Split - Final destination for our travel companions Iz & Ali

Split, Croatia. This is probably one of my favourite places to reminisce, for many of the same reasons as our previous locations. However, this one has so many perfect memories attached: memories of amazing friends, in a city of grand history and stunning views.

The first treasure of the trip was the catch up that we managed to orchestrate with the inspiring and ever encouraging Tim Belcher. He only enriched the gorgeous town even more, as we dined and caught up on our adventures. The nightlife was an absolute buzz! Crowds of people were swarming the main strand as we weaved our way through to find some of the best gelato after our European dinner. It didn’t take long to locate the gelato, however, it did take a little longer to choose the flavours… there were so many!

Scouting out a perfect swimming spot is a refined skill that I believe we have now mastered, after proving ourselves along the coast of Split. We found ourselves this abandoned concrete surface with a small bridge providing us with a jumping/lookout platform. The day could not have been more enjoyable. Hours of soaking in the sun, laughing our heads off, and trying too many times to capture golden moments. It was totally worth it – we got some cracking shots on the camera. These are in particular some of my favourite photos, as for once my husband actually features in them, rather than being the man behind them (unashamed self credit for the glorious photographs).

No doubt, it has evidently become expected that I will eventually go on to describe our dining experience… this one was bloody good! We were recommended by our accommodation hosts to go to a particular restaurant that was hidden in the backstreets of the Old Town. After getting lost in alleyways, we finally stumbled across a stunning little open restaurant that was subtly complimented with fairy lights, purple checker tablecloths and art pieces hanging on the concrete walls. We forked out a little more for this meal, but I would do it all over again, and again, and again!

The mouth-watering seafood that was cooked by the open fire was presented just in time, before the amazing aromas drove us to starvation. We feasted and then raved about the fantastic feasting for the remaining of the night. It did not end here. Nay! The insatiable appetite of my husband and the sweet-hearted/sweet-toothed Ali decided that they were going on a “dessert crawl”. We went from one dessert stand to the next on the main strip, and purchased the aromatic cinnamon doughnuts, Nutella crepes, coconut and hazelnut gelato….

Summer loving, at its best!

Unfortunately, this was the last destination that our amazing travel companions Iz and Ali will be joining us on.  From here we dropped them at the airport in the morning and said our goodbyes :( and continued on our coastal road trip to Rovinj.  This next post is a real treat!!!

Hvar - opulence VS rustic wonders

By the time we reached our third destination, our minds were made up that Croatia was a country of immeasurably beautiful landscapes. The second island we stopped at was Hvar (still not sure how to pronounce it), and it was, yet again, such a treasure. We arrived at the ferry port and drove towards our campsite. The set up was fantastic; there were orange orchids providing shade for the tents, which lay about 100m away from a gorgeous bay, where families were playing water-sports and enjoying the sunshine. Our location was about 20mins away from the city centre, which was just perfect! The local restaurant provided for a stunning sunset view as we watched the colours fade from purple-pink shades to a bright dark-blue.

A trek to the city centre was a must, and we had a very different experience from the rustic Dubrovnik. Here, the wealthy boathouse owners parked their sea-mansions and enjoyed their lunch on the deck whilst everyone envied their bikini bodies and their money flaunting lifestyles. It was a laugh, but also a very intriguing European Hollywood.

The sun was scorching hot and almost became unbearable, until we planted ourselves on some rocks and inhabited the water for quite some time. Now, reminiscing of it all, my heart throbs for the warmth as I sit under a blanket with thick socks and granny slippers on!

The highlight of the trip was making our way into a small village, where it almost seemed impossible that there would be any civilians. There were war-torn buildings and overgrown fields, which suddenly gave way to gorgeous, quaint houses and stone structures. We weaved our way through them until we found some hand painted signs directing us towards our restaurant, Konoba Dvor Dubokovic. Via a small alleyway, we came to our wooden-doored, stone-floored, open windowed, family restaurant where we were waited upon by the owner and his son. There was laughter, wine, overwhelming views of the countryside, and lets not forget the food!! The son of the owner came and made us all laugh as he told us wild stories of his adventures and his family’s history, including their move to New Zealand, which gave Tim a big head start on us all in terms of winning them over. We left with full tummies and happy hearts.

Next stop: Split.