Musings On My Italy & Croatia Trip

I returned from Italy and Croatia a little over two months ago and I have been reliving the wonderful memories ever since. With the ebbing and resurgence of the latest Covid variant I know people are shaking their heads as to whether travel is worth the trouble. My answer is, OH YES DEFINITELY!! If you are fully vaccinated and can navigate the masking rules at home those same rules apply when you travel. It is exhilarating to be able to have an adventure and feel almost normal. It is a breath of fresh air to lighten the anxiety load!!

When I was traveling with my fabulous group of indomitable friends we had so many fantastic experiences that only traveling can allow. We arrived on a brilliantly sunny day in Rome and were able to explore the beautiful history of the City, have a delicious lunch, drink wonderful wine, and taste yummy gelato. That evening I arranged for us to have a private progressive dinner passeggiata (promenade) walking tour through Trastevere, the bohemian food area. We all had a spectacular time sampling a variety of different local delicacies paired with wonderful local wines. Good thing we were walking to burn a few calories to make room for the next course. On day two we boarded our sleek sailing yacht, the Windsurf, which was our home for the next eight nights. We toasted our good fortune of being able to travel with some delicious sparkling wine as we progressed out into the Mediterranean on our way to the picturesque Amalfi Coast and Sicily. There we explored and experienced the beauty and quality of life in Positano, Sorrento and glorious Taormina. There was plenty of hiking, walking and yes, still plenty of time to enjoy the pasta, gelato flavors and more good wine!! While we were anchored the back of the ship would open to have a water sport platform from which we could participate in many water activities. All such great fun. While you are on vacation you can put aside all of your 2020 and 2021 anxieties and just enjoy the moment!!

Several days into our Windsurf trip we arrived in the gorgeous walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Sailing and anchoring in the port is a glorious way to arrive. Once on shore we met up with my friend and our guide, Lela, who was our guide for most of our time in Croatia. We explored this fabulous destination by walking and climbing the well preserved 16th century wall. We lunched at the gourmet Arsenal restaurant feasting on local foods and toasting our good fortune with terrific wine. The next day found us on the island of Korcula where we hiked the by ways and vineyards culminating in a marvelous al fresco lunch at a small private farm where we feasted on local fire roasted meats and home grown salads and breads all washed down with yet more local wine. Luckily we were getting in so much exercise that we needed all this good local fare to keep up our stamina!!

For those into The Game of Thrones our next day in Split was a treat. We visited Diocletian's palace which was the venue for many scenes in the HBO series. The history of this palace, the emperor and the City itself were fascinating. Doing a lot of walking gave us an appetite....good thing because our al fresco seafood lunch and wine tasting was a relaxing respite. In Split we bid goodbye to our friend, Lela, and sailed off to the beautifully picturesque town of Rovinj. I never get tired of visiting any of these places as one is more beautiful and interesting than the next and there is always something new to experience. In Rovinj I arranged for a biking tour of the country outside of town. We hopped on our electric assisted bikes and off we went for a 35 km ride. What a great way to see the surroundings and get a local experience. Walking, hiking and biking are great ways to immerse yourself in the local experience and to feel more like a traveler and less like a tourist who never gets to be part of the native life.

After yet another full day of Croatian life we sailed across the Adriatic to Venice. Ah, the beauty of this wonderful City never disappoints and sailing into the Grand Canal at sunrise is an amazing experience. We spent our last full day exploring and visiting many of the historic and artistic locations. Spending our final night in a jewel of a palazzo hotel on the Grand Canal. In the garden we toasted our good fortune of being able to be pioneer travelers and savoring our great moments from this glorious trip.

Don't wait to travel folks...plan your next holiday adventure now. If you are healthy and vaccinated the world is a safe place. Be careful so that you can enjoy the many exciting places around the world...either domestic or international.

Let me help you curate your next trip!

Joyful travels,

Nancy