Let me start by saying that Croatia was never a place on our radar before we left the States. It’s not a destination we ever heard people talking about, really; European must-sees tend to congregate in the big countries like France or Italy. But now that we’ve been, we are so grateful we decided to check it out!
Out of everywhere we’ve visited this year, Croatia feels like the place that could still be wild. Although we only traveled across a small part of it (the Istrian peninsula, actually close to Venice on the Adriatic Sea), we were struck by the beauty of the landscape and the feel of less populated areas.
The city we stayed in — Rovinj — had a definite Venetian vibe, but smaller and less crowded and not so stinky.
We had planned for a week of beachy explorations and warm sunny days with ice cream. Happily we did get one of those!
But then rain and clouds moved in (and that water was cold!), so we mostly explored town and trails on foot. And one day we rented bikes for a really lovely coastal expedition.
We found crabs and urchins and snails. Great climbing rocks and caves. Natural clay deposits for sculpting. And tree-sheltered perches for watercolor sketching (with extra water effects).
We also snuck into a resort to pet their hired falcon (who keeps the sea gulls in check) and swim in their outdoor pool (guess I was wrong about it definitely being heated). And we got to be on a movie set at the docks while Salma Hayek slapped Samuel L Jackson over and over (I do not envy the guy who has to hold that fuzzy microphone over his head all day).
We feel like we left more unseen here than any other country we’ve visited, I think. It could definitely warrant an extended return trip. Who’s ready to come with us?
(Before you buy your tickets, read the next post — coming soon — about what it was like to take the train home. Always an adventure!)
Magrilless 
We would like to join your adventures. We feel like we already have 😊
What a teaser….I can’t wait to hear about the train ride home. 🤔