Croatia Archives · Bon Voyage on a Big Adventure!

July 23, 2018

Days 22-25: Dubrovnik is Divine!

I write from the Dubrovnik airport, and leaving Croatia is bittersweet. We are, of course, excited to see even more of the world- that is what this is all about. However, Croatia has surpassed all of my expectations, and Rich and I could both stay longer in a heartbeat.

After fifteen days in Croatia (in Zagreb and Rovinj ,Split and Hvar , Korcula, and now Dubrovink), we have gotten in a bit of a rhythm- grocery shop at Tommy or Konzum, go swimming in the sea every other day, walk or take public transit into town, enjoy chocolate pillow cereal for breakfast, cook at home with the exception of dinner out every three or four days.

We were able to stay pretty consistent with this schedule in Dubrovnik, which I may have mentioned, is divine.

Day 22: Travel from Korcula to Dubrovnik

We took another quick ferry from Korcula to Dubrovnik. This ferry was a bit more crowded but still easy breezy.

Getting to the AirBNB in Dubrovnik

We got off the ferry in Dubrovnik and debated trying to walk to our AirBNB, but it was 8.6 km, and that struck us as just a bit too far. We messaged our host that we were here, and she said we should stop at the Konzum by the port for groceries because that was the nearest grocery store (for my mostly American readers, 8.6 KM equals more than 5 miles). Since we had all of our luggage, I sat with the bags while Rich tackled picking up what we needed for the next few days.

So at this point, we have our backpacks, and we are carrying groceries. But we have not actually seen our AirBNB yet. Luckily, Croatia has Uber! We will just Uber to our apartment. Yes!

No. First, we got an American Express Platinum credit card because of all of the travel rewards, including a $15 Uber credit each month. We log into Uber, we see a car, and then we see that the Uber credits are not available in our area, with our “area” being any place outside of the US. Bummer #1.

No big, still worth it– let’s get an Uber. We put in our location, request a car, and then get a message that we need to walk 400 meters to meet the driver. Remember: we have all our luggage and groceries, and we have been in Dubrovnik for all of an hour so we don’t know where we are going.

We walk the distance- no car. Now the car is turning around. Now the car is 8 minutes away. We wait the 8 minutes, then the app shows the driver driving past us, but we don’t see the car. Another 8 minutes. Then we look up, and see the right license plate…on a taxi. Rich tells me to go chase it down, I walk up beside it, and the driver NEVER turns his head (difference in opinion between Rich and Amanda on how hard I tried to get his attention). Bummer #2: We cancel the Uber.

Bummer #3: We just get a taxi, and it costs us 143 Kuna = $23 = the same amount we spent on groceries for four days. Ugh.

BUT the view from our AirBNB was simply incredible, and we enjoyed watching on of the most beautiful sunsets of my life that night.

AirBNB View in Dubrovnik — Keep in mind: Our AirBNB had NO air conditioning, and Croatia is hot in July. Still, this was our outdoor space.

Sunset in Dubrovnik — The sunset was warming up…

View from AirBNB Balcony in Dubrovnik — The sun on the rocks…

The end of the sunset in Dubrovnik, Croatia — El fin.

Day 23: Old Town Dubrovnik

If you watch Game of Thrones on HBO, you already know that it is an amazing show, punctuated with breathtaking scenery from all seven of the fictional kingdoms. Dubrovnik is the set for Kings Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne.

I’ll avoid nerding out too much more on GOT but two quick notes:

Walking the very streets where the characters walk was as cool as I imagined it would be, and
Dubrovnik was super chill about GOT being filmed there. We tagged along behind a Game of Thrones walking tour at one point, but I had halfway expected to see people dressed up on Jon Snow costumes or a Cersei bar or toy dragons being sold. We saw none of that. Basically, on the GOT tours, the guides carry laminated pictures of famous scenes to prove that they took place in the very spot the tourists are now standing.

Exploring Old Town

On our first visit to Old Town, we basically just wandered. At every turn, there was a new lovely staircase or view of the sea or tower or chapel or group of cats sleeping. It was like being in a storybook (thankfully, one without actual dragons!).

