Where: Croatia
When: June 25 - July 4, 2010
With: Dave
Of all the places I've been, the one I have the most questions asked of whether there's a blogpost to cover my itinerary seems to be the small country of Croatia. I think it's creating such a great buzz for itself, but none of its sites or landmarks are incredibly iconic (yet). So it's like a mystery destination that most people aren't sure how to tackle. At least, that's how Dave and I felt five years ago when we randomly stumbled upon an organized tour through this gorgeous country while vacation planning. So hopefully this post will help any prospective travelers!
We booked our trip with the company Intrepid Travel. Eight days, starting in Dubrovnik, took us north up the "Dalmatian Coast" of the country along the Adriatic Sea. The tour was perfect, more logistical organization of hotels and transport than overbearing group activities. The max number of people on the trip would be 12, and it was a perfect way to see some highlights of this country we knew almost nothing about.
When we arrived, the first thing that took our breath away was the color of the ocean along the edge of the coastline. As we drove from the airport along windy cliffs, the turquoise-blue sea sat well below us at the bottom of a crashing, rocky coastline. Scattered all around us were palm trees, flowers, and orange tiled roofs. It felt like paradise immediately.
Then, we turned a corner on the highway, and down below us, sitting in the water like a little, floating city, was Dubrovnik. (For those of you that watch Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik is easy to explain because its the filming location for King's Landing). Orange rooftops cover each home, in bright contrast to the water surrounding, and an ancient stone wall encircles the entire city. Bumping right up against the city are dramatic cliffs and mountains. It was all truly breathtaking.
We arrived at our hotel, a small inn outside the city walls, dropped off our bags and set off exploring. Old stone alleyways zigzagged around the town, framed with an impossible number of gorgeous flowers. Once in a while, the pathway would rise, and we'd see the strikingly blue ocean on the horizon, bumping against more orange-tiled roofs.
We made it to the city walls and foolishly didn't enter. I think we thought it would cost a fee, like entering a castle or a protected site. And why wouldn't we think that? Look at the city gates. The mission of keeping intruders out was accomplished.
After lunch, we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the group. Our tour guide, Miroslav, was a chilled out Czech. He gave us the overview of the trip ahead and we then had a big group dinner. Our group had lots of Aussies, mostly older, retired couples (they always have the best travel advice!), but there was also one couple our age who we hit it off with instantly. It was like traveling with friends from Day 1.
After dinner, Miroslav offered to take us on a short pub crawl through the city. When we entered Dubrovnik's walls, all we kept saying was "what were we thinking not entering today??" It was one of the prettiest cities I'd ever seen. Impossibly smooth stones pave the main street, gleaming and reflecting the soft glow of lights, almost like reflections on a pond. The high walls gave the city a deafening quiet, save for the soft voices echoing as people enjoyed their dinners outside on the streets. As we looked left and right off the main drag, small alleyways stretched out in either direction, lined with tables for outside dining at restaurants. We popped into a few bars and enjoyed the scene, getting to know our fellow travelers before heading home for the night.
The next morning started with a walking tour of the city walls that run for about two kilometers around the perimeter of the Old City. The main purpose of this wall? What do you think...to keep out invading pirates, obviously!
While taking our stroll, we got some history of the city. Dubrovnik was likely founded in the 7th century and not surprisingly, gained its wealth as a port. Throughout its long history, it has been under the rule of several different entities, including the Byzantine Empire, the city of Venice, the Republic of Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. Eventually it was taken over by what is now Austria, but after World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, it became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, along with the Serbs and Slovenians.
In 1991, Croatia and Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. As a result, war erupted with the remaining Serbian and Montenegrin armies, and Dubrovnik was one of the many casualties. The city was shelled, killing 114 people and destroying many of the historic buildings. This all felt shockingly real when we were shown that the roofs that are a brighter orange are the ones that had to be replaced from the shelling. It was a lot of bright orange roofs.
The views of the ocean, the town, and the walls were all amazing, and constantly changing as we circled the city. Small lookouts, once used for protection, now provide different unique perspectives on the sights.
Inside the city, more of those alleyways mentioned from the night before. They were all lined with little restaurants that were so appetizing and cute.
After our rounds on the walls, Dave and I set off on our own on a walk along the Lapad peninsula, which is north from the city.
