A love letter to Croatia: Sorry for thinking less of you
Driving half a day, with a car packed so much that you can forget about using the rear mirror. Waters filled with sea urchins and rocks that exist only to destroy your feet. Beaches overcrowded by people eating pljeskavice or fritule. Surrounded by pine trees. Or other non-palm, non-exotic vegetation.
That used to be my perception of holidays in Croatia.
Before I continue, please click here and play this in the background. It will transport you right where I want you to be when reading the rest of this blog and going through the picture. The full, multi-sensory experience of my apologetic letter to—
Dear Croatia,
I am incredibly sorry about the limited mind of mine. My perception was clouded with what I remembered from childhood. After two recent, but very restricted holidays (one with time, the other with COVID-19), I very quickly learned that you are so much more than just packed beaches.
🌊Thanks to those sharp-ass rocks, you not only have the most transparent water but also wild beaches on every corner. You make it so easy to escape from the tourists and find a quiet access. With colors ranging from turquoise to pitch black, from sandy bottoms to red algae coral reefs.
🌿After a half-day car journey from Slovakia (and most European countries), you can offer any kind of environment that one desires. Almost half of the land area is covered by forests and 10% by natural parks, national parks and nature reserves. You really know how to take care of your nature that houses one of the highest diversity of plants of all European countries, and is home to many many endangered species. I also just learned, that your coastline with 1244 islands is also a migratory route for sea turtles!
🏛Your history is just as rich as your presence. You gave us neckties, mag light, torpedo, sooo many Neanderthal fossil bones, Nikola Tesla and the backdrop for Winnetou and King's Landing. You preserved Ancient Roman structures, quirky villages with abandoned places and enormous out-of-place communist memorials. All of which happily repay with views and sunsets that even Alfred Hitchcock fell in love with.
The following pictures are a celebration of these unique places and vibes. One day, I will come back for the snaps of those surreal monuments and to enjoy those green-skinned, purple-fleshed, brightly-sweet figs at the peak of their ripeness, again.
Hope you forgive me.
See you soon,
Yours truly
↑ Photo #bybarbs
↑ This is at sea. Not pool. Taken from a boat.
↑ Pula Arena - Sixth largest surviving Roman amphitheatre and the only one to have four side towers with all three Roman architectural orders entirely preserved
↑ Quirky village
↑ The Cathedral of St. James in Sibenik
↑ Night streets of Trogir - included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites for its Venetian architecture
↑ Krka - one of 8 national parks
The takeaway here is, don't judge a book by what you thought of it when you were 10 years old and believed that to consider something a holiday destination, you had to fly there.
Now keep enjoying the enlightening DJ set from Disclosure that is playing in the background. And if you didn't play it because you are one of those 70% that read this on the phone… here, play it now. And fully appreciate the last drops of summer vibes with the views of Plitvice Lakes.
