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This city is amazingly beautiful. It's situated just to the sea, with the mountains behind, which gives a very dramatic setting and furthermore, the city is extremely hilly and there are many many steps, which makes it even more charming, and makes it even more difficult to put your camera away. It really seems like going in a time maschine when you enter the old city. Unfortunately this morning it was raining so hard and it was even thundering, so we visisted monasteries, palaces, churches and cafés..
Thanks to the occupation of the venetians, there are some real jewelries in Croatia left behind by venetian architects and in general italian artists, especially in Dubrovnik, so let's say, Filippa and I were very satisfied. Now something that was a highlight, was to walk on the city wall. After complaining over an old man who wouldn't let us in for free because we didn't have any student card, we had to pay 50 kuna which is almost 7 euros, we climbed the stairs and we were enchanted. The view from everywhere we looked was breathtaking and it was finally sunny again.
Talking about italian influence and enchanting towns, Korcula, an island 3,5 hours away from Dubrovnik was also very picturesque and actually also italian for a long time (our host in Hvar (another island we went to, bloody tourists everywhere) told us about her mother in law who spoke and wrote italian fluently and learned croatian a long time after she got out of school.) Actually, croatians claim that Marco Polo (yes, him!) the famous sailor, is from croatia and was born in Korcula, though that theory is doubted. Filippa and I got quite inspired by that myth, or at least I though it was a fun story, and actually we got some henna and we actually bought a bottle of it to make some more. I was considering completing the look by getting dread locks and get the real sailor look, but I don't think that my parents or escpecially my brother would have thought it was cool. Another time maybe.
Before I get myself into telling you about croatians and Croatia, I will tell you a funny anecdote. you surely know the Swiss chocolate brand milka,I guess that when I mention that name you can picture yourself a big fat purple cow with white spots in one of these idyllic Swiss green mountains? Actually the name of the chocolate was given in honour to Milka Trnina, a croatian opera diva. Picture that.
Croatians are extremely pleasant to be with, kind and welcoming. One problem are the tourists. First reason: they are on the way in my pictures. Second of all, beacuse of them, prices have risen so much and evrything is so expensive, especially in Hvar, which is an island north of Korcula, where the costs of living are as high as back home in DK and that is high. Third reason, we had the impression of being locked up with tourists on an island, and the feeling that the locals where non existant or very well hidden. Of course they don't hang out where all the tourists are, still, it seemed like deserted, which really is a shame. Though I can understand that may want to visit croatia and especially the islands, which are gorgeous (did you know for instance that the marble used for the construction of the White House in Washington comes from Brac an island just north from Hvar?)..
Something else we experienced that was quite unusual was the oldest sea organ in the world, situated in Zadar. It makes a deep and dark sound and works thanks to the action of the wind and the wells. Amazing.
So tonight (actually in 4 hours) we are taking the ferry to Italy, (Bari) and we are planning to go to some beautiful and unique villages that Ib