The beaches in Croatia aren't sandy, but rather covered in lots of small pebbles. It made for a beautifully different landscape.
After our beach time, we headed back to the hotel to meet our tour guide and take a hike up Mount Srđ, the large mountain that sits alongside Dubrovnik. It was fairly easy, with lots of switchbacks, and gave us stunning views of the coastline and the city below.
The other cool thing we experienced up there was just how much Europeans love soccer, or "football". The World Cup was in full swing, and from all the way at the top of this mountain, we could here the roars erupt from the city below when any goal was scored...and it wasn't even Croatia playing! England versus Germany! It was pretty crazy! There was definitely a loud roar just as we snapped this photo.
That night, we ate dinner within the city walls and had another unique experience. While eating literally on the marina, the waiter asked where we were from. When we said America, he got so excited. He started talking about basketball and hockey and the cities he wanted to visit. It was definitely surprising to have someone be that excited we were from America. It seems that so few Americans visit Croatia that we were a fairly unique find. The Aussies, on the other hand, were met with an eyeroll and the more traditional greeting received by American tourists. So unexpected!
After dinner, we took some more time to stroll this magical city by night, exploring some of the buildings in the soft glow of the city. Musicians played in giant piazzas, and their music echoed off the walls as we strolled along.
The next morning, we were up early to catch a boat to the small island of Lokrum within the harbor of Dubrovnik. Before we went, I filled up my water bottle with Croatian fountain water, always running and completely safe to drink!
The island of Lokrum is filled with lots of different things. Right off the bat, it was matching the beauty we'd seen so far in this city.
After leaving the boat and setting foot on the island, we heard this weird, high-pitched, honking noise. Completely unaware what creature was making the sound, we suddenly saw a ton of peacocks and deduced they must be the culprits. They were so pretty, but make the strangest noise. And I know this may sound stupid, but I never realized they could fly. Or at least, I never pictured what it would look like. Strange, if you were wondering, strange is what it looks like.
Later that day, it was time to start our journey north to the next stop on our trip: Korčula. On the bus ride there, we enjoyed more gorgeous views of coastline and a ride on the car ferry. It definitely wasn't a boring ride.
When we arrived in Korčula, we got to have another true Croatian travel experience. Upon exiting the bus, we were instantly mobbed by a crowd of older people holding up photos of rooms and apartments while shouting numbers at us. Apparently, many older Croatians have started to pick up on this tourist thing by renting out rooms in their homes. If they don't have anyone booked, they just go to the bus station to mob tourists. This was another benefit of our tour group: Intrepid already vetted trustworthy people, so we had the experience of staying in a local home, without having to guess which one would be a good experience.
The island of Korčula is one the second largest in Croatia, but the old city was tiny! Our orientation to the entire city took all of 10 minutes. The city was built in a unique way - all the alleyways run from east to west with one main street through the middle. The alleys on the western side of the peninsula are built in a straight line, allowing a breeze through the city in the summer, but the alleys on the east side of the city are curved, to block the winds from whipping too strongly through the city in the winter.
While inside the city was adorable and quaint, our favorite walk was along the perimeter. I mean, these views are ridiculous. And when the restaurants line the edge of the island with tables for dinner, what better way to have a glass of wine and relax?
Afterwards, we headed to a local beach where we were given some snorkeling gear to explore the coastline.
After our swim, we drove the ATVs back towards the harbor and boarded a boat for some lunch and cruising.
When we got back, we had a quick turnaround to shower and get ready to head back out into the countryside for dinner. On our way out, we got a nice view back on the Old City.
We pulled up to a restaurant attached to an old farmhouse, run by the same family. It was called Konoba Mate, and it served only food from right there on the farm. Lots more cured meats and cheeses, served al fresco in the beautiful countryside. It was incredible and it was all finished off with a few glasses of the family's homemade cherry liqueur.
Back in the city, we decided to go out with our Aussie friends to a bar that sits on top of one of the city walls' towers. The only entrance/exit to this rooftop bar was through a small opening in the ceiling at the top of a rickety ladder. Definitely much more wobbly on the way down after a few colorful cocktails.
