We wake to torrential rain, it bounces on the tin motorhome roof like gun fire. Its mighty windy, furthermore gusts fling open our door when we step outside. The dogs howling and restrain from morning piddles, to be honest I cant blame them but this rain ain’t letting up, so sooner the better. 

A former concentration camp on the Drava river near Bosnia. Now a memorial site and small museum. Amid a large open field covered in hay bails and storks, a huge concrete, open lotus flower rises out of the ground. Created in 1966, to commemorate tens of thousands of people who were put to death here during World War II. The camp was destroyed but the rail tracks and carriages used for the detainees remain (Click photos to enlarge).

Jasenovac was the largest concentration camp in the Balkans and many of the more than 80,000 known victims are buried in mass graves on the premises and at the camp. The small museum is free to enter and contains footage from survivors, trinkets, letters and pictures of the victims. In a dimly lit room the names of the victims are engraved in panels and suspended from ceiling. The museum also bears scares of its own, as it was occupied by the Serbs during the Homeland war. Only to be returned to Croatia 12 years ago.

List of the victims suspended from the ceiling

A break in the weather and we walk over to the lotus flower memorial.

Top of the memorial

The rains continue and the dirt road out of Jasenovac is heavy going. We rock and roll over pot hole and poor Vin creaks like an old rocking chair. On grim days the last thing I need is a creak, it drives Craig mad. I can’t be doing with his fixation on him finding and fixing every single squeak whilst driving. Ah, I thought! I turned on the stereo and selected a complication of up beat latino tunes. Squeaks and creaks masked for now. 

One of the most picturesque routes into the central eastern region follows the valley. We have no idea of its name but it is beautiful even in heavy rain. With rivers scenically framed by woodland and cornfields. We pass through the large towns of Novi Gradiska and Pozega, their factory feel has little appeal against a grey sky. Light relief from the rain and an opportunity to stretch our legs at a welcome Lidl sign.  Walking up and down the aisles without a mac or umbrella was heaven. Craig selects a lunch of chicken nuggets and french fries, which turn out to be a complete let down. But on hindsight, prefabricated chicken is never going to be exciting. 

The villages along the way like Potnjani and Kula have much appeal with fields of wheat, corn and tobacco interspersed with orchards of figs and pears. The sun is well up now, but completely hidden behind the clouds. The rain and wind is relentless and the roads are struggling to drain the rain water. Progress becomes increasingly slow. We finished the day in Djakovo and shelter on a raised concrete section next to a well drained car wash and off license.  Hardly picturesque but certainly very practical.

Our Bumble wild camping spot Djakovo N045.310487, E018.396478

We have no sunshine but plenty bright yellow sunflowers