Makarska, Croatia (Dec/Jan 2023)
What a wonderful place to spend time. I cannot recommend Apartmani Lovreta and hosts Željka & Saša enough. The rooms are spacious, the kitchen well-equipped and the hosts welcoming, helpful and friendly. They even put up a little Christmas tree with lights to greet us!
After settling in, it was time to explore the town. Of course we went to the mall, but what drew us the most were the walks we could take not only along the coastline, but also inland. Being away from home over the Christmas period was difficult and I nearly flew home when my travel-mate left to spend the holiday with her son in the UK. And this is where Željka & Saša stepped in and saved the day! They invited me for Christmas lunch (and sent me home with enough food to last a week) and again for lunch on New Year’s Day (ditto with the food). I missed my family and friends terribly over this period, but now I know that being with people I love on special occasions is food for my soul.
We spent a day in Split wandering the Old Town. There’s a unique underground market here and interesting twists and turns in the walkways through the ancient buildings. Again, though, it was out of tourist season, so although we didn’t have to fight the throngs of people seen there in the summer, it did mean less was available to us.
The freedom of living in a town where it is safe for anyone to walk the streets at night, cannot be emphasised enough. To be able to quickly walk down to the local supermarket at 8 at night is something to be treasured. This is something I would NEVER consider doing in South Africa. It is simply too dangerous. So, yes, I took advantage of this feeling and often walked to the town square or the harbour at odd hours – just because I could!
There was a small Christmas market in the town square – more of a place for partying than anything else! It was here we had the privilege of watching Croatia move into the final of the 2022 Soccer World Cup! The whole town celebrated. The fact Croatia lost in the finals hardly diminished the pride Croatia displayed for their countrymen. In fact, I received a pair of Croatia soccer socks from my hosts as a Christmas gift! These are now one of the most precious things in my cupboard 🙂
New Year’s Eve was an eye-opener for me! A popular band played on stage and it was impossible to even get into the square, it was so packed with townsfolk. I danced on the sidelines and revelled along with everyone else in the magnificent fireworks display as the clock hit midnight. When you travel, time becomes confusing! When it was midnight for me in Croatia, it was still 10pm at home (if I remember correctly) so my New Year wishes were a little early, but still heartfelt.
Croatia joined the Schengen group of borderless countries on 1 Jan 2023 – bummer 🙁 However, I joyously walked my way into 2023 with nary a care.
Croatians are delightful people – so willing to help and tell you about their culture Almost every day spent there was calm and relaxed. Many speak passable English, so it is generally easy to find your way around. If I were to return to Europe, Croatia is the country I would visit more of.