The next morning, we were up early to catch a ferry to our next stop along the Dalmatian Coast, the island of Hvar. After those drinks the night before, it was good to have such a pretty sunrise to ease the pain of getting up so early.
If Korčula was the quiet, remote and relatively unknown island, then picture the exact opposite for Hvar. The island wraps around a giant marina filled with ridiculous yachts from all over the world. Glamorous restaruants, hotels and bars cater to the rich and famous party crowd, and sitting on top of it all is a massive castle, looking down on the city below. Yet it remains uniquely Croatian, with tiny, windy alleyways of stairs to retain the small town charm. In fact, none of the streets on this island are named, making navigation a slight challenge.
Of the places we stayed, this was definitely our favorite inn. A little old lady in a mumu who could barely breath and spoke no English happily guided Dave and I and our Aussie buddies from the ferry to her home. She had two simple and comfortable rooms for us that she showed us with a huge smile on her face. But the best part was the terrace she had on the top floor that overlooked the whole city. The four of us absolutely purchased a bottle of wine specifically to enjoy from up there.
The city of Hvar was much larger than Korčula as well. It had a big piazza lined with restaurants, lots of back alleyways, and a long pathway along the harbor that led out of the city to beaches, more hotels, and more bars.
At the top, we got to explore the well-kept castle. It was complete with jail cells, cannons, and working torches. But nothing beat the views on the marina below.
The next morning, Dave and I set out on a walk in search of the island's famous lavender fields. I envisioned myself running through said lavender fields, spinning in circles a la Sound of Music. I actually have no idea why I have no photos of this walk, but after two hours, we found no lavender so it's irrelevant either way. It was a beautiful walk, but it started to get nauseatingly hot quickly, so made sense to turn around and head for the water. I settled for lavender flavored gelato back in town.
After some relaxation, the four of us headed back towards one of the hotel bars to have some drinks and experience some of the...um...entertainment. What we thought was a woman in a green wig turned out to be a very fit young man.
That night, there was a children's orchestra concert in the Hvar amphitheater along the water. The majority of the tour group headed over to listen to some music and enjoy being outdoors. There were lots of locals, and it was a nice thing to experience.
The next morning was another early one as we took another ferry boat to our final stop on the tour, the city of Split. I will admit, this one did not impress me. Granted, it was up against some tough competition after the last three places, but the port just seemed dirty and there was none of the bright vegetation of the last three places.
We started off with a tour of the biggest site to see in Split...which is technically the city of Split itself. Let me explain. Split's claim to fame is the palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He basically built a massive retirement home for himself in 305AD, but after the fall of the Roman empire, the palace was essentially abandoned by royalty and throughout the years, taken up by the citizens of Split for protection. Those citizens eventually never left and now the palace makes up the infrastructure of the center city. Local business and homes inhabit the former palace walls and hallways, and it's impossible to explore Split without exploring the palace.
You can still tour the "basement" of the palace, if you will, or the substructure, as it's now called. They're mostly hollowed out now, but some of the junk you'd typically find in a basement is still there: old water troughs, piping, statues, paintings, etc.
Out back, some of the old palace towers still stand, as well as the main courtyard walls. These shells of the former palace provide a beautiful backdrop to the city.
Also out back is a large statue is of Gregory of Nin, a Croatian bishop who famously brought the Croatian language into church services in the 900s. Now, it's very lucky if you rub his toe (as you can tell many have done).
That afternoon, Dave and I had some bad run-in's in Split. First, we had to decide how to spend the last night of our trip (which was the following night). We had left it open, feeling so intrepid and all, deciding that we would spend it in the city we had liked best. We thought we'd give Split a chance, but our current hotel had no open rooms available for the following night. However, the girl at the front desk literally knew a guy who knew a guy who rented out rooms. He showed up huffing and puffing 10 minutes later, and we thought, "maybe this will be just like the last couple times we stayed in someone's home". He took us to some shady building where the front doors were propped open with 2x4s and led us to a guest room at the end of a dark hallway that was filled with very religious photos staring down at us. In the heat of the moment, we agreed to take the room (a payment of $20), but throughout the day, I was slightly panicked at the thought of staying there.
