Spontaneously Abroad Part II: Croatia

Saturday was our first (and sadly, only) full day in Zadar, Croatia. Since Zadar is a pretty small town--at least, sight-seeing wise--we had a pretty small itinerary: ride on a boat, visit one of the surrounding islands, and soak up the warm sunny weather.

Lizzie went for a run when she woke up, and I went for a walk having forgotten my running sneakers, so we separately explored the little Old Town and the waterfront in the daylight. After breakfast, we set off to find out more about the surrounding islands at one of the tourist information desks so we could make informed decisions about our mini-holiday.

The Greeting to the Sun when the solar-powered lights are turned off

However, we forgot one important thing: we were visiting Croatia in the off-season.

I've never visited anywhere in the off-season, but it makes a huge difference. Cafés and restaurants were serving different menus (no more smoothies or huge ice cream sundaes), hostels cost less money, the locals stop speaking English, and tourist information desks were completely closed until even warmer weather once more rolled around.

Consequently, Lizzie and I were totally lost. After some wandering, we managed to find a building where they were selling ferry tickets. Although we tried to communicate to the grumpy old ticket vendor that we wanted to visit one of the more popular day-trip islands, he just shoved two ferry schedules at us (conveniently written completely in Croatian...) and made us move so that the locals in line behind us could buy their tickets. Lizzie and I eventually decided to just buy tickets to Preko and see what happened.

The ferry ride to our mysterious Preko destination was only half an hour long, but I loved it. I love being on the water.

On the boat, heading towards Preko

Preko ended up being a little town on the big island not too far offshore from Zadar. I would say that 98% of the other people on the ferry with us were locals who live or work in Preko. There was only one other elderly couple who looked as if they were tourists (the big fancy cameras around their necks tipped me off, so I'm pretty sure they weren't locals). However, the island ended up being absolutely gorgeous, so Lizzie and I weren't complaining. Even better, the ferry tickets only cost 30 kuna roundtrip for each of us! That might sound like a lot of money, but just know that 1 euro equals 7.6 kuna, so actually 30 kuna only amounted to less than 4 euro. In Strasbourg, they sell sandwiches that are more expensive than a round-trip ferry ticket! Croatia was quite cheap.

Although Preko turned out to be a very non-touristy, it was still beautiful. The little beaches were full of sea glass shards, so Lizzie and I had fun collecting handfuls of sea glass. We strolled past the little marina full of sailboats and little motor boats, and we spent a good while staring at a little private island just meters offshore and contemplating how it would be to live on a private island.

We also took a little hike up one of the hillsides, and came across this gorgeous view of the island. The locals who were outside were extremely friendly, and even though they couldn't speak English, we played some great charade games where they would guide us with Croatian words and wild hand gestures to a good view.

Lizzie and I ended up hiking for a good while up in the hills (and we found out why whatever island Preko is located on is nicknamed the Olive Island), and when we turned around, we grabbed some lunch and caught our ferry back to Zadar. A quick side note: there are a ton of stray cats in Croatia! We encountered 6 different cats just while eating lunch!

The sunset in Zadar is known to be absolutely stunning, so Lizzie and I made sure we were around for that. We bought some ice cream and just sat and talked in the ruins that are randomly located in the center of Old Town, waiting for the sun to set.

One of the things we discussed was what Zadar reminded us of. Personally, the town reminded me of a strange mix of Greece due to all the ruins and the green-yet-also-sorta-desert flora (although I've never been to Greece) and blue-sky beaches (like Miami Florida?) yet not too touristy, way more classy, and there was no sand (so definitely not Miami), and with a touch of tropical (perhaps a little St. Martin-esque?). At any rate, Zadar was its own place with it's own feeling, and I loved it.

The sunset did not disappoint, either. It was gorgeous, like they said it would be. We were strolling along the waterfront as we watched the sun just melt behind the far-off island hills so fast.

Lizzie went back early, but I stayed out and sat by the Sea Organ, just walking and thinking and people-watching. Listening to the music of the Sea Organ and the waves lapping the stone pathways was more relaxing than anything I've done in a while. While I was sitting by the Greeting to the Sun as darkness slowly settled, a formation of six powerful jet planes roared across the sky in formation and attracted all the other tourists' attentions for a few minutes. A little later, at dusk, a wedding party came to take pictures on the Sea Organ. It was such a nice night to be out in the relative warmth (it only got up to about 72 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, but that's still a lot better than the  current 50-degrees highs of Strasbourg!).

Sunday morning was only a half day, and the same European rule about absolutely nothing being open seems to apply to Croatia as well. Lizzie and I had wanted to climb the tower of St. Donat Sunday morning, but it was closed along with every other shop in the Old Town. However, the two of us ended up lying out on the pier after breakfast, just talking or reading or enjoying the warm sun, the only other sounds being the gentle hum of the Sea Organ in the distance, the chirping of the birds, and the quiet roll of the waves.

The view from the hostel window

I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing morning, and it was the perfect setting to plow through a few pages of Germinal, although I admit to spending more time watching boats lazily sail past on the sparkling water than actually reading.

Unfortunately, our flight back to Baden-Baden left at 2:30 p.m., so we had to reluctantly leave too early on. Even the flight held some beauty, though, because Lizzie and I made sure to claim a window seat and we flew over these gorgeous mountains. At one point during the flight, I glanced out the window and saw snowy mountain peaks jutting through the clouds and I just loved it. I'm pretty sure we were flying over Switzerland at that point. Obviously I'm a big fan of pictures taken from plane windows, but honestly, when will I ever again be up at such heights to see such impressive views?

Flying over Switzerland?

 

I ended up getting back to chilly Strasbourg by dinner time, and then the holiday was over for sure. It was amazing that just yesterday I was in Croatia! Even though we didn't do as much as I usually do when I'm on holiday, it was the perfect amount for a relaxing weekend. And I now know Lizzie herself so much better! Overall, the spontaneous trip worked out excellently, and I'm so glad I threw a little caution to the wind to experience it.