Author: mrsem

Thanks to the storm, we threw together an inland itinerary for our last few days in Croatia on the fly.  Instead of sunning on a sailboat, we flew to the Capital city of Zagreb and spent a lovely day full of museum hopping there. From Zagreb, I hatched a plan to rent a car and…

With the storm bearing down on Croatia, we were nearly trapped out on the island of Korcula. There was just one ferry out, and it left at 6:00 am from Vela Luka, almost an hour on the other side of the island. We made it on to the crowded ship packed with other “refugees” and…

I would have loved to stay in Korcula a bit longer, even with the storm. This island was a concentration of everything that makes Croatia so great: friendly people, overwhelming hospitality, beautiful landscapes, clear water and historic architecture. Basics Our apartment in Korcula was the best airbnb experience! From the moment Marina picked us up…

(We have just arrived in Chicago today for our last week of travel before heading back to San Francisco. While I wrap up the Croatian reports, I would love your recommendations on things to see and places to eat here!) We had planned to only stay one night on Korcula, but the storm cancelled our…

I was so excited to throw a dinner party in Korcula! Our wonderful apartment host was invited to be the guest of honor. After seven weeks of cooking on the road, I was thrilled to see that she had real kitchen with an oven and a gas range. First step, wake up early. The green…

A big storm was blowing in to Korcula in the evening. With our last warm and non-rainy morning, we rented bikes and headed out for adventure. The ride from Korcula Town to Lumbarda is just about 4 miles, but the rolling hills do make it a little challenging. Our first stop was the rocky lighthouse…

We were originally planning to sail for a few days on a chartered boat between the Croatian islands, but stormy weather led us to cancel and switch to ferry instead. We left Split on the 4:00 catamaran that stops at Hvar on the way to Korcula (pronounced “Core-chew-lah”). Tickets were only $7 each! The ferry…

Dubrovnik is so, so pretty…but I have to admit that I liked Split a bit more. We were only in the city for three days and two nights. Where Dubrovnik is strictly tourist, Split combines ancient history and tourist sites with real local life and good food. It’s a little rougher around the edges. Basics…

The Palace area of Split is so dense with history and hidden streets that taking a guided walking tour is almost required to understand it. We hadn’t done any official tours on this trip up to this point but signed up for the one euro, Penny Walking Tour. Our guide spent 90 minutes showing us…

We explored Split in reverse: the country and natural part first and then the historic palace core. Our first day, we headed off along the embarcadero waterfront west of the city. Like Bodrum, it is easy to tell that Split is a city that makes a living on the sea. There are busy marinas dotting…