We thought maybe we needed to just come to relax ourselves on a beach to come to grips with the decision. We headed for the public beach, and unlike the remote and relatively private beaches we'd encountered so far on the trip, this was the exact opposite. So many people, piled on top of each other and wading in the water. It was loud, there was music blaring, and everyone was a local, making us feel even more foreign. We squeezed between a few people, plopping into the stone-filled sand, but after an hour of listening to terrible techno music, we decided to head out.
That sort of sealed the deal that we were not interested in staying in Split. So we decided to forgo our $20 hotel room, found an internet cafe, booked bus tickets back to Dubrovnik for the next morning and found a gorgeous hotel on the water for our last night in Croatia.
I instantly felt better and was finally able to relax. It was almost like having that weight off our shoulders made us start to finally enjoy the city. That night, our group met for one last dinner together. Finally, a picture of everyone together!
Then we wandered the streets for drinks with our Aussie buddies for one last night. The World Cup was still in full swing and all the restaurants and bars had pulled flat screen TVs out into the squares and alleys so their patrons could watch the games while they ate and drank. We joined the crowd, watching a game between teams we didn't feel particularly passionate about and just enjoyed the night.
The next morning, we said goodbye to our friends and had one more activity in Split before heading out - climbing the tower of the Cathedral of Saint Dominus. Part of Diocletian's Palace (of course), there are many, many narrow steps to the top. But up there, you get a nice view of the city. The marina looks much prettier from up here!
We then parted ways with Split to have our final adventure in Croatia: the bus ride back to Dubrovnik. Here's why it was an adventure. Throughout the entire tour, our guide gave us the history of former Yugoslavia, now broken into six countries: Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Macedonia. Each country has a distinct opinion on Americans as a result of our involvement in their war during the 90s. What they think of us depends on what side of the war they were on. The countries seeking independence (like Croatia and Slovenia) generally like Americans. The ones trying to keep Yugoslavia together (like Serbia and Montenegro) are not the biggest fans of Americans.
When we looked at the route of our bus trip back to Dubrovnik, while we were technically going back the way we came, this time, we were hugging the coastline the whole way rather than island hopping. What we didn't realize is that one teeny strip of the coastline actually separates Croatia in two and belongs to Bosnia. And we would be driving right through it. Upon realizing this, we both racked our brains - which side of the fence did Bosnia fall on in the war?? What did we just get ourselves into?? We are going to Bosnia.
Most of the bus ride was gorgeous and lovely, similar views to what we'd seen the whole way up. But at a certain point in the ride, we started to freak ourselves out. "That doesn't look like the Croatian flag anymore. Are we in Bosnia now?" or "This area doesn't look so good. Is Bosnia close??"
However, on one bend in the road along the cliffsides, we remarked on a particularly beautiful view. The houses were massive, the water was beautiful and the landscape picturesque. And just as we were having this conversation, the bus stopped to allow two armed Bosnian border patrol guards on the bus to search us. We'd reached the Bosnian border.
The border patrol stop was completely uneventful and to make it all funnier, just after this was when the bus decided to have a pitstop. So, we got off the bus, bought ourselves a Coke, and had a drink in Bosnia with this view. Who would have known??
After that, it was smooth sailing back to Dubrovnik. We made it to the hotel in time for a couple cocktails and a sunset. We relaxed ourselves and applauded our excellent choice to spend one more night in this gorgeous city. We actually did something we never do that night - we didn't even leave the hotel (granted, taxis weren't easy to come by, and we were probably an hour's walk from the city center).
The next morning, we had a couple hours to lay on the beach and say our goodbyes to this absolutely gorgeous country and coastline. All I can say is, Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been to, with the friendliest people, the most incredible food, and a coastline to die for.
When: June 25 - July 4, 2010
With: Dave
Of all the places I've been, the one I have the most questions asked of whether there's a blogpost to cover my itinerary seems to be the small country of Croatia. I think it's creating such a great buzz for itself, but none of its sites or landmarks are incredibly iconic (yet). So it's like a mystery destination that most people aren't sure how to tackle. At least, that's how Dave and I felt five years ago when we randomly stumbled upon an organized tour through this gorgeous country while vacation planning. So hopefully this post will help any prospective travelers!
