Thoughts from Croatia

We are absolutely exhausted, running ourselves into the ground here in Croatia, trying to absorb all we can of this incredible country, while also planning our upcoming travel to Italy.  After about a month on the road, we have spent time in three countries, and more or less identified our rhythm of travel (about a week per medium-sized country, without trying to cram in so many activities that they all run together).  We are tired, but thoroughly enjoying ourselves and not straying too far from the budget.  Fortunately, we have been healthy and happy and have encountered a multitude of amazing people. 

I write this post from the lodging my sister refers to as our "Soviet flophouse", which is a rather harsh description of the shabby-chic, well-located and (kind of) sturdily-built apartment we booked ahead, which firmly falls under the category of "looked better online"....  At least we didn't fork over large quantities of cash for it.  And, as Mia's boyfriend Patrick pointed out, it could have been worse.  

On a lighter note, I don't think I have seen this much sun since we stayed in Mexico, about a year ago.  It isn't warm enough to swim in the cerulean Adriatic sea, but we can at least put our feet in and lounge around while wearing a light jacket.  We have been exploring Split and Trogir for the last five days, and tomorrow will take a ferry to one of the nearby islands for a day trip.  Tuesday my parents, Mia and Patrick will head back to Tuebingen, Germany, and Harold and I will take a ferry to Italy, where we will spend a couple of weeks before making our way slowly along the coasts of France and Spain to arrive in Morocco. We still can't really believe we have actually embarked on the trip we have been planning for so long, and although we are revising the itinerary as we go along, it has absolutely been a dream come true so far.  Happy honeymoon to us!

The following are scenes from around Split, an ancient Roman port on the Dalmatian coast.  Brace yourselves for large quantities of photos of Croatia- we just cannot stop snapping away at this breathtaking country.....

Visiting early Christian churches and hermitages on the Marjan peninsula in Split- there were tons of people out cycling, playing soccer, rock climbing, strolling and taking in the sunshine.  Locals often smile and wave, or offer to help if we appear confused, which is frequently the case...