So here’s the deal with Croatia. It’s packed with history and we all love history. Our tour guide today in Split told us that his grandfather was born in 1910 and, without ever leaving Split, has lived in 6 different countries. (Ok, he did die a few years ago, but after the last ‘change’ back to Croatia). All us other poor sods spend our lives whizzing round the world to travel to obscure countries, whereas here, they all come to you. Some people have all the luck.

Less luck when God was handing out the sand though. He, in his infinite wisdom, put truck loads of it on the building sites, but fuck all on the beaches. Which, whether you choose to describe them as ‘pebbles’, ‘stones’ or ‘razor sharp gravel’, are… not altogether comfortable to walk upon. Hence the acquisition of our water shoes. Otherwise known as ‘the best things you can EVER buy, EVERRRRR!!! (On a beach holiday in Croatia). Once I put them on, I am invincible. I can walk on gravel, I can walk on broken glass, fire, nuclear waste, I can even walk on water. And never have to worry about my poor footsies getting lacerated. But then an odd thing happened. I was swimming in the sea, stopped for a rest, as ya do, and to empty my (fucking stupid) googles, by laying on my back.

Usually, when I do this, I get the whole, ‘seawater’s so buoyant’ thing, but still have to waggle my feet to prevent sinkage. But with just 12 euros worth of magic super water shoes, my feet float up too. So I can just lie there, unmoving in the wonderful Adriatic. With no rubber ring, nor arm bands. Just man and sea, in perfect harmony and balance, thanks to a pair of shoes which are such amazing quality that if they last the 8 days of our holiday will be more amazing still.

And just returning ‘home’ for a moment, a word about yesterday’s vote in parliament.

I’m not into death… generally. But I am into choice. The word which, in America, is the term for ‘abortion’. If you’re ’pro-choice’, you’re pro-abortion. Because although no one is ever forcing someone to have a termination, the ‘anti’ lobby, want to take the choice away from everyone. And similarly with assisted dying. The bill will, eventually, allow people, under certain very strict conditions, to end their lives. The arguments against are always about how cruel it would be to basically have a cull of all the sick the disabled, the weak and the unwell. Which misses the point by so far that I’m inclined to recommend all those who protest against this bill to actually be culled due to their worthless lack of empathy, their cruelty and their sheer lack of understanding that NO ONE WILL BE FORCED TO DIE. All its for is to give people another choice.

Ok, back to the beach.

Happy Saturday

A xxxx