We booked our trip with the company Intrepid Travel. Eight days, starting in Dubrovnik, took us north up the "Dalmatian Coast" of the country along the Adriatic Sea. The tour was perfect, more logistical organization of hotels and transport than overbearing group activities. The max number of people on the trip would be 12, and it was a perfect way to see some highlights of this country we knew almost nothing about.
When we arrived, the first thing that took our breath away was the color of the ocean along the edge of the coastline. As we drove from the airport along windy cliffs, the turquoise-blue sea sat well below us at the bottom of a crashing, rocky coastline. Scattered all around us were palm trees, flowers, and orange tiled roofs. It felt like paradise immediately.
We arrived at our hotel, a small inn outside the city walls, dropped off our bags and set off exploring. Old stone alleyways zigzagged around the town, framed with an impossible number of gorgeous flowers. Once in a while, the pathway would rise, and we'd see the strikingly blue ocean on the horizon, bumping against more orange-tiled roofs.
Another early impression: the outskirts of Dubrovnik have a lot of steps. As we were walking down them towards the Old City, we realized what we'd have to tackle on our way back. I guess this is what you get in a city alongside a mountain.
We made it to the city walls and foolishly didn't enter. I think we thought it would cost a fee, like entering a castle or a protected site. And why wouldn't we think that? Look at the city gates. The mission of keeping intruders out was accomplished.
So we grabbed lunch just outside the city walls and thoroughly enjoyed the view. We also had the first of many amazing Croatian meals. The influence of the Italians, who lay just across the Adriatic Sea, mixed with the understandable abundance of seafood in these parts basically creates my dream menu. Pizza with mussels on top, seafood risotto, and squid ink pasta were basically on rotation for every lunch and dinner from here on out.
After lunch, we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the group. Our tour guide, Miroslav, was a chilled out Czech. He gave us the overview of the trip ahead and we then had a big group dinner. Our group had lots of Aussies, mostly older, retired couples (they always have the best travel advice!), but there was also one couple our age who we hit it off with instantly. It was like traveling with friends from Day 1.
After dinner, Miroslav offered to take us on a short pub crawl through the city. When we entered Dubrovnik's walls, all we kept saying was "what were we thinking not entering today??" It was one of the prettiest cities I'd ever seen. Impossibly smooth stones pave the main street, gleaming and reflecting the soft glow of lights, almost like reflections on a pond. The high walls gave the city a deafening quiet, save for the soft voices echoing as people enjoyed their dinners outside on the streets. As we looked left and right off the main drag, small alleyways stretched out in either direction, lined with tables for outside dining at restaurants. We popped into a few bars and enjoyed the scene, getting to know our fellow travelers before heading home for the night.
The next morning started with a walking tour of the city walls that run for about two kilometers around the perimeter of the Old City. The main purpose of this wall? What do you think...to keep out invading pirates, obviously!
In 1991, Croatia and Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. As a result, war erupted with the remaining Serbian and Montenegrin armies, and Dubrovnik was one of the many casualties. The city was shelled, killing 114 people and destroying many of the historic buildings. This all felt shockingly real when we were shown that the roofs that are a brighter orange are the ones that had to be replaced from the shelling. It was a lot of bright orange roofs.
The views of the ocean, the town, and the walls were all amazing, and constantly changing as we circled the city. Small lookouts, once used for protection, now provide different unique perspectives on the sights.
Some views of the marina as we rounded the bend.
Rounding the walls!
While we were on the walls, we heard a loud, processional drum beat below us. When we looked, two guards, in period dress, were marching up the street accompanied by the noise-making culprit. Each day, these guards march up and down the street towards the gate they continue to protect at the entrance to the city.
As we reached the final watchtower, we climbed up and took one more survey of the city. By the end of this, we definitely understood why this city is referred to as the "Pearl of the Adriatic".
While hiking, we discovered a little beach where we laid ourselves out for a couple hours.
The beaches in Croatia aren't sandy, but rather covered in lots of small pebbles. It made for a beautifully different landscape.
After our beach time, we headed back to the hotel to meet our tour guide and take a hike up Mount Srđ, the large mountain that sits alongside Dubrovnik. It was fairly easy, with lots of switchbacks, and gave us stunning views of the coastline and the city below.
We were able to appreciate just how many islands dot the coastline of this country, and the varying colors of the water that make it all so stunning.