Path into Dubrovnik — On our way into Old Town– there are stairs and pathways like this everywhere in Dubrovnik.

Outside City Walls of Dubrovnik — Outside the City Walls

Cathedral in Dubrovnik — The largest cathedral in Dubrovnik

inside of cathedral in Dubrovnik — Inside the Cathedral.

Couple in Dubrovnik — Amanda hands the phone to a complete stranger to take our picture.

So many cats in Dubrovnik– they are fat and well-fed!

Cersei stairs in Dubrovnik — SHAME! (Had to include a GOT reference). Rich in front of the Cersei stairs looking quite unashamed.

Outside the walls of Dubrovnik — A final view from outside the walls

Day 24: Old Town Dubrovnik…by the Sea!

We spent most of the morning and into early afternoon the next day doing life catch up- laundry, trip planning, bill paying, blogging, etc.

home office Dubrovnik — Not a bad view from the home office. Rich likes an ordered desk– note the clothespin arrangement.

We then caught a bus (on time in Croatia = 25 minutes late) into Dubrovnik to hit up a swimming spot we saw the day before.

Bus to Dubrovnik — Waiting for the bus to Dubrovnik from Zaton. We spent a good hour and fifteen minutes here.

Dubrovnik bus schedule — The bus schedule. You will note that the only times listed are when the bus leaves each end point. Also, note: the buses run every hour. TIMETABLE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE! Makes WMATA look like they are already back to good.

Walking in Dubrovnik — The hot hike from the bus station in Dubrovnik to Old Town

Buza Bar

Buza Bar is built into the side of the cliff outside the fortress walls. A tour guide came through while we were lounging, and she said when she was a kid, there was a hole in the wall there that all of the kids would climb through to jump in the sea. Now, there is a pretty swanky, but still chill, bar overlooking sunbathing/lounging/swimming rocks.

The late bus got us into town a little too late to swim in the quite cold Adriatic, but we enjoyed a glass of wine and a beautiful view.

Buza Bar in Dubrovnik — Amanda at Buza Bar

Older people in Dubrovnik — This table of older ladies and gentlemen were getting it in at Buza Bar! #RetirementGoals

sea view in Dubrovnik — View from the rocks below Buza

Reading in Dubrovnik — Rich reads on a rock.

It was beautiful, but rocks are not the most comfortable to sit on for long. So we grabbed some gelato (yum yum yum) and caught the bus back to Zaton!

Gelato in Dubrovnik — Gelato: How I have longed for you on these hot summer days. I got Tiramisu flavored, and Rich went with coffee.

Day 25: Zaton by Day, Dubrovnik by Night

Running in Zaton was out of the question due to the lack of sidewalks, so we got a little strength training in with the help of my Aaptiv app on my phone. Whew! Our deck was a great place to work out, but we were wiped when it was over.

workout Dubrovnik — Whew. The sun was not playing with me.

We hiked down to the local beach in Zaton to read and enjoy the sun, before heading back into Old Town to enjoy dinner out. We have been cooking most of our meals at home- we are gone for nearly a year on savings- so dinner out was a treat.

beach outside of Dubrovnik — The Beach in Zaton

As was being in Dubrovnik at the golden hour! Does it get any prettier?

Finally, we enjoyed dinner at the Taj Mahal, a Bosnian restaurant, in Dubrovnik— how is that for world travel all in one night? It was delicious!

yogurt soup in Dubrovnik — Yogurt soup with mint and olive oil at the Taj Mahal

cheese pie in Dubrovnik — Vegetarian cheese pie with local vegetables

veal stew in Dubrovnik — Shish Cevap: Simmered veal with vegetables, roasted potatoes, and thick cream kaymak

Nightlife in Dubrovnik was just getting started as we were heading home…at 9:30 PM!

If it isn’t obvious, we loved Dubrovnik. The town is beautiful, and there was something new to discover at every turn. Visit Croatia!

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018

Days 20-21: Hvala Vam from Korcula, Croatia

Hvala vam! After two plus weeks, I am ashamed to say this is the only Croatian I have learned.

