Croatia

I loved Croatia! Most of our time was spent in Dubrovnik, which was amazing, but the Dalmatian Coast up to Split is also incredibly beautiful!

Dubrovnik is definitely one of my top destinations this far! The old part of the city is walled and the streets and set-up reminds me a lot of Venice (maybe that's why I loved it so much). The city walls were built for protection and financed by requiring all visitors to the city to purchase a stone for the wall. In recent times, Dubrovnik Old Town has been home to the filming of many scenes from Game of Thrones, as well as the upcoming Star Wars movie. Necessity was the mother of invention for Dubrovnik in relation to using the first "Quarantine" facility - During plague times, a quarantine facility was built outside the city walls to house people wanting to visit the city. Visitors were required to remain in the faculty for 40 days before being allowed to enter, if they survived, they were permitted entry.

We took public transit from the campground into Dubrovnik Old Town and enjoyed a guided walking tour. Ida, our guide, included lots of Game of Thrones information (e.g. Kings Landing, walk of shame, etc.) because the show is so popular and our group had lots of huge fans! I've never seen the show, so all of that stuff went right over my head - maybe I'll check it out when I get back.

For the afternoon, we took a boat cruise to Lopud Island, where we had a swim stop, and Kolocep Island, where we could explore and have lunch. The water was quite cool, but very refreshing, especially since the temperature was in the high 30s with almost 100% humidity! A few groups are at the same restaurant, which was right on the waterfront and had a great view of the harbour.

The next day, 8 of us booked a sea kayaking tour... Great views of the city from the water! We also stopped mid-way for some sandwiches and a swim at a secluded beach. Then, we headed out into the sea loop around another island and head back to the start. Two of the group got seasick on the last leg of the parking adventure and our guide called to have his colleagues come pick them up in a boat - I didn't realize getting seasick happened on such a small craft, especially since the swells were fairly tame. Our guide, Dan, was great! He was knowledgeable and entertaining, plus our 3 hour tour turned into 4!

The group was pretty drained after kayaking, but I really wanted to walk the city walls - great views overlooking the city and the coast line! Denae and I were the only ones that took it on and I'm so glad we did - fantastic! That said, incredibly hot and humid, but hey, it's Croatia in the summer!!

I loved Dubrovnik, it's on par with Venice for my top places this far! I tried to find a piece of art to commemorate the experience, but I didn't come across anything that was quite right, so memories and photos will have to suffice for the time being. It's interesting that a lack of cars is a common denominator. The biggest challenge was the heat and humidity, especially when the tent was stiflingly hot by 5am!

The next morning, we started our trek north up the Dalmation Coast... Wow! Amazingly beautiful scenery! We stopped in the afternoon at Split for lunch and exploring the Palace of Diocletian, as well as street markets.

We spent the night in Seline and our campsite was right on the water. A few of us went for a nighttime swim to cool off before bed. The water was cool and refreshing, but very salty! It was great that they had a fresh water shower right at the beach.Read more