I go lots of places. Never do I return without enthusiasm and accolades.
But I’ve been home for ten days and my passion has not waned. The place? Croatia! I want to go back.
I’m writing a story about my most recent experiences. It’s not yet ready for publication . . . but I’m filled with passion and feel compelled to share a sampling of fabulous photos from the back-to-back charters of a beautiful small ship, cruising the Dalmatian archipelago between Dubrovnik and Split . . .
Leaving Dubrovnik on a week-long chartered cruise along the sunniest coastline in Europe – and through the cleanest waters I’ve ever seen … anywhere!
It’s a “wow” – for sure!
A classic photo – from the top of the hill overlooking the rooftops of Dubrovnik. Another “wow”!
I have many similar photos – old men on benches, watching the world go by on a lazy afternoon. What do you think they’re talking about? Gabriel tried to infiltrate this bunch – but they were having none of it!
Captain of his own ship!
I managed to capture a rare moment when someone wasn’t soaking up the sunshine on the top deck of our beautiful ship.
Our Captain made swim stops every day – dropping anchor in one gorgeous little cove after another, where we’d take the zodiac to the pebbly beach and chill . . .
Didn’t take much prodding to get everyone to do the famous “wow” pose!
A typical day in Dalmatia: I was sitting at a seaside cafe, sipping a refreshing glass of local Grk wine when this sweet old lady came out on her terrace with her cat to survey the scene . . .
Does it get any more adorable? Local kids being irresistible – selling sweet treasures to the tourists!
I was sitting in the dining room of the ship when I noticed the reflection of the chandeliers in my sunglasses!
I stalked these two beautiful people for two weeks straight! That’s our Captain, Denis, and his beautiful wife, Anja.
Lavender fields, forever – with my friend, Gloria! (My suitcase still smells of the stuff … heavenly!)
On the second week’s voyage, a new group of WOWees enjoyed a soak in the same gorgeous lake on the island of Mljet – with the same enthusiastic “wow”!
Even though the food onboard our ship was fabulous, it was nice to be able to dine alfresco in several of the lovely ports where we overnighted! This beautiful group dinner was at Filippi’s in Korcula.
There’s a bigger story attached to this moment . . . to be published in a future blog post. For now, I’ll let you use your imagination!!
How do you say “YUM” in Croatian? We gorged on fresh, fresh mussels – sauteed in seawater, olive oil, garlic, and onion – with a sprinkling of parsley. OMG . . .
Come on … who WOULDN’T want to take a ride with this handsome sailor??
Golden Horn (Zlatini Rat) on the island of Bol – the shape of the beach changes according to the wind and tides!
Mine! All mine!!!
On one of the few rainy days (just a brief morning shower), we explored Diocletian’s Palace in Split, built in the year 305. No admission fee … as it’s been lived in by local people for centuries!
I had a broken blood vessel in my eye – a perfect excuse to dress like a pirate for the Captain’s Party! Aaarrggghhh!
The ship’s menu was based on whatever the fishermen brought in. Plus, the chef went ashore to get us freshly baked bread every morning. All of us were spoiled rotten and are having difficulty adjusting . . .
This barber is a self-proclaimed social media celebrity in a tiny town, on a remote island. There’s a very special story attached to this photo, too: A courageous, gutsy woman in my group – diagnosed with a rare cancer – was determined to come on this journey: NO MATTER WHAT! And since it was exactly two years before that I had my own scary diagnosis – it was a tender and emotional moment when she chose to get her head shaved . . .
There they are again – Croatia’s most photogenic couple!
Scenes like this almost got to be so routine as to make me question, “Don’t I already have enough beautiful photos like this?” (I say “almost” ….)
Could it get any better?? A hot tub on the top deck . . . COME ON!!!
A panorama as we pulled in to the pier . . . every port was prettier than the one before!
More old men on a bench. They were absolutely charming! I asked one of them to adopt me . . . but it was lost in translation!
