For once, there isn’t a peep out of the Oldies. They are standing stock still, open mouthed, staring in stunned silence. It feels like we are in a war zone and, in fact, it was exactly that, back in the early 1990s. A huge number of buildings still bear the scars of the bullets, shells and grenades that completely devastated this town.

We are in Vukovar in Slavonia, eastern Croatia, a town that suffered the bulk of this enormous damage while it was under siege for 87 days during the Croatian War of Independence.

Perhaps I am particularly sensitive, but I found the atmosphere here rather eerie at times. The Oldies and other tourists stare at the bombed out hotel at the banks of the river Danube, whilst elderly local men, sitting on benches with their backs to the hotel, stare out at the water and the boats going by. I just shudder to think what those eyes must have witnessed.

Vukovar’s water tower has become a symbol of the defence and, indeed, defiance of the town. During the war, as soon as a Croatian flag was placed at the top of the tower, it became a major target for constant bombardment but, miraculously, it remained standing. I was pleased to hear that the tower is to be restored as a memorial, accessible to the public but with the shell holes and bullet holes still intact. That should ensure that it remains a very obvious reminder of what must definitely not be forgotten. Or repeated.

War is horrible. You humans really need to sort yourselves out!

While we were still on this side of the border, we made another stopover, this time in Osijek. The largest city in Slavonia and lying on the river Drau, Osijek must have been a real gem in past  judging from its architectural grandeur. Here too, however, the scars of war are sadly all too clearly visible. Compared to Vukovar, the extent of the destruction appears far less, but it is still shocking to see bullet-riddled churches, shops and villas.

But slowly we started to drag our eyes away from the bullet holes and look beyond the damage. As we explored the town further, we discovered that renovation work is underway in earnest, with many beautiful villas and municipal buildings in the process of being, or having already been restored to their former glory.

The Oldies were rather appalled at the ugly old communist apartment buildings which are quite an eyesore along the otherwise attractive marina and riverbank. But after having got a small glimpse of the horrors of war, who cares about a few ugly buildings, I say! At least they – and the people in them – didn’t get bombed to bits. And, sure you can just turn your back on them and enjoy the beautiful Drava – and the beautiful Drava gulls. I can live with that!