Dobra dan!

Hello family and friends. We hope this season is bringing you a load of sunshine, swollen, juicy, peaches and a leisurely way that is the promise of summer. It is only mid July and we cant complain how ours is turning out.

For any of those in the wings of planning your next big adventure, I am the new poster girl for Croatia. It helps when your spoiling husband starts off your adventure in 5 star style, where the only decisions we had to make were either swimming in the pool or jumping off the cliffs into the Adriatic sea. It was, as I call it, a “ having champagne every morning just because I could” luxury.

Pat and I and the crew all took advantage of our opportunity and cheap public transportation to explore the old city of Dubrovnik. We hiked around the top of wall, popped in and out of cathedrals, monastaries, the oldest pharmacy in europe and sat and watched as people from all over strolled along the marble streets that have been smoothed down since 700AD. It is hard to imagine that just 10 years ago this place was experiencing a bloody civil war.

So, after having spent the last month here, we made a couple of notes about Croatia. First, to see it properly, it has to be done by boat. I am not saying this to brag about having the best waterfront property every where we go…well that too, BUT, when we did venture off in a car we managed to get pulled over and ticketed each time and each time by someone whom we didn’t speak their language. I don’t know about you but I get a little foot tappy when someone is holding my passport and writing down numbers on a fast food cup with a big euro sign as a punctuation mark. But luckily, the international language is Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. So, after throwing out a few words like Pippin, Shaq and even a Kareem Abdul Jabbar (since that is probably the most recent game Pat has seen regarding basketball) he was able to talk them down each time into a lesser offence and fine.

There are so many beautiful islands and private anchorages that we agree is the real treasure of Croatia. Each one is unique of the other, for instance the one where the guests, after a startling discovery with the binoculars, decided to for-go their beach picnic bc it seemed the locals had opted for birthday rather than bathing suits. All the islands are stunning and there always seemed to be a character around the corner to throw some fun and chaos, or, in our case, a kick dance on the aft deck, into the mix…but that’s another story...that goes by the name of Goro.

My favorite part of Croatia was the market place. You want to bite into a tomato as if it was an apple and the peaches just dripped down your chin. Shopping has never been such an event. It didn’t take long to learn that the market price, I believe, fluctuates on a person to person basis, especially if you are wearing a crew tshirt with a picture of a mega yacht sprawled across the back. Pat came with me just to see if my stories were true. It is probably the closest feeling I can imagine to being on the red carpet receiving an Oscar, except it’s not Gwenyth Paltrow presenting a chocolate figure wrapped in gold foil but instead, a woman with a beard handing over a zucchini.

As for the people, I wouldn't say they are giving their smiles away for free but they were willing to talk about how proud they are of their country and the recent state of events. They also aren't too big on deodorant and as Leah found out on a crowded, hot, bus ride into town, a local woman gave the universal sign of "you stink" as she held her nose, stuck out her tongue with a thumbs down sign at the man standing above her. Sometimes it was enough to make you want to get off a stop or two early just to stretch the legs.

So much to tell, so little internet connectivity. Now its your turn to keep us posted on your happenings. TRAVEL ALERT: Any one heading out Seattle way, take warning, something must be in the water bc there is a recent influx of cute babies and proud parents around the Duwamish River area. Here's to Finn and Ashley whom luckily, aren't not old enough to have to read this. Our love to you all, Pat and Reagan