Wanting to escape a poor Prague
summer, Brett and I headed for the pristine waters of Zadar, Croatia
for 10 days. Zadar is my home away from
home but this time it was even better as my parents and cousin Klaudia were
going to be there to greet us.
I hadn’t seen my parents for 6 months and
even though I knew it wouldn’t take long for dad to get on my nerves – I was
very excited!
I’ve always had mixed feelings going back
to Zadar. I don’t know whether it’s the short
fuse of the people (živčani), the respect for women and the great public
transport (note sarcasm), the thousands of tourists (was there a special airfare from
Australia this year?) that pack the streets, the old grannies (Babé) spotting
you from 100 metres away and shouting at/ordering you to buy their home-grown
produce… and don’t even get me started on the subject of customer service.
Having experienced the above on more than
one visit, in addition to the frenzy that comes along with being obligated to
visit every relative known to man, Klaudia, Brett and I made sure this time
things were going to be different. And
they were. The secret – pretend you’re a local and just go with the flow!
Zadar’s history and surroundings are
breathtakingly beautiful and if the opportunity comes up to get your butt
there, take it. However, go on the off season and perhaps take a friend to keep
you sane (Klauds – bring on 2010!).
To
sum it up, the highlights:
-
The sunsets from the Kolovare
-
Walking along the Riva and
sitting by the sea organ
-
The aesthetic history of the
city – over 3000 years old
-
Hiring a scooter and exploring the
surrounding islands
-
Catching up with my wonderful
cousins
-
Finding a gastronomic jewel,
Kaleta, on the island Preko
-
Not giving a #$%&! and being able to experience the real Croatia
Btw – it took my dad 4 days, a record.
Maria
