ends to tie up and it’s just a few days until we jet off for our summer holiday. After the weather we’ve had in the UK this year we’re really looking forward to time in the sun ! It’s been a busy year so we’re both ready for a break and this time we’ve chosen somewhere completely different. We resisted the temptation to return to one of our favourite destinations - we love Menorca and Zante and plan to go back soon. But we both felt somewhere new would be great.

I’m not too particular about when or where we go to be honest, as long as the flight isn’t too long and somewhere local serves a decent pint of Guinness ! Not a lot to ask I reckon. That said, this year’s request was different. I asked if we could go to a resort with a south facing coastline and that we visited around the middle of the month. Sounds bizarre but I have good reason…..

I really wanted to do some night time photography in a European dark sky location and our holiday destination meets both those criteria. I reckon Cath’s really come up trumps ! We arrive four days after the new moon and are virtually guaranteed to get clear skies. As we’re at a more southerly latitude, the Milky Way core rises around 21:00 and stays high for a good few hours, so there’s no need for really late photography nights ( fewer brownie points lost! ) and there are dark skies right on our doorstep. My only challenge appears to be how much and what camera gear to pack. I’m not going to risk taking a star tracker (in case my luggage goes missing) and I’m fairly sure laser alignment pointers are illegal there, so that narrows down which lens and camera combination to choose. Naturally, I’ll also be doing sunrise and sunset shoots as well so I’m planning on one camera and two lenses plus usual paraphernalia. I can fit all that in my cabin bag so no issue there. So that’s the first week taken care of……

So where are we headed to?

Our destination is the Istrian Riviera. No wiser? Ok, I don’t blame you. The Istrian Riviera is on the Adriatic coast of Croatia and is one of the most historic areas of the country. We flew over the Croatian coastline a while ago and it looked fantastic, with myriad islands and miles of golden beaches, so we decided we’d visit one day. Croatia was an important Roman province and Emperor Diocletian came from this region (then known as Dalmatia). There’s an almost complete amphitheatre in Pula which is close to where we’re staying so that’s a must visit. Lots of sightseeing to do as well then.

I mentioned earlier that it’s been a busy year so some of you may be wondering why I’m not having a complete break from photography while I’m away. If I’m honest I try to balance holiday photography with winding down and spending time relaxing around the pool. To be fair, Cath’s happy with a book and a cocktail by the pool so she probably won’t notice if I disappear for an hour or two ! So the photography isn’t a chore and I could spend more time doing it but I wouldn’t take advantage or push my luck. Besides, the bar is open from 11:00 and who doesn’t love a cold beer at lunchtime? So toting the camera bag around definitely isn’t a busman’s holiday for me and I’ll hopefully have lots of images to share when we get back.

So until next month, stay safe and I hope you have good weather wherever you are in the world. I’m hoping Autumn will be in full swing when I get back to the UK so there’s lots to look forward to.

So that’s me off to pack my suitcase. Now where’s my mankini?…….