How I was in Croatia
I know there are edges - go, look, try.
There is such a land, there is such grass,
And there are no forests like in those places anywhere, brother, in sight.
There, stars sparkle with diamonds and fall into the mountains ....
So Croatia. Dubrovnik. July, 2010.
Initial data - rested with a friend. For both, this is the first experience of a "foreign" holiday. Both do not know the language either Croatian or, to their shame, English, except for a small set of words from the school curriculum. Looking ahead, I note that when I began to brag to my very adult son upon arrival about how dashingly I used my meager set of English, I realized from his reaction that the Croats are very tactful people. Unlike my offspring: -(( However, I'm not talking about that.
Having already paid for the trip, but while still in Moscow, after looking at the weather forecast, I was very upset, realizing that we would only be in Croatia for a week, and almost all this time our dashing weather service promised rain and cloudiness.
Considering that all this “charm” was promised to us almost every day, it is clear that this did not add optimism. However, there was nowhere to go, and we, having collected sneakers, shoes (well, so that we had something to change into when we got wet), some sweaters, rushed ...
Okay, I was smart enough not to bring windbreakers. Nevertheless, foreseeing the rains, I took about five or six books with me (which, just as virgin, I pushed back).
I will indicate right away - the purpose of the trip (significance as it decreases): just “walking” around the city along the streets - I really wanted to plunge into the atmosphere of gothic and antiquity, therefore, cognitive; bathing - in the sea, well, just generally see how people live there : -)) In other words, the rest was supposed to be quiet, calm, quiet, "chamber".
In this sense, we guessed right, because Dubrovnik is a quiet town, where there were mothers with small, small children, grandmothers with small, small children, pensioners, well, we are - a la 40-50 to the heap, and people like us: - )) The youth, although they were present, somehow did not beat them with numbers, behaved unobtrusively and did not strain. For this purpose, a small hotel was specially chosen, with rooms for 20-25, called Aquarius. I’ll say a few words about the hotel itself below, I’ll only note (by the way about youth) there was a fairly large, high-rise hotel right on the seashore right 50 meters away. And now, what is strange - until 00 o'clock, cheerful music was heard, often "live", but after the time "H" the town was immersed in silence. Which, in general, pleased.
When we were just driving to the hotel, we noticed that nature is very, very similar to Crimea - the same palm trees, cypresses, pine trees ...mountainous terrain. But it just looks like it. The difference is in the houses.
You can say in architecture, but somehow the word is not quite right, with its pomp and seriousness Toy houses, designed in the same style. Which, as it were, are stuck together with each other, and when you look from a distance, it seems that there are a lot of them, as if one merges into the other. But this is deceptive, because when you wander around the city on foot, there is no feeling of crowding, but you get the impression of some kind of “home and family”, such a small town.
Impressed by the Old City - a fortress. You can talk for a long time about the mirror pavement, about castles and automatic teleportation to antiquity, as soon as you enter the gates of this city. It seems to be somewhat reminiscent of our Arbat, there is also a wide street, a pavement, shops with souvenirs, people roam, from this street on both sides there are a lot of lanes rushing up, but unlike the Arbat, the feeling of antiquity does not leave.
Moreover, not antiquity a couple of centuries ago, but one very distant ...More than once I caught myself thinking that despite the fact that there are modern people around, boutiques, etc. , pictures from historical costumed films constantly pop up before my eyes.
On one of the tours, the guide said: “Pay attention to how in Dubrovnik women (as is customary from time immemorial) hang clothes (in the Old Town it hangs at the top, right from the windows and balconies on ropes) - you will never see hanging, say, a duvet cover , shirt, sheet, pillowcase ...All linen is hung out to dry in a certain order - a duvet cover, a sheet, a pillowcase, shirts ...in a word, as it decreases in size ...on linen and stared. : -))))
Dubrovnik is some kind of terribly ancient city, it is a pleasure to wander there.
It was a lot of fun to communicate with people without knowing any language, no one there speaks Russian, or politely (!!! ) pretends not to speak. One taxi driver, about our age, said that he knew only English, and then added in our pure language: they tortured me with Russian at school! But the Russians are still treated well. Some aunt even persuaded her girlfriend to buy beads, breaking the price of 500 kunas, and then lowering it to 50 kunas, saying that we are still “Slav brothers”, and this is only for us! Well, like they believed : -)))
Surprisingly, there is no market as such in the city. I mean the market where you can buy fruit. The strange thing is that in a city with such vegetation, fruits are even worse than in our “Five”, there are practically no vegetable tents. There is one small market in the port area. But it was discovered by accident. But, in the Old Town, until 12 noon there are rows - market ones.
Here you can buy awesome raspberries, figs, peaches, olive oil of all stripes, dried fruits and other things that you can buy at local markets until noon. After 12 everything is rolled up, washed, cleaned, and this place becomes a center of pilgrimage for tourist groups : -))
Speaking of water - as the guides assured, it is the purest in Dubrovnik, often even better in quality than bottled water, and locals drink it directly from taps and fountains (drinking fountains, of course). We also tried. Delicious and cold. Like a key. I will say right away - without consequences.
