Croatia

Wes and I flew into Croatia via an entire day of traveling from Venice. We had to fly through Rome and had a six hour layover which proved to be an ample opportunity to catch up on all our reading.

Anyway, when we finally arrived in Split the sun was setting over the stark grey mountains in the background, casting a bright orange and pink glow over the white buildings of the city as our plane landed. The city overlooks the Adriatic Sea, and the water was quite beautiful in the setting sun. It sparkled blue, silver and sapphire all the way through to the horizon.

Getting to the center of the city was a bit of a debacle, as we got stuck in traffic from the airport and arrived two hours later than we had originally planned. As we stepped off the airport bus and attempted to gather our thoughts and belongings, Wes felt a tugging on his bag and immediately whipped around.

What he saw was an older Croatian woman attempting to open one of the pockets of his backpack. He confronted her and I still can’t believe what happened. She literally walked around him, and took out a pair of keys. She then proceeded to completely ignore him and pretend nothing had ever happened as she opened the door to the little tobacco stand right behind us.  Apparently, she WORKED at the tobacco stand in the main square, and was trying to rob Wes. Let’s just say he was a scary sight. I wouldn’t attempt to pickpocket him anytime soon just in case any of you were considering it. Thankfully, we met up with Sy and Genevieve shortly after and were able to vent our frustration quickly.

Split’s port area is quite pretty, and their main seaside promenade is brand new. Little cafes and benches line the

streets, the old buildings are floodlit beautifully in the evenings, and there are gelato stands and young people everywhere.  Cute shops are plentiful, and we even happened to be in the city during an outdoor concert put on by one of the local children’s groups. It was a song and dance show (or maybe competition?) filled with bedazzled costumes and big voices.

The next day we left for Hvar island, one of the many beautiful finger-shaped islands on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. Hvar town was absolutely gorgeous, a pile of sandy-colored houses with red terracotta roofs. Surrounding the town was a dark green blanket of pines and mountains on two sides, and sparkling clear water on the other two.

The four of us stayed at a small apartment in town, complete with its own little dog guarding the property. We were greeted by bougainvillea and lemon trees everywhere, and immediately set out to enjoy the day by spending some quality time at the beach. The water was clear and cool, and the sunlight was bountiful. We spent the night walking around the old town, visiting the citadel overlooking the city, and enjoying a wonderful dinner of freshly caught local fish.

The next day we left for an all day ferry to Dubrovnik, the beautiful walled city far south down the coast. It took us seven hours of chugging along before we finally arrived in the late afternoon.

We had apparently timed our trip perfectly to coincide with the start of the Libertas summer festival. The opening ceremonies were to be held that very night, and from what people were telling us, it was going to be a fabulous party. We checked into our rooms in the home of an adorable old woman who became like a little grandma to the four of us during our two nights there.  Who cares if we can’t speak the same language? Some things transcend speech.

The city itself was extremely appealing; the old town was a sparkling white, light-filled place with a simultaneously beachy and medieval feel. There were tons of people around, but the town remained accessible through the chaos. The first day we walked around and explored a bit before positioning ourselves at the nearest beach and enjoying a fabulously refreshing swim in the Adriatic.

We knew we wanted to be in prime viewing position for the opening night fireworks in the old harbor that night, so we headed to the supermarket early to pick up some food, local wine, and peaches to cut up and put in our glasses. We found prime seats on the dock, and settled in for what ended up being a 20 minute long fireworks extravaganza, which ALMOST made up for missing July 4th back home.

The next day we were supposed to go on a kayak tour around the city, but the tour was canceled due to high winds and choppy conditions. Instead Wes and I walked the city walls and took in the views around the city. We later met up with Genevieve and Sy again for some late lunch and another round of explorations.

Before we arrived in Dubrovnik, Genevieve had gotten some recommendations for places to try while there, and several people mentioned a bar located on the rocks outside the city walls, with one person even calling it “the best bar in Europe.” Even though that claim may have been a little farfetched, we still were excited to find what promised to be a unique bar experience. Following the unhelpful signs simply pointing the way to “Cold Drinks,” we passed through several deserted streets before coming across a break in the city walls. Through a gate and down some steps and we found ourselves faced with something amazing – literally, a sky FULL of beautiful stars. I have rarely seen so many in my life. Living in or near big cities all your life does that to a girl.

Anyway, we found four chairs at the candle-lit bar facing the sea and stars and proceeded to have hilarious conversations about life, science, physics and even Oprah over questionable Croatian wine. It was a night I’ll never forget.

The next day we decided to rent a car and drive the beautiful coastal route all the way back up to Split in time to take the overnight ferry to Italy later that day. We rented a car from an “agency” which we’re convinced consisted of one dude and his extra vehicle. Regardless, we loaded up with snacks and headed up along the coast, hugging the mountains as we made our way North. The view was absolutely amazing, and the four hour drive went by really quickly what with the vistas, the cheesy music, and the good conversation.

We made such good time we were able to go an hour out of our way to a small medieval town called Trogir, another walled beauty on a small island just North of Split. After spending a few hours at the port admiring the most insane boat we’d ever seen up close, we finally ended our time in Croatia with a quick dinner in Split before hightailing it onto the ferry.

Goodbye, Croatia!