Hvala Vam, however, means thank you, and I would like to extend an extra big Hvala Vam to you for reading this post, following along, and offering your support. Rich and I so appreciate all of the kindnesses we have been extended.

To catch everyone up to speed, it has now been over three weeks since we left the United States! We started in Iceland, which you can read about here and here, then traveled to Budapest, and we have been in Croatia (Zagreb and Rovinj and Split and Hvar) ever since. I write from Dubrovnik now and would like to share quickly about our lovely stay in Korcula, Croatia.

Day 20: Travel from Hvar to Korcula…On the Day of the World Cup Championship

Hvar was beautiful, but it was also a little young and a little untz-untz (that’s my club music impression). Korcula, while only about an hour away, was described to us as sleepy and calmer, maybe Hvar’s cool, older uncle? In other words, exactly our speed.

sailboats, bay, Korcula — Sailboats in the Bay in Korcula

That is unless Croatia was playing in the World Cup championship for the first time in its history the day of your arrival!

Rich and I traveled form Hvar to Korcula on ferry, which is by far the easiest way to travel here. We arrived at our sweet little AirBNB with gorgeous views (seriously, go to Croatia), and were able to check in upon arrival. Rich and I grabbed groceries, showered and got dressed, and then went to find seats to watch the game.

rooftop view Korcula — The view from our AirBNB rooftop in Korcula

We found a table in the back of a nice cafe overlooking the Adriatic, mostly filled with families. When Croatia tied the score at 1-1, the cafe was feeling good, but dejection set in pretty quickly as France turned it into a rout.

Korcula Cafe seats — Our World Cup Seats

world cup korcula — Our view of the television for the game. The girl in front of me showed COMMITMENT to holding her flag up for the entirety of the game.

The game let out and young people poured into the streets. Would there be looting, rioting, anger? Nope. Just a lot of drinking. Like I went to an SEC school, and there was A LOT A LOT of drinking.

We are old so we made our way back to our lovely, quiet apartment.

And could continue to hear the partying from a nearby party boat. The DJ played every hip hop jam from high school and college designed to, umm, loosen inhibitions further: Baby Got Back, followed by The Thong Song, followed by It’s Getting Hot in Here, followed by Drop It Like It’s Hot, followed by Gold Digger. You get the idea. This classic party playlist lasted. for. hours.

Croatia, a nation in mourning.

toddler with Croatia flag in Korcula — One of the few young people in Croatia who chose NOT to imbibe following the loss.

Day 21: Re-group by Day, Explore Korcula by Night

Our WiFi had been pretty weak in Hvar, so we needed a day to post, blog, plan, and regroup. We went for a run in the morning, came back and ate chocolate pillows, our very favorite Croatian cereal, and spent most of the rest of the day getting organized.

Chocolate Pillow cereal in Korcula — Don’t even come to Croatia if you don’t purchase a box (we are on our third) of chocolate pillows. Why would you not eat something whose spokesanimal is a hippopotamus?

We wandered out for pizza dinner, and after dinner, we thought we would wander a little more since our step count was low from all of our indoor lounging.

purple flowers Korcula — A sleepy walk to dinner in Korcula

Almost everywhere you eat is on the water- our view from dinner.

And thank goodness we did! We wandered into the fortress in Korcula, and it was teeming with life. Live musicians, sidewalk restaurants, small chapels and bigger cathedrals, kids playing soccer in squares. Korcula was decidedly not sleepy- it was alive in a beautiful, family-oriented sort of way. Young people dining with older people, dogs on leashes, wine flowing lazily. It was a Monday night, and everyone looked happy to be with each other.

Rich taking our pizza on an evening stroll.

selfie in Korcula — Together in Korcula.

small chapel Korcula — A small, beautiful, ancient chapel we wandered into.

glowing selfie — Glowing. Might be love, might be sweat, might be both.

If you are in college and you are reading this (shoutout to my husband’s younger brother and all of his friends in West Chester), visit Hvar. If you are glad you are over thirty and never have to live your twenties again, choose Korcula.