From here, Miroslav was able to show us just how close the Serbs were when they were shelling the city (just one mountain peak away!) during the Siege of Dubrovnik. That was pretty surreal, particularly how recently it all happened. The white cross that had been here was destroyed during that siege, but has since been rebuilt.
It's so peaceful now, it's hard to imagine those horrors.
The other cool thing we experienced up there was just how much Europeans love soccer, or "football". The World Cup was in full swing, and from all the way at the top of this mountain, we could here the roars erupt from the city below when any goal was scored...and it wasn't even Croatia playing! England versus Germany! It was pretty crazy! There was definitely a loud roar just as we snapped this photo.
After dinner, we took some more time to stroll this magical city by night, exploring some of the buildings in the soft glow of the city. Musicians played in giant piazzas, and their music echoed off the walls as we strolled along.
We eventually located an outdoor cafe with some primetime seating for one particular street performer, ordered some wine, and officially fell in love with the city of Dubrovnik.
The next morning, we were up early to catch a boat to the small island of Lokrum within the harbor of Dubrovnik. Before we went, I filled up my water bottle with Croatian fountain water, always running and completely safe to drink!
The boats ran pretty frequently to this heavily wooded island, right out of the main marina.
We got some great views of the city and Mount Srđ from a new vantage point.
The island of Lokrum is filled with lots of different things. Right off the bat, it was matching the beauty we'd seen so far in this city.
After leaving the boat and setting foot on the island, we heard this weird, high-pitched, honking noise. Completely unaware what creature was making the sound, we suddenly saw a ton of peacocks and deduced they must be the culprits. They were so pretty, but make the strangest noise. And I know this may sound stupid, but I never realized they could fly. Or at least, I never pictured what it would look like. Strange, if you were wondering, strange is what it looks like.
The island is also filled with beautiful gardens and wading pools. It was so lush and beautiful.
However, we chose to spend most of our time on the perimeter of the island, where rocky cliffs encourage you to go leaping into the turquoise waters. We took a few jumps, then just sunned ourselves on the rocks like a couple of reptiles.
My favorite though, was this rest stop. How many rest stops have this view? Certainly not the New Jersey Turnpike, that's for sure.
The island of Korčula is one the second largest in Croatia, but the old city was tiny! Our orientation to the entire city took all of 10 minutes. The city was built in a unique way - all the alleyways run from east to west with one main street through the middle. The alleys on the western side of the peninsula are built in a straight line, allowing a breeze through the city in the summer, but the alleys on the east side of the city are curved, to block the winds from whipping too strongly through the city in the winter.
The main entrance to the city
A few small pockets of plazas, churches and archways hidden among the alleyways.
The windy side of the peninsula. Look at the chop in the water!
While inside the city was adorable and quaint, our favorite walk was along the perimeter. I mean, these views are ridiculous. And when the restaurants line the edge of the island with tables for dinner, what better way to have a glass of wine and relax?
A nightcap under the moon.
The next day was our most action-packed of the trip. In the morning, we took a stroll along the Korčula harbor and got to appreciate just how clear the water is. The gradient in color looks almost fake.
Then, we set off for an ATV tour of the island.
Oh Captain, my Captain.
We went along dusty, dirt roads, through farmland and vineyards, exploring the rustic countryside.
We stopped a local vineyard to taste some Croatian wine and local liqueurs (including "rakia", the Croatian digestive that tastes like rocket fuel).
Afterwards, we headed to a local beach where we were given some snorkeling gear to explore the coastline.
There really aren't any fish to see in these waters, but that didn't stop Dave from trying. As he stood on this rock, snorkel gear at the ready, he yelled back to us "I'm going in, who's coming with me?" To this day, one of my favorite lines.
Lunch was incredible, all local cured meats and cheeses, with some fresh produce and pasta. Plus, the view doesn't get much better than this.
We floated around a bit, swam and snorkeled. It was a perfect, lazy afternoon to complement our action-packed morning.
As we sailed back to land, we got some great shots of the Old City.
When we got back, we had a quick turnaround to shower and get ready to head back out into the countryside for dinner. On our way out, we got a nice view back on the Old City.