About food.
As for cafes, a separate conversation. Now I understand that those who have never been to Croatia speak about Russian hospitality.
As usual, there are a lot of cafes, literally on every corner. Most of the cuisine is Italian. Delicious food everywhere. But the portions are simply unreal. We only had breakfast at the hotel, then a combined lunch and dinner at 5 o'clock, and this was more than enough until the morning.
In one of the cafes suddenly pulled on mussels. I ordered. I got ready for the fact that now they will bring a small rosette with mussels. But, when they brought me an aquarium, three liters, with these mussels ....shied away, the first thought - maybe you need to take a few and he will carry it further along the tables ...No! He put it in front of me and stands, smiling! In another cafe, a friend ordered pasta with bolognese sauce, I ordered lasagna and a salad for two. We were just hysterical when they brought me a huge frying pan with this very lasagna, her TAZ! ! ! of this pasta with a slide and up to a heap of a tray of salad! Moreover, we are not the first, we are not the last with such a reaction, and this clearly amused the waiters themselves. By the way, such a basin, a frying pan and a tray with a glass of wine and a glass of beer cost about 800 rubles for two. This is generally the average cost of a check for two.
Of the Croatian national drinks, one can note: red wines Teran, Merlot, Cabernet, Opoplo, Plavac, Dingach and Postup, white wines Malvasia, Poship, Pinot , "Kuyundzhusha", "Zhlahtina" and "Muscat". Among the strong drinks, the most famous are Slivovitsa, Travaritsa and Lozovacha, and among the dessert drinks, Proshek and Maraschino.
This must be said separately.
The people there (well, as it seemed to us tourists) are simply amazing! The feeling that you are happy to see you everywhere and always, regardless of the thickness of the wallet. The morning began with the fact that we kneaded the muscles of the face in front of the mirror in order to respond to all those friendly, welcoming smiles. Wherever they were, the Croats behaved hospitably, unobtrusively, doing everything to make you feel at home, and I can't help but notice with what dignity they did it! Not snobbery, but dignity!
I don’t know how it is in other cities, but in Dubrovnik there was a feeling of total decency among the locals (if we talk about pickpocketing and something like that). Even the maid won't take a tip if you just put it on the bed. It must be given in hand. Otherwise, she will simply put them on the table. By the way, in a cafe, tips should also be given only in hands. Cars are standing on the street with open windows, scooters of all stripes are lined up, helmets are hanging on the steering wheel ...And nothing is attached, not chained ...
The hotel in which we rested was not guarded, come in - please. On a small area (six acres) there are tables, chairs with cushions, vases with tea and coffee bags on the tables, an open bar nearby ...When we entered it late in the evening, we wanted to buy something there, the staff was at the reception at the hotel, there was no one in the bar. No clients, no staff.
Only a bar counter, dishes and all that ...We turned to the reception, we were immediately served ...The question involuntarily arose - what if we leave the bar open like this ...?
The funny thing is that when we left, no one rushed to check the room, or count the towels, or recount the contents of the bar. Moreover, having walked around the city, already on the last day, and returning to the hotel for things, they remembered that they forgot to pay for the mineral water. They themselves reminded, paid off. Well, they wouldn't remember. Just believe and that's it.
A lot surprised. For example, the fact that with the availability and abundance of good wine, we have never seen drunk people during the entire vacation (except for one Russian). No one. As well as police officers with traffic cops. However, that doesn't mean they don't exist. Wine, I note, they have excellent, it's a pity that it was not found in our stores. And you drink and don't get drunk.
There were no urns everywhere. But the city and the beach are amazingly clean! Everywhere is clean!
Lots of fountains. With and without lights. It seemed wild that despite the heat, no one splashed in them, it seems that people, including small children, did not even think of such diving.
Another interesting fact. As the guide said, and we ourselves noticed, the Croats are inherent in some such laziness. Don't be lazy! ! ! Namely laziness. There is no fussiness, "zealousness", servility, or simply "Stakhanov's impact" : -)) No! Everything is done sedately, calmly, measuredly, very slowly, I note again - with dignity. And at the same time, what is most surprising, very good : -)))
We chose a three-star hotel, it fascinated us even on the pictures on the Internet, and did not let us down in reality. There were only 20 rooms, and not a single Russian vacationer - just lovely French, English and Danes. The staff is very pleasant. It's pleasant. As I said above - benevolent, timely and at the same time inconspicuous.
The room is small, but given that we spent the whole day in the city, it did not bother us, large areas were somehow useless. The rooms in the hotel, as I understand it, are mostly doubles. We had a room with a balcony and the view was amazing.
The location of the hotel was also good. The sea is nearby, the city center and the Old Town are also nearby. Nearby, in three minutes, a large supermarket.
Shower cubicle, uninterrupted water, minibar, which we used as a refrigerator : -), condo, beds, table, chair. What else is needed?
