Final Tic on the List - Croatia

Croatia visit...check!  List complete!

What a day...have to say I NEVER would have imagined one day I would be visiting Yugoslavia!  Okay, well technically I didn't, since it is no longer Yugoslavia, but that is the name I was familiar with in my life.  I enjoyed the visit and the scenery.  

Our ship arrived in Split, and we needed to tender in, meaning we boarded the lifeboats from out in the sea, the Adriatic one this time, and took them to shore.  Our guide was quite serious, about as opposite from my female Greek guides previously...Mitzi wasn't in Greece anymore!

Life in croatia hasn't been easy, and I think the personality of the people reflects that.  Communism has only been gone for about 20 years.  Many people did well though.  Our guide explained that when that happened most families bought their homes/apartments for very little.  Then they borrowed money to purchase summer homes and then with their currency crashing, they were able to literally traded the balance for a pack of cigarettes.  Hence, most families have 2 homes.  Prices are high there and there is 20% unemployment.  They use the kuna for currency and it is about 5 or 6 kuna to one USD.

My tour was on the Dalmation coast...and didn't see a  one of them, Dalmatians that is.  Our first stop was Trogir where we took a long walk into the old town to see a famous church and then I wandered, which is really a way to say I shopped.  Lavender is everywhere and was in small bags embroidered with the name of the towns or the country.  Found a magnet and a bookmark, and even added to my mask collection.  The Venetian influence was seen here too, as it was in Corfu.   The architecture is the most obvious bit of Venice.

After our visit to Trogir, we went to Berni, a village on a mountain side, where we were treated to a snack, some liquer that was none too tasty to me, and some red wine.  Apparently the home belonged to a family who has a priest as a family member, so the art collection was valuable.  The home was actually a few small buildings on a mountain side, one was a chapel, actually there were two that looked like that is what they were.  A small room with a bed, which was a separate structure, a separate kitchen and a separate eating area.  There were more disconnected buildings we didn't go into.  Sometimes they say we will be getting snacks and we get a plentiful offering, this was meager, a bit of small pieces of bread, thinly sliced cheese and very thin proscetto.  Sure that is misspelled!  Two people came out and started playing Croatian music,  it was funny because when I tasted the very strong liquer and made a face, I looked up and they were both watching me and laughed while they made beautiful music.  They played and sang and had beautiful voices.  When they were leaving the area the man called me over so they could have their photo taken with me.  Sweet and I love that picture, sure felt special!  As we were leaving a black donkey walked out of a rock enclosure and was chained but loved attention...another photo.  The area was lovely!  When Internet is free again I will try to post photos.  After an hour and a half we wandered down the hillside back to the bis to head to the next town of Sibenik.  A very famous church is there, but I am afraid I was on overload and after the very long walk there in the old town, I'd heard enough and wandered away on my own.  We had over an hour and I was constantly nervous I would get lost, it was a long walk back to the bus station where we had to meet our bus.  Someone told me about a way that was next to the water, so that was a leisurely stroll.  I stopped to ask directions and one waiter was very rude so I walked on and asked a lady for directions and a bottle of water.  She was so sweet and when she sold me the water she handed me a little book on the town and insisted I should take it as a gift because her brother lived in Boston.  She was so kind and smiled a lot, something no one else on the trip had done.  I think she was thinking of her brother far away in America, and happy to have even that bit of contact with where he now is.  A nice encounter.

The country is truly beautiful!  Rolling hills, much coastline, green in most parts, and interesting homes, many which are no finished, due to no money.  It reminded me a bit of Egypt where the top floor of the houses were left unfinished so they didn't have to pay back loans.  This, in Croatia, the guide said was simply that people ran out of money.  So the top floor would be open and in several of these homes laundry was drying inside, walls, but no windows.

And after a bit over an hour drive back we arrived at the port of Split, unfortunately it was time to head back to the ship, so I only got a few more photos of the activity next to the marina, in front of the famous Diocletians famous palace, built in the 4th century.  I should have visited there tto, next time.

And so...time to start the next 'have to see before I die' list!  However, as we are sailing towards Venice, I will just enjoy the rest of my journey this time...the Grand Canal and the gondolas and Burano await me!