Adventure in Croatia!

Hello everyone!  So much has happened since my last update. We’ve been enjoying the beautiful water of the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, amazing sunsets and so much feta (more about Greece in my next newsletter)! In my last update we were leaving Slovenia and about to cross the border into Croatia. Driving across the border was easier than we expected, but keep in mind if you are going the other direction you need to budget at least an hour for the crossing. In this edition, I’d like to share about our time in Croatia.

Our first stop in Croatia was the city of Rovinj.  Rovinj is a picturesque fishing port on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula. You can easily explore this town in a day or so. The beaches are rocky and there is usually a ladder leading straight into the sea! Rovinj is best known for its olive oil, wine and truffles and you can feel the close proximity to Italy in their delicious pizzas! From there we drove a few hours to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park. Along the drive we passed many abandoned buildings. The bullet holes and bombed out buildings silently reminded us that just 20 years ago this country was at war for its independence. Plitvice is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. It is famous for its many lakes and cascading waterfalls. When visiting it is best to go as early in the day as you can. The park quickly fills up and the lower lakes can be overwhelmingly crowded taking away from the natural beauty of your surroundings. A quick boat ride to the upper lakes and we escaped the crowds and were able to really enjoy the beautiful colors of the water and the magic of Plitvice. 

From there we drove about 2.5 hours to the town of Zadar. Here we had our first driving mishap! Driving through the old town, the roads were narrow and navigating was extremely challenging. We ended up going the wrong way on a pedestrian only road! Thankfully we didn’t end up the ocean and made it safely to our apartment. My favorite part of Zadar was seeing the Zadar sea organ. Concealed beneath a set of large marble white steps leading into the water, the instrument consists of a series of 35 tubes and a large resonating cavity, which is played by the wind and the sea. 

After two days in Zadar, we made our way to Split and said goodbye to our car. Split is the 2nd largest city in Croatia, so I was hoping to find some dance here, but it was not meant to be. The only ballet I could find was in the capital city of Zagreb, which logistically didn’t make sense for where we were headed. The most important thing to see here is Diocletian's Palace, an ancient palace built for the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD, which today forms about half the old town. For any Game of Thrones fans, this location was used for the filming of where the character Dany kept her dragons! 

From there we hopped on a short ferry ride and spent an amazing week on the island of Hvar. The best way to see the island is by boat. We spent a day exploring secret swimming holes, the famous Blue Cave and beaches only accessible by boat. The sunsets were spectacular and it was nice to spend a week in the same location. 

Our last stop in Croatia was the city of Dubrovnik. It's known for its distinctive Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century. The best way to see the Old Town, is by walking the city walls.  We did this first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds and the heat! The view is spectacular and stopping for a morning coffee with a view of the ocean and the sounds of the waves crashing was beautiful.  After walking the wall we hopped on a boat to avoid the cruise ship crowds and headed the the island of Lokrum for the day. This island is full of creatures like peacocks and rabbits! Zach and I have a special love for peacocks! They are definitely our family animal. The love began when I met a white albino peacock that  lived on 113th st. in NYC, named Phil. Phil was even a part of the day Zach asked me to marry him! We stopped for a swim in a spot that was so salty that we floated similar to the Dead Sea! Heading back to Dubrovnik, the city calms down after dark and we were able to wander through the charming streets. On our last day, we took a bike ride through the countryside. We enjoyed seeing a different part of the country and learning about what it was like to live there from our guide. We stopped in a small village and tasted the local treats and learned about the old water mills used to make clothing. 

After almost 3 weeks, we were ready to head to the next location.  We made our way to the airport in Dubrovnik and took a flight to Athens, Greece.  I look forward to sharing about our adventures in Greece in my next newsletter! Thanks for reading! 

Best, 
Ashley

Travel Tip #4

Renting an apartment is common in Croatia and coordinating check-in can be tricky. Make sure to check reviews when booking a place to stay. A helpful host can make the experience wonderful!