Wanderlust Wednesday #17

Hi there!

Do any of you ever get the feeling that 50% of your Instagram feed is traveling to one place? Last year it felt like half of Instagram was in Puerto Rico and this year it feels like Cuba. Actually, I feel like every day I open up Instagram, someone new is in Cuba. I love seeing the pictures though and love it even more when people have stories to tell and useful tips.

Today’s #WanderlustWednesday is a country I’ve seen come up on my feed quite a few times this year, and one that’s sitting pretty on my bucket list waiting for me to cross it off – Croatia. If you woke me up from sleep and asked me to describe this Eastern European nation in one word, I would say breathtaking. That’s how I feel when I scroll through photos.

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I just subscribed to Scott’s Cheap Flights, and you should too if 1) you’re flexible with dates, time and countries and 2) you’re looking for your next bargain vacation. A few days ago, I got an email for a $300 round-trip ticket to Rome from Miami. My jaw would have been on the floor if possible. Did I book it? No, because I wasn’t interested in it at that moment. But I know that a booking based on Scott’s emails has been written in the stars for me.

Before you ask, no it’s not a scam. There are great deals all the time if you have the time and patience to look. Scott does.

The point of this sidebar about Scott’s cheap flights is this; if I ever see a ridiculous deal for Croatia in my inbox, it will be difficult to think twice.

Croatia

This stunning country is bordered by both Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and is separated from Italy by the Adriatic sea.

What I want to do: 1)Tour the city of Dubrovnik: I’m one of those people that would be on the Game of Thrones tour because it’s my favorite show and I want to see where Cersei did her walk of the shame. Haha. But besides that, Dubrovnik looks like a city straight out of medieval times, complete with fortresses that overlook the Adriatic sea.

2) Visit the island of Brač: How do you visit a country like Croatia without visiting the beach? Answer: You don’t. Even if you’re not a beach lover like I am, I think the views alone are enough to warrant a visit. The island of Brač is one of Croatia’s many islands and features a lush white pebble beach called Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape).

3) Sail on the Adriatic Sea:After planes, my favorite means of transportation is by boat/ship. I’m always excited to hop on a boat to anywhere; it’s why I like cruises so much. One of the most popular activities I see in pictures from Croatia is sailing. I’ll lay out on the deck with a pretty scarf around my hair while I exclaim about how blue the water is. What is it about the sea that I cannot get tired of it?

What I want to see: 1) Plitvice lakes: Located in a national park of the same name, the Plitvice lakes are a collection of 16 lakes surrounded by several waterfalls. Sadly, swimming is not allowed in any of the lakes, so I’d have to settle for just looking. I can’t say I’d be too bothered by that.

2) The Pula Amphitheatre: Architectural feats of this nature will never cease to amaze me. Think the Colosseum in Rome; although the Pula is a lot less run-down.

3) Diocletian’s palace: Built as a protective fortress for the city, this structure is actually not an uninhabited building. Diocletian’s palace is filled with shops, restaurants, and even people’s homes! It’s so big that it covers half the city of Split. 

What I want to eat: 1) Black risotto: Supposedly a must-try dish in Croatia, this risotto (also called crni rizot) gets its black color from squid ink. Now I’m a fan of risotto, but squid ink? There’s a first time for everything.

2) Fritule: Is it me or do a lot of nations have some kind of pastry that’s equivalent to Nigerian puff-puff? I’m not complaining though because I’m a sucker for puff-puff. The Croatian fritule is made with raisins and alcohol and is either drizzled with chocolate or sprinkled with sugar.

I know that there’s so much more to see and do in Croatia, and if I could write about all of it, I would. However, I think I would much rather see for myself. Have any of you visited Croatia? Would you like to? Let me know in the comments.

As always, 

keep dreaming & thank you for reading!

Photos without credit are “free to use” stock photos.

I’m always looking for photos to feature as part of #WanderlustWednesday. If you’d like your work to be featured, email me at hello@samefootprints.com. 

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Same footprints, different sands