Well I have returned from my Easter Holiday in Croatia and it was completely amazing. I can certainly attest to the rumor that the Dalmatian Coast is the new Mediterranean hotspot to vacation. If you ever get a chance to explore that region, do it. I think it is most appropriately described as a mixture of the rockiness of Greece, ancient Roman ruins of Italy, and beauty of the South of France. Good deal right?
We signed up for our first college age group trip, "euro adventures", and took a gamble as to what kind of kids would be on the trip. After all, Europe is about meeting lots of random people right? Wrong. Good thing we knew about 90% of the people on the bus and of those 90, about 75% go to Wisconsin and are studying in Rome as well...figures I would good all the way to Rome, sign up for a trip to Croatia, and travel there with everyone I already know. The first day was not so fun. We took a 5 hour bus ride to the coastal town of Ancona (during which we drove through the mountainous L'Aquilla region...so sad). At around 9:30pm we boarded an overnight ferry to the Croatian coast. Oh and don't worry, there were no beds or couches, just chairs...fml. Around 6 in the morning we arrived in Croatia where we had to get on yet another 3 hour bus ride to Split. Needless to say, once we arrived in Split finally, we spent the rest of the day asleep on the beach. Later that night we went to a tiny restaurant recommended to us by some locals. Great decision. Split it a seafood lover's dream town.
The next morning, we awoke early and boarded a ferry to the small island of Hvar, one of the most beloved locations on the Dalmatian Coast. I can completely see why. It was sooo beautiful. The entire island smelled like lavender and was filled with coral jewelry. We found a closed down resort (closed until high season in May!) and claimed a spot on their pontoon like docks that jutted out into the water...perfect tanning location. Throughout the day, we hiked around the island, saw many giant villas...all the usual beach island activities. Later that evening, we went back to split (don't worry, our stupid roommates from Syracuse, Mark and Kyle, missed the last ferry back and had to spend the night roughing it on Hvar. You would almost feel bad for them if they could only remove their neon Nike dunks, Tommy Bahama shorts, and man tank tops and be only slightly less offensive to everyone they meet...There is just nothing worse than Man Japs). That night we explored Split some more, went out for some drinks, and called it an early night again. The Mediterranean sun really wears you out.
The third day we did some real hiking around Split. The city itself is nestled amongst the ruins of Emperor Diocletian's leisure Palace from circa 300 a.d. The entire city is also a UNESCO protected site. It was Easter Sunday so most everything was closed. We explored the city and then took to the hills. We climbed to what seemed to be the highest point in the region. Obviously on our way down we found a cafe where we decided to sit. I had the freshest lemonade of my life. We got some lunch later on, then hung by the water until we had to meet up with the group and begin the long journey home overnight. The ferry back was actually a nice ferry. We were able to upgrade to a cabin overnight which was sooo much more civilized. I arrived back in Rome Monday afternoon. I now have to go work on several term papers and thesis statements. I only have 29 days left but it looks like many of those are actually going to be filled with work...ugh go figure.
Amalfi Coast in two weeks! Can't wait!
Best, Lauren
Music of the week:
Two Points - Deb Talan (lead singer of the Weepies!)
Love Sex Magic - Ciara ft. Justin Timberlake (find the music video..oh my god, out of control!)
Steeve McQueen - Sheryl Crow
In a Manner of Speaking - Nouvelle Vague (the #1 played song on my itunes)
Summertime - Beyonce ft. P. Diddy
I don't Trust Myself with Loving You - John Mayer
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