We pulled up to a restaurant attached to an old farmhouse, run by the same family. It was called Konoba Mate, and it served only food from right there on the farm. Lots more cured meats and cheeses, served al fresco in the beautiful countryside. It was incredible and it was all finished off with a few glasses of the family's homemade cherry liqueur.
Back in the city, we decided to go out with our Aussie friends to a bar that sits on top of one of the city walls' towers. The only entrance/exit to this rooftop bar was through a small opening in the ceiling at the top of a rickety ladder. Definitely much more wobbly on the way down after a few colorful cocktails.
If Korčula was the quiet, remote and relatively unknown island, then picture the exact opposite for Hvar. The island wraps around a giant marina filled with ridiculous yachts from all over the world. Glamorous restaruants, hotels and bars cater to the rich and famous party crowd, and sitting on top of it all is a massive castle, looking down on the city below. Yet it remains uniquely Croatian, with tiny, windy alleyways of stairs to retain the small town charm. In fact, none of the streets on this island are named, making navigation a slight challenge.
Of the places we stayed, this was definitely our favorite inn. A little old lady in a mumu who could barely breath and spoke no English happily guided Dave and I and our Aussie buddies from the ferry to her home. She had two simple and comfortable rooms for us that she showed us with a huge smile on her face. But the best part was the terrace she had on the top floor that overlooked the whole city. The four of us absolutely purchased a bottle of wine specifically to enjoy from up there.
The city of Hvar was much larger than Korčula as well. It had a big piazza lined with restaurants, lots of back alleyways, and a long pathway along the harbor that led out of the city to beaches, more hotels, and more bars.
After lunch, Dave and I took a hike up to the castle at the top of the island to get more of a view of things. There was all kinds of wild vegetation on the way.
At the top, we got to explore the well-kept castle. It was complete with jail cells, cannons, and working torches. But nothing beat the views on the marina below.
It was hard to look where we were going as we descended the steps to the Old City. It was just so pretty!
That night, we went to a swanky night-club and tried to do like the rich and famous.
However, after one drink, we didn't last long, and the four of us preferred the quiet of our little terrace top and a glass of wine.
The next morning, Dave and I set out on a walk in search of the island's famous lavender fields. I envisioned myself running through said lavender fields, spinning in circles a la Sound of Music. I actually have no idea why I have no photos of this walk, but after two hours, we found no lavender so it's irrelevant either way. It was a beautiful walk, but it started to get nauseatingly hot quickly, so made sense to turn around and head for the water. I settled for lavender flavored gelato back in town.
We then took the pathway up the shoreline towards some of the fancy hotels and beaches.
After awhile, we were able to find some remote rocks (the closest thing to a beach) that we could sun ourselves on. Ironically, our Aussie friends found the exact same patch of rocks as us, so we spent the afternoon with them. The hardest part about swimming in Croatia is that you have to keep an eye out for sea urchin. While the little ladder into the water helped, the spiny urchins liked to make this their home, making the climb out of the water, coupled with the strong currents, a bit of a challenge.
Though dodging sea urchin was worth it to enjoy this water.
After some relaxation, the four of us headed back towards one of the hotel bars to have some drinks and experience some of the...um...entertainment. What we thought was a woman in a green wig turned out to be a very fit young man.
The music was loud and bumping and we took the opportunity to show our friends how to appropriately fist pump, a la New Jersey.
That night, there was a children's orchestra concert in the Hvar amphitheater along the water. The majority of the tour group headed over to listen to some music and enjoy being outdoors. There were lots of locals, and it was a nice thing to experience.
Dave and I headed out early so we could take a stroll through the city at night and enjoy the beautiful view.
We started off with a tour of the biggest site to see in Split...which is technically the city of Split itself. Let me explain. Split's claim to fame is the palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He basically built a massive retirement home for himself in 305AD, but after the fall of the Roman empire, the palace was essentially abandoned by royalty and throughout the years, taken up by the citizens of Split for protection. Those citizens eventually never left and now the palace makes up the infrastructure of the center city. Local business and homes inhabit the former palace walls and hallways, and it's impossible to explore Split without exploring the palace.
You can still tour the "basement" of the palace, if you will, or the substructure, as it's now called. They're mostly hollowed out now, but some of the junk you'd typically find in a basement is still there: old water troughs, piping, statues, paintings, etc.