Unless Croatia plays in the World Cup Finals– then you can find a party anywhere.

July 17, 2018

Days 15 – 19: Croatia, The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Oh, Croatia. When Rich first proposed that we spend 14 of our 301 total days abroad in Croatia, I thought that might be a bit excessive. I imagined a day or two in a city, a day or two at a beach, we would do some Game of Thrones stuff, but a full two weeks?

I. was. wrong. Croatia is paradise, and if you have never thought about visiting, start thinking about it. The beaches are beautiful, it is affordable, it is easy to navigate, and every little town is different from the last.

And when you do visit, make time for Split and Hvar!

Day 15: Travel from Rovinj to Split

As I shared before, we really loved Rovinj, Croatia and would have added days there in a heartbeat. However, Rovinj is not the closest to the rest of what we wanted to see so I will quickly share the highlights of what was a long travel day. We want to paint a realistic portrait of what traveling for a year looks like, and some days, well, it looks like a lot of traveling.

First, we knew we were going to sit for the majority of the day, so we decided to walk the three miles back to town with our packs for exercise. Still painful, but not as bad as the first time since we took on the challenge willingly.

We boarded our first bus at 8:45 AM and traveled about 3.5 hours to Rijeka. After a quick lunch break, we boarded our second bus at 1:30 PM that delivered us to Split at 9:15 PM. The distance between Rijeka and Split? About 257 miles (~415 KM).

Bus, Split, Croatia — Our second bus to Split (The “slow” bus)

Why did it take us nearly eight hours to travel 257 miles? We were on the slow bus. That’s what they call it. It not only operates interstate travel, it also picks up Maja at the grocery at a city bus stop and drops her off seven minutes later down the road. We must have stopped sixty times. And stopped for two bathroom breaks. Because obviously there was no bathroom and no free WiFi on board.

But Croatia, the gift that keeps on giving, was beautiful so it was easy to look out the window for hours and hours imagining all the other Croatian towns we would love to visit…

And then we arrived in Split!

Day 16: Seeing the Sights in Split, Croatia

Split is the second largest city in Croatia, behind its capital, Zagreb. It is an ancient city, home to Diocletian’s Palace and other Roman ruins. And it is loved by backpackers! There were tourists everywhere, taking it all in.

We enjoyed coffee at Matejuska Port along the Riva (imagine: Hollywood palm trees meet European riviera), a hike up to Sustipan Park to take in views of the city, and a few beers out at a very local pub. It was the only place we could find a seat to watch a Croatia victory over England in the semifinals of the World Cup, and the jury is out on whether they wanted us there. I think our English made them doubt our allegiances!

Split, Riva, Croatia — On the Riva in Split, Croatia

Rich making Amanda nervous standing on a wall on a tall cliff overlooking water.

Split Croatia — Looking at the boats from Sustipan Park

Diocletian Palace Split — At Diocletian’s Palace- There are shops, cafes, and restaurants throughout.

1. Some of Game of Thrones was filmed here. Tell me this arch does not belong in Game of Thrones. 2. There is a man enjoying gelato behind me while wearing a fanny pack. Love it.

Roman ruins in Split, Croatia — Rich with Roman ruins

Diocletian's Palace in Split, Croatia — Proof we were at Diocletian’s Palace together.

Day 17: Avoiding the Tourists in Split, Croatia

The next day, we got off the beaten path a bit and climbed to the top of Marjan Hill overlooking the city. We have noticed that in Europe they like to categorize hikes as “easy” that are anything but. It was a big climb, but the views from the top were stunning.

Marjan Hill Split Croatia — There is a reason the arrow on this sign points straight up.

Climbing Marjan Hill Split Croatia — Rich climbing.

Top of Marjan Hill, Split, Croatia — Together at the top!

Views from Marjan Hill Split Croatia — The view was worth the climb

And as a reward, we hiked down to a beach! Like in Rovinj, all you need is a good rock, and you have a beach of your own. The water was so clear I could see the peeling polish on my toenails, and we were out of the crowds of the day before. Oh, pretty Croatia.

Clear Water in Split, Croatia — The view from our rock

beach selfie in Split, Croatia — Together at the beach!

