Rovinj, Croatia

First, let me just premise these next posts by saying if you haven't been to Croatia, shame on you. When Kyle (the BF) and I told people about our next trip, we received many reactions along the same lines:

"Oh...Croatia? Where's that?"

"What's in Croatia?"

"Is there anything to do in Croatia?"

"That's spelt with a K, right?"

That last comment really made me question how much faith I put in the people at my bank, considering I do trust them with my savings on a daily basis. Overall, it did amaze me how little people knew about Croatia considering the overwhelming beauty of the country. However, this lack of curiosity won't last long. Give it ten years, and tourists will be flocking here faster than you can say Dubrovnik. If you are one of the lucky few who manage to beat this rush, I guarantee you will fully appreciate its authenticity and understand why the country is the new Italy, but better.

ROVINJ


After flying into Pula, we decided to take a day trip up to Rovinj. This was the second Croatian city on the agenda, and after spending the previous night watching the Spain vs. Croatia Euro Cup game, our livers were slightly worse for wear. Despite the hangover, we dragged ourselves out of bed and hopped on a bus up to Rovinj. I took advantage of the 45 minute ride to take a quick power nap, while Kyle kept himself amused in other ways:

With myself fully rested and Kyle overjoyed he managed to snap that glorious photo of me, we arrived in Rovinj and began wandering. The city is known as a fishing port and a tourist destination, but even though you could notice the travelers walking around, they were never overwhelming. This meant you could fully enjoy the authenticity of the city, without having fifty people selling useless crap that no one will ever need. We spent some time getting lost in the side streets, wandering up to the church on top of the hill and snapping more photos.

All that walking makes one thirsty, of course, so we hit up a small bar right by the water. The location was picture perfect, with small tables and cushions set up immediately beside the ocean. We jumped in, ordered a beer while treading water and jumped out just when two ice cold Karlovacko's (Croatian beer) were delivered. Life is good.

We must have gone back to that same bar about three times throughout the day, swimming and drinking, usually at the same time. About an hour was also spent on a glass-bottomed boat, puttering around through the local islands and jumping in for a swim. In somewhere like Venice, you are looking at a minimum of 80 euros for a gondola ride through the canals - a ridiculously overpriced fare for something so overly romanticized its lost most of its genuine appeal. This two-hour excursion cost us ten euros each, and the guy even pointed out a cool pizza place to grab a slice before jumping on the boat. Combine these prices with how friendly Croatians are, and you can't go wrong.

It was this combination of low prices, helpful people and lack of tourists that made Croatia so amazing. We also loved the lack of English-speaking people, as many Americans and Canadians that do go over to Croatia hit up Dubrovnik and not much else. Rovinj was like an untouched gem in the middle of the Adriatic, and we managed to get there before it becomes ruined and overrun by tourists. Again, my advice to all those thinking about their next trip: go to Croatia before it blows up as the next "it" place to be. Your bank will appreciate it.