How do you stay in nice style in the new Riviera? You potter around in a car, boat of course. And if you’re Roman Abramovich, the Russian oil billionaire and owner of Chelsea Football Club, that means cruising around in a 337ft motor yacht, complete with bullet-proof glass, two helicopters, missile detection system and a submarine.
Even if you’re well connected and can find someone to borrow a vessel such as the £70 million Pelorus, you’ll want some loose change to look the part. Don’t blanch, for example, when the pump attendant fills the tank and says that’ll be £115,000, thank you very much.
OK, so you may not want to cruise Croatia the Russian big money way. But the question remains: if the hottest destination in the Mediterranean is now firmly in new Europe, is it time to bid adieu to the classic Vacation on the Mediterranean: old Europe, old hat?
Whether or not you believe any of the hype about the “new Riviera”, Croatia has certainly been attracting plenty of big names to cruise around its crystalline waters and 1,000-plus islands - from Steven Spielberg to John Malkovich and Tom Cruise and José Carreras. Read more about article