Day 18: Travel from Split to Hvar

We took a ferry from Split to Hvar. Ive, the host of our next AirBNB, picked us up at the port in Hvar holding a sign with my name on it. Our AirBNB had a beautiful balcony. We went out for lunch, then swam, and then shared a bottle of wine on the balcony, watching the sun set. Croatia, the gift that keeps on giving.

Inlet in Hvar, Croatia — Just one little inlet in Hvar

Selfie in Hvar, Croatia — Is this real? Oh, Croatia.

Rich with a statue in Hvar, Croatia — Rich made a friend.

balcony sunset in Hvar, Croatia — Our view of the sunset…from our balcony

Day 19: Enjoying the Paradise that is Hvar, Croatia

Our full day in Hvar was perfection. We went on a three mile run that took us to an end of the island we had not seen. At the end of the run, we jumped in the Adriatic, running clothes and all, for a refreshing ice bath cool off (totally normal- another couple did it before us!).

I made omelettes at home, and we headed out to a beach to read and sunbathe. We came back in for lunch, and then we headed the mile into town to buy ferry tickets for the next day. We showered, got spiffy, and then went back into town for a delicious seafood feast.

The end. Perfection. Croatia!

run Hvar Croatia — Post- Croatian Run! All runs should end with a jump in the Adriatic.

Sunscreen bottle — Can’t forget the sunscreen. We bought this in Budapest after we were forced to throw out our American sunscreen in London airport security, and it has been so. much. better. It goes on like actual lotion; we haven’t burned at all.

Beach selfie with messy hair — Beach hair, don’t care.

Rich in polo shirt — First time Rich has worn a shirt with a collar in 20+ days. He is not missing wearing a tie everyday!

Seafood dinner in Hvar — We feast! We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Macondo in Hvar.

July 12, 2018

Days 11- 14: Getting Started in Croatia with Zagreb and Rovinj

Dearest readers: please accept my sincere apologies for my delay in posting about Croatia. It’s not you, it’s not Croatia, it’s me– I’m blaming it on the lack of WiFi for the SEVEN hours we were on a bus Tuesday. Croatia is winning both in the World Cup and in our estimation, and I am excited to tell you more!

Day 11: Travel to Zagreb

Travel from Budapest to Zagreb was the easiest– we hopped on a FlixBus in Budapest and hopped off five hours in Zagreb. That bus had free WiFi, spoiling all future basic bus rides for me forever, and a bathroom. We walked about a mile to our AirBNB, bought some groceries, made some dinner (grilled cheese and Dalmation tomato soup) watched some World Cup. Beautiful.

Day 12: 24 Hours in Zagreb

I can’t be the only one who reads those wonderful New York Times 24 Hours in XYZ city. Well, we basically wrote our own/lived it on Saturday for Zagreb. I should also mention that Croatia was playing Russia at 8 PM on a Saturday that night, so nationalism (aka tourists in Croatian flag gear) was in full force.

The Mirogoj Cemetery

This cemetery was beautiful. Cemeteries are fascinating places to learn histories of an area. While predominantly Christian, the Mirogoj Cemetery has the distinction of interring individuals and families from a myriad of faith backgrounds including Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, and those who consider themselves irreligious. There was also a memorial and mass grave for more than 2,000 Croatian soldiers killed in World War I. Heartbreaking.

The Zagreb Cathedral

The gothic-style Zagreb Cathedral is the tallest building in all of Croatia. The church is so old that it was destroyed by Mongrols in 1242 only to be re-built again, with a wall this time, several years later. It experienced some earthquake damage in an 1880 earthquake, but it seemed that its greatest threat was really surviving through years of neglect and disrepair when Croatia was part of communist Yugoslavia.

What the spires looked like at the end of Soviet era and how they will look once restored.

The Museum of Broken Relationships

Yes, really. So the idea behind this museum is that we pay tribute to past history, civilizations, buildings, etc., but we do not always honor the most personal, and perhaps most deeply felt, losses in our lives and the lives of others when relationships end. Every obect in the museum was voluntarily donated along with a personal narrative. Some were funny, some were dark, all were moving.

