Crystal Blue Croatia!🌊

Happy Friday!

Well, I have clearly been very demotivated to post lately, probably because I put a lot on social media recently, but the reason I created this blog in the first place was to keep family updated who doesn’t use social media, so I am back at it, and have lots to share. Sorry for the delay!

The most recent excitement we had was our amazing trip to Croatia! We stayed in a village/small city/town (not entirely sure the proper terminology), called Zadar. Actually, we were on the border of Borik and Zadar and the specific area we were in was technically called Borik… or so we were told.

We stayed at a lovely villa called Villa Valentina. It was owned by a wonderful German couple who greeted us upon our arrival with big smiles and a helping hand. Breakfast was served every morning in the villa, and one of the staff members, Ioana, catered to our and everyone else’s every need -there was even hot chocolate waiting for Mr. O every morning at his place setting. The dining room was open between 8 and 10 every morning for breakfast, and our hostess would walk down the spiral staircase around 8:30 and greet everyone with a cheerful hello or guten morgen. I had read a review that said staying at this villa was like staying with your grandparents. I would say that was a very accurate depiction (provided you had/have grandparents who are always cheerful and ready with a cookie and compliment). Hah!

The rooms were simple, although a bit kitschy, and every room had its own kitchenette, and the entire villa was SPOTLESS! I felt we could truly relax immediately upon arrival. It was interesting to stay somewhere that wasn’t a hotel or Airbnb, and we quite enjoyed it. Especially with having a small child, it made for a good place in the evenings because there were quiet hours between 10pm and 8am. Although people came in at all hours because it was so hot during the day, which made nightlife popular, everyone was very respectful of one another… and friendly! Any time you were in a common area, other guests were quick to greet one another, so much so, that we made some new friends! We met a lovely couple from Germany that we ended up spending a couple of our days with and had them to our room for drinks in the evening. We have managed to stay in contact with them as well. We have video chatted a couple of times since returning “home” to Poland, and plan to visit them in Germany very soon. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be meeting random strangers, and then visiting them in Europe. Just crazy.

Our trip to Croatia was full of marvelous highlights that included:

• Beaching at and swimming in the Adriatic Sea – the crystal blue waters were unreal!

• Exploring The Old Town – home to many landmarks:

1. Church of St. Donatus

2. The Zadar Cathedral or St. Anastasia Cathedral

3. St. Anastasia Bell Tower

4. The Sea Organ (which consists of several underwater tubes set beneath the marble steps that descend down into the Adriatic waters)

5. The Old Town itself (a Roman Fortress with beautiful gates and city walls)

6. St. Simeon’s Church

7. Then, of course, Otis’ favorite, the new candy and ice cream shops

8. EATING! I had the best risotto I have ever eaten at a yummy restaurant inside the city walls – lots of good food! Croatia is nailing it in the culinary department. Sorry Poland, it doesn’t even compare.

• Boat Touring to some of the smaller islands where we walked along rocky beaches and climbed small boulders to see some amazing views

• Taking on the old school carnival for mister Otis. There was a small little carnival area within walking distance from our villa. It primarily attracted young children and families, although it didn’t even open until 7pm (hot, what can I say...), and then stayed open until midnight (for those wild and crazy teenagers) 😉. The carnival was the perfect size, and there were just enough rides to give our little adventurer a needed break from all the mommy and daddy outings – after all, it’s his vacation too. We felt in good company amongst all the other moms and dads trying to wear their small children out as well. Plus, nothing makes a parent happier than seeing their kid happy (at least in my parenting experience thus far).

Overall, Croatia was just simply beautiful. The pace of life was very relaxed, and everyone was so welcoming and smiley. Most people spoke fairly decent English, so it was also quite easy to maneuver around the town. Alexis made a comment that, “That water changes people.” I think he may have a point. Everywhere we have both visited that has an industry that “relies on the waves” seems to have happier, more friendly, and relaxed people. Maybe it’s just in our heads, but I cannot express enough how positive our experience was traveling in Croatia.

We are back in Poland, but not for long. When we got home, we looked at our calendar and said to one another, "Time to pack for the next one!" We leave in 6 short days for our next adventure and look forward to sharing that with you all soon.

With Love...

from recent Croatia & present Poland,

The Clods ❤