Zadar Airport

So returning to the “surprise” story… Paul got back from his trip to visit his parents on the Cape on the 2nd of September. A few days after he got back, (early morning—before coffee) I commented, “You know, you should get your haircut before we leave so you don’t have to suffer at the hands of a Croatian barber.” (See the photo of the barbershop on the streets of Split, lol!)

Yup, just like that I slipped (like Curtis on our call) and there was no one around to ad-lib and cover this time. The surprise was out of the bag…I had to confirm that we were going to Croatia for his birthday. However, that's not the end of the story. Remember that guidebook hidden under the pillow in my office?

Paul sat on it that day and when I wasn’t looking, dug it out to see what was under the pillow. So way back in June, he discovered the destination and he'd been playing along for ages (knowing full well that Croatia was the destination!) I wouldn’t even tell our good friends where we were headed in case someone slipped! So much for a secret destination!

Today we woke to thunderstorms and pouring rain…not a good omen. Things deteriorated at the airport when the “7-seater plus 2 large bags” rental turned out to have two children’s jump seats!! Ugh! False advertising by Booking.com? Some “fudging/dishonesty” on the part of the rental company? Who knows… in the end, after an hour and long calls to Booking.com we took it because there were no other options. Someone will have to be squished for segments of our road trip on Saturday. Travel can definitely be stressful and unpredictable…

The car rental delay and rain prompted us to drive straight to Zadar (skipping Trogir and other cute towns along the coast). Of course, this just means we’ll have to come back!

We’re happy with our accommodation in the old town of Zadar (a studio apartment with a kitchenette/living space/ bedroom, and 2 spacious rooms) all on one floor. The open plan means all six of us can sit around the kitchen table for a birthday toast and cribbage!

Due to a delay in Amsterdam, Alex and Yana missed their connection in Zagreb and didn’t arrive until 11 pm; we will officially start the celebrations tomorrow!Read more