Diocletian himself.
Out back, some of the old palace towers still stand, as well as the main courtyard walls. These shells of the former palace provide a beautiful backdrop to the city.
Everywhere you look, pieces of temple, built into the city.
Also out back is a large statue is of Gregory of Nin, a Croatian bishop who famously brought the Croatian language into church services in the 900s. Now, it's very lucky if you rub his toe (as you can tell many have done).
So powerful.
We thought maybe we needed to just come to relax ourselves on a beach to come to grips with the decision. We headed for the public beach, and unlike the remote and relatively private beaches we'd encountered so far on the trip, this was the exact opposite. So many people, piled on top of each other and wading in the water. It was loud, there was music blaring, and everyone was a local, making us feel even more foreign. We squeezed between a few people, plopping into the stone-filled sand, but after an hour of listening to terrible techno music, we decided to head out.
That sort of sealed the deal that we were not interested in staying in Split. So we decided to forgo our $20 hotel room, found an internet cafe, booked bus tickets back to Dubrovnik for the next morning and found a gorgeous hotel on the water for our last night in Croatia.
I instantly felt better and was finally able to relax. It was almost like having that weight off our shoulders made us start to finally enjoy the city. That night, our group met for one last dinner together. Finally, a picture of everyone together!
Then we wandered the streets for drinks with our Aussie buddies for one last night. The World Cup was still in full swing and all the restaurants and bars had pulled flat screen TVs out into the squares and alleys so their patrons could watch the games while they ate and drank. We joined the crowd, watching a game between teams we didn't feel particularly passionate about and just enjoyed the night.
The next morning, we said goodbye to our friends and had one more activity in Split before heading out - climbing the tower of the Cathedral of Saint Dominus. Part of Diocletian's Palace (of course), there are many, many narrow steps to the top. But up there, you get a nice view of the city. The marina looks much prettier from up here!
We then parted ways with Split to have our final adventure in Croatia: the bus ride back to Dubrovnik. Here's why it was an adventure. Throughout the entire tour, our guide gave us the history of former Yugoslavia, now broken into six countries: Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Macedonia. Each country has a distinct opinion on Americans as a result of our involvement in their war during the 90s. What they think of us depends on what side of the war they were on. The countries seeking independence (like Croatia and Slovenia) generally like Americans. The ones trying to keep Yugoslavia together (like Serbia and Montenegro) are not the biggest fans of Americans.
When we looked at the route of our bus trip back to Dubrovnik, while we were technically going back the way we came, this time, we were hugging the coastline the whole way rather than island hopping. What we didn't realize is that one teeny strip of the coastline actually separates Croatia in two and belongs to Bosnia. And we would be driving right through it. Upon realizing this, we both racked our brains - which side of the fence did Bosnia fall on in the war?? What did we just get ourselves into?? We are going to Bosnia.
Most of the bus ride was gorgeous and lovely, similar views to what we'd seen the whole way up. But at a certain point in the ride, we started to freak ourselves out. "That doesn't look like the Croatian flag anymore. Are we in Bosnia now?" or "This area doesn't look so good. Is Bosnia close??"
However, on one bend in the road along the cliffsides, we remarked on a particularly beautiful view. The houses were massive, the water was beautiful and the landscape picturesque. And just as we were having this conversation, the bus stopped to allow two armed Bosnian border patrol guards on the bus to search us. We'd reached the Bosnian border.
The border patrol stop was completely uneventful and to make it all funnier, just after this was when the bus decided to have a pitstop. So, we got off the bus, bought ourselves a Coke, and had a drink in Bosnia with this view. Who would have known??
After that, it was smooth sailing back to Dubrovnik. We made it to the hotel in time for a couple cocktails and a sunset. We relaxed ourselves and applauded our excellent choice to spend one more night in this gorgeous city. We actually did something we never do that night - we didn't even leave the hotel (granted, taxis weren't easy to come by, and we were probably an hour's walk from the city center).
Even after the sun went down, it was hard to leave the view.
The next morning, we had a couple hours to lay on the beach and say our goodbyes to this absolutely gorgeous country and coastline. All I can say is, Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been to, with the friendliest people, the most incredible food, and a coastline to die for.
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