Cleanly. Cozy. Nicely.
As a rule, they took a bottle of wine with them and sat chatting on the balcony until late at night, sharing their impressions and emotions.
The sea is extraordinary. I heard before the trip that the sea in Croatia is cold, because it is the Adriatic.
No. It is sweet and clean. You come in gradually, after the temperature of the air it seems cold. But then…. then you want to live in it! Very clean.
You go into the water up to your chest and see the bottom with all the pebbles.
The bottom is rocky and there are sea urchins. Although they are not poisonous, the needles are painful and pulling them out is not pleasant. Therefore, you need to buy special slippers like rubber sandals. By the way, they are very funny to swim in. I still don’t understand, either because I’m wearing these slippers, or because the sea is salty, but no matter how you lie down, whether on your stomach, on your back - it throws your legs up : -) and therefore there is only one way out - stand upright, and move like a seahorse, moving with your feet : -))
July is the high season. The beaches are packed. However, if you jump at 8 in the morning, have a quick breakfast and be on the beach by 9, you can quite easily choose whatever sunbed, umbrella, etc. you want.
Probably, as elsewhere, pleasure is not cheap, but it's worth it.
We took two. One to the Old Town - where we were told the history of the city and about, again, linen, how it is hung : -)) This is the first part.
That's how they do it : -)
The second excursion from the local company "Dolores" was even more amazing - a trip through the grottoes and islands. You can talk about it for a very long time and many who are interested, I can tell separately. Here I will only say that if someone decides, it is necessary to take into account one point - a trip for the whole day. Moreover, staying essentially in one dimension - on a yacht (and it is in the sea), or you swim for about forty minutes in the open sea (which is also on the water). So, those who are at odds with the vestibular apparatus - be careful. We did not encounter this, although hanging out in the sea for forty minutes, not being able to get to the bottom (because like hedgehogs), was a little annoying. But overall, I really liked it!
And yet, a couple of days after our departure, a cable car was opened there. Vooot.
Virtually none.
Swimwear, swimming trunks, shorts. All that (one to one - from my own example! ! !
), which is sold at exorbitant prices in Moscow, it costs an order of magnitude, if not two or three, cheaper there.
They brought a lot of souvenirs. By the way, when walking around the Old Town, it is better to buy souvenirs not on a big street, but on the one to the right, narrower. Everything is the same, but much cheaper. Such is the trick.
There are only two relatively large department stores in the city itself, but somehow they didn’t choose anything for themselves.
Souvenirs are all concentrated in the Old City.
Very tasty ice cream!
Of the traditional folk products of Croatia, one can single out the beautiful lace of the Dolmatian Islands, handmade embroidery, carved wooden gizmos, wool and leather products, carpets, ceramics, national costumes and tapestries.
The most common local "souvenir" is wine (usually dry - there is a very large selection of it).
Of the strong drinks, the most famous are Travaritsa (strong liquor on herbs), Slivovitsa (on plums) and Pear (it’s also not difficult to guess where “legs grow from”). Maraschino cherry liqueur from Zadar is also popular (its big fans are British monarchs).
By the way, in front of the Old Town, with surprise and annoyance, I found a bookstore with books in Russian : -)))
Few places pay in euros. In the store and on stalls, in boutiques (not counting the Old Town, where there are crowds of tourists) only in the local currency - kunas and lats. Kuna, like our ruble (we multiply the ruble by about 6), lats are change coins. Money is changed either in banks, or in large hotels at the reception (not all), or at ATMs. Croatian banks are open daily from 8:00 to 17:00, on Saturdays until 13:00, the day off is Sunday.
MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and Visa credit cards are accepted everywhere.
And finally, about the weather.
From personal experience, I can say - do not believe the forecasts and be upset about this. And not because weather forecasters are so different, but because the climate in Croatia is very changeable.
Contrary to our expectations and to our joy, the clouds, if they did run up, then for a maximum of half an hour. It only rained once, despite the promised daily thunderstorms. And despite the 35 degree heat, it is somehow easier to bear, not like in Moscow : -)
Nice addition.
We had already boarded the bus to go to the airport when our guide cheerfully announced that our flight was delayed by three hours, but the Capital Tour company, which provided our flight, gives us a free trip to the nearby city of Cavtat so that we don’t just sit in airport. There was no choice, and after 20 minutes driving along a mountain road (the roads there are amazing and the drivers are all very careful) we ended up in the city of Cavtat, which is on the border with Croatia.
The town is even smaller than Dubrovnik, and it seems pretty, and the nature is still amazing, but they didn’t feel any warmth, sincerity. In a word, we liked it less. Maybe there was just little time and little to see? Don't know. Not impressed and did not lay down and that's it.
In general, it's great and a little pity that there are still many beautiful and untraveled countries. It's great - it's clear why, but it's a pity, because I didn't get to go earlier. So far, it feels like I would have traveled all my life to Croatia to relax
However, as she says, my other friend, who has already been to many places - in tourism, in sex - you just have to start : -))))))
A start : -))))