People: Broken, deep, resilient, beautiful.

The Toaster of Vindication in the Museum of Broken Relationships — When I moved out, and across the country, I took the toaster. That’ll show you. How are you going to toast anything now?

The Golden Horseshoe and Botanical GarDens

Zagreb is green and has plentiful parks and outdoor spaces. They even have public workout equipment for adults!

Zagred Botanical Garden — Amanda with flowers

Soccer in Plaza Ban Jelacic

I’m sure referring to Croatia’s World Cup game as soccer is about as insulting as referring to the University of Georgia’s appearance in the National Championship and the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Victory as “some football.”

We decided to take all of it in by watching the Croatia v. Russia quarterfinal World Cup game in the largest of squares in Croatia. After all, we had watched Germany’s World Cup game at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and Italy’s Olympic appearance in Rome.

Mistake. Big Mistake. Huge.

First, the average age of the crowd was at least ten, if not fifteen years, younger than us. When I buy a beer, especially on my limited travel-for-a-year-on-savings budget, I intend to drink it. When our Croatian World Cup watchers bought beer, they might drink it or they might get so overcome singing along with a terrific pre-game anthem that they take the full beer and heave it cup and all into the air above the crowd.

World Cup- BAN JELACIC Zagreb — Before the game. Only a little smoke.

Russia scored first. I could not actually see the game from my spot in the crowd, but I did see grown men cry.

BUT WHEN CROATIA SCORED- actual fire torch flame things, sparklers, air horns, all the beer thrown in the air, all at once. I started thinking about the anatomy of a human stampede (anyone else read this terrifying 2011 New Yorker article?) If you are not following us on Instagram, you should just to watch our saved Instagram story from Zagreb.

World Cup Watching in BAN JELACIC — Mayhem after the goal

In our twenties, we absolutely would have stayed for the entire game. Thankfully, in our thirties, we walked home quickly and watched Croatia win in a shoot out from the comfort of our Air BNB.

Day 13: Travel to Rovinj

Hopped on the bus- no Wifi- but still easy breezy ride to Rovinj. The trip from Rovinj to the AirBNB? Not so easy.

So our backpacks are about 20 lbs a piece these days. I also carry a purse and whatever novels we are reading; Rich carries a smaller daypack with toiletries, first aid, odds and ends, etc. Our packs are SUPER manageable on short walks.

The problem was our AirBNB was 5 kilometers (~3+ miles) from the bus station, and we decided we would walk it.

Amanda walking with a positive attitude and a less heavy pack.

I’ll sum it up to say it was super challenging, but we were troopers who persevered with positive attitudes. Our AirBNB was beautiful when we got there, and we treated ourselves to a Croation Italian pasta feast with 1L of house wine.

Yum! Long walks should always be celebrated with pasta and wine. This face says pre-nap.

And after our pasta, we napped! For four hours. Four hours worth of sleep is still a nap, right? All is well that ends well.

Day 14: Relaxation in Rovinj!

So we loved Rovinj and wish we had booked on extra day there. As we mentioned, the town was a bit far from our AirBNB so once we were out we stayed out. We managed to log about 11 miles of walking during the day by the time we made it back home.

Quick highlights:

Until 1947, Rovinj was Rovigno, a part of Venice. Italian influences abound from the delicious pizza we ate for lunch to the colorful buildings reminiscient of other Italian fishing villages to the fact that the town is bilingual and you hear locals shouting Ciao to each other as you walk down the street.
Want to swim? Find a rock or some grass by the sea. You will see Croatians swimming everywhere. We started on rocks in the morning and found a nice grassy spot in the local state park after lunch.
The speed in Rovinj is chill. It felt like being at the Jersey Shore or Kiawah Island. People on holiday with no cares.
We had a bomb backyard at our AirBNB. I used basil from the garden to make pesto that we ate on pasta sitting outside our last night. Perfection.

Beautiful Rovinj with its Italian influences

Saint Euphemia in Rovinj — The Church of St. Euphemia

Until next time, Ciao!