Thoughts on Croatia

Scenery

Breathtaking. Awe-inspiring. The visual beauty of this country is what rendered me speechless. It stirred my emotions, caused me to dig into my soul. Sometimes my eyes were so filled with what I was seeing that I was sad. If that makes sense.

Architecture

The combination of the old and the new was unique and perfect. Inside the walls of Dubrovnik, you really felt like you were walking the marbled streets of a medieval town. I kept expecting to see a knight come walking out of a pub. But often when you peered into a doorway that was in "the wall" what you'd see on the other side was an ultra-modern, hip nightclub or restaurant. Seemingly carved into the side of the wall / mountain...hanging out over the sea.

Water

I haven't been much of a swimmer for many, many years. But the aquamarine clarity of the Adriatic Sea was alluring. I swam every day. I had to. And the water is so filled with salt that it's easy to float or tread water. One afternoon, my friends and I tread water in the middle of the sea for well over an hour. Just enjoying the water.

Beaches

True, they don't have soft, sandy beaches. They are beautiful nonetheless. Some beaches are very rocky. One afternoon, I found this huge boulder that stuck out over the water, and was underneath the shade of a large tree. The boulder was flat enough for me to lay out on it. There I was, with waves crashing around three sides of that boulder. It was paradise. My body melted into that boulder. Each and every knot in my body loosened. Oh, and yes, the beaches are topless. I find this concept intriguing. I know we are considered prudish about such things. And thankfully the women that chose to be topless looked good that way. I did notice it was primarily small-breasted women. There was also a lot of nudity out on the sea. Apparently, most people enjoy nude sunbathing on their boats. And skinny-dipping off the sides of their boats.

Food

It was simple and delicious. Lots and lots of seafood. The best meals I had were one of grilled calamari, and another that was fresh tuna. Lots of pasta and pizza too. They don't seem to have the variety of choices- most restaurants' menus looked the same. But no processed foods- it was all fresh. Seasoned. And served in moderate quantities. Breakfast usually consisted of a pastry. Diet Coke is nowhere to be found (Coke Zero is its replacement). And iced tea is very difficult to find. The people there are half the size of us. It's embarrassing, actually.

Activity

Of course I can't speak to how it is for people who live there. But as a visitor, I was extremely physically active while I was there. They have a LOT of steps. (Since both Hvar and Dubrovnik are at the base of a mountain.) In Dubrovnik, to get from the Old City to my villa, I had to climb 415 steps. I made that climb at least twice a day. By the end of my stay, I only had to stop to rest once. I've kind of become addicted to stairs. And I actually lost some weight on this trip, between the climbing and the healthier eating.

Entertainment

They seem to love their nightclubs. And their house music (or techno music, whatever it's called). They play it constantly, and they play it everywhere. It was one of my few complaints. That non-stop beat that makes each song sound exactly the same. At night, I would attempt to sleep with the double doors of my balcony open (I had an incredible view of the city and the sea), but the boom-boom-boom usually became distracting.

The People

The men are hot. Though as usual, I couldn't find any between the ages of 35 and 50. And they stare boldly into your eyes.

The women are stylish. I love their hairstyles with the heavy bangs. (My travel mates predicted I would soon don such a style since I kept commenting on it.)

Since they often sunbathe nude, they have no tan lines. And some appear older than they are because of how tan they are. And sadly, they smoke a lot. Everywhere.