Travel Tuesday: Sailing in Croatia

As soon as I zipped up my bags for the outbound flight to Croatia I was an explorer rather than staid grandma, a discoverer rather than an observer.

Our ten day sampling of the culture and land of Croatia was delectable. 

Now, Bill’s favorite hat is stiff with dried salt from the Adriatic Sea. My swim shoes smell pleasantly fishy. Already the spills, sweat and wrinkles are laundered out of my sundresses. 

We’re still in a time frame to remember that last week we were tromping through 1,900 year old ruins from a Roman emperor’s palace.  Dinners included things like octopus salad and dried figs, four kinds of cheese and delicious fresh bread. 

We strolled seaside cities as the sun set over Croatian hills and lit up the harbor. We slept on a ship for the first time and cruised two hundred miles of coastline over a week. 

We didn’t miss an opportunity to take a swim, then sit on the upper deck of the boat and treasure the sensations: the sun warming our faces or the colors of the sunsets, breezes tossing my hair like riding in a convertible.  The water splashing as it surged away from the boat and the engine's rhythmic thrum- thrum-thrum. When dark winter takes hold we’ll sit on the couch to relive those moments. 

Some grappa may help. That’s the plum brandy traditionally made by most households in the region. Its high alcohol content scalds the throat as it goes down and enters the stomach with a small explosion. Our guide told us his grandmother started every day with a cup of coffee and a shot of grappa. It would get you up and moving for sure, and probably dull  annoyances.

Of course we weren’t easily annoyed on our holiday, except by the crowds the ocean liners disgorged into medieval cities too small for the their numbers. Dubrovnik’s walled city has decided to cut the daily visitor county by half to make visits more pleasant and reduce the burden on the city.

If I had it to do over, I’d still take a small ship (through Intrepid Travel, 29 passengers) over a large one, and be able to swim in coves chosen by the captain for calm seas. I’d be willing to repeat a week in our lower deck cabin with just the port hole for light. (I wouldn’t repeat my visit to the ER!) 

But I’d extend the cruise another three to four days and linger a little longer in the small ports, like Korcula or Sibenik. I’d ask for the tours to include folk music concerts. The snatches of singing and folk dancing we happened upon didn’t satisfy, I want whole concerts. I’d eat even more ice cream, and visit more wineries.

This trip was our reward to ourselves for a hard year, and a toast to forty four years of marriage. It didn't disappoint.

Živjeli, cheers.