Normally I could care less about soccer – but we all got caught up in World Cup fever. Bummed that they lost in the final round . . . 🙂
Someone asked me what I loved most about Croatia, and why it had so impacted me. Of course, the beauty, diversity, and wonderful people. They’re down to earth; not the least bit pretentious. Food, shopping, photography opportunities. Swim stops in the crystal-clear Adriatic. But one aspect of Croatian culture that I especially appreciated is tradition. It’s a small country – in population and size, about the same as West Virginia – and they are very family-oriented. People know each other – or they know somebody who knows somebody. And – the fact that we chartered a ship and got to know the Captain and crew like family . . . truly enhanced our experience and deepened our appreciation.
So – here’s the deal. We would LOVE to charter a yacht again for a WOW! Travel Club adventure in 2019. Availability for the deluxe vessels is already tight – but we’ve got some connections that could make it happen … but only if we’re confident that we can sell out. (We only need 30 people!!) Last year, we filled up in a flash. This year – for some inexplicable reason – only 20 people took advantage of this incredible travel opportunity. As you can imagine, it’s a significant financial hit to operate a full charter with empty staterooms!
Croatia is still relatively unspoiled, as defined by my Starbucks test. (I did not see a single Starbucks – anywhere!) There are not many large hotels. Big cruise ships are limited. Any country that advances to the World Cup Finals gets a big promotional boost and adds to that country’s appeal. So I don’t want to wait.
Let me know ASAP – if you are seriously interested for next summer. Share with friends and family (but only if they’re WOW-worthy travelers, please: flexible, fun and respectful). If I get enough serious interest, I’m going to commit to chartered once again. FYI, this year’s cruise price was only $3,995 per person for an almost-all-inclusive package (transfers, unlimited wine, excursions, and even gratuities!) The only extras were airfare and a few meals. SUCH a value!
Come on . . . don’t miss the boat!!
p.s. I suppose you want to know what other amazing WOW journeys we’re planning for 2019. Here’s the list: New Zealand (March), Puglia (May), Kenya (September), India (November) – plus Armenia (autumn) and Ethiopia (November).
Comments? Are you coming along?? (comment below, email me, call, text, What’sApp, Facebook message me …. but let me know!)
10 Comments
Sommers Joey July 14, 2018 at 9:38am
Wow! Is right! Our first trip and we loved it! Thank you all!
Joey and Bill
Karen July 14, 2018 at 10:26am
Marilyn,
This was my second trip to Croatia and I am working on going back on our Black Swan. It was a perfect trip all around with you, Livio, Ana and Denis making our visit so memorable.
Love, hugs and heartfelt thanks,
Karen K
Mary Tadic July 14, 2018 at 11:14am
I’m interested in 2019 please let me know the details
Thanks
Andi Espina July 14, 2018 at 12:54pm
I saw 2 of our friends on the bow of the ship!!Andi
Felice July 15, 2018 at 12:51am
Ethiopia calls for sure, and I was going to look for a photo expedition – but keep me posted!
Marilyn July 15, 2018 at 4:33pm
Yes – we will!
Max Landon July 18, 2018 at 11:13am
Marilyn, A last minute decision that ended up a dream come true. A beautiful country, magnificent yacht, and the best group possible. My morning coffee on the fan tail watching the world come alive lowered my blood pressure and almost made me a kinder gentler person. Once again WOW worked its magic. Thanks Max and Marlene
Marilyn July 18, 2018 at 11:25pm
You guys are two of my all-time favorite travelers! So glad you made the decision to hop aboard at the last minute. It’s never too late for a magnificent adventure!!
Hilda Haigazian July 19, 2018 at 11:49pm
Another amazing WOW trip, had a great time on beautiful “Black Swan” (dream come true) in magnificent Croatia with family and friends and best of all we made many new wonderful friends. Thank you Merilyn and Gabriel for another unforgettable trip.
Hugs
Hilda
Christopher Klein August 7, 2018 at 12:18pm
Really interested in your trips, but might not be able to schedule until 2020. Wife retires June, 2019, but have two Viking Cruises already scheduled for July/ August and December, 2019. Just returned from a Danube Cruise with Uniworld. Especially like the fact you assist with airfare from the US as we live in a rural area, the closest airport is Reno,NV so we usually depart from LAX or Las Vegas. The Croatia trip sounds wonderful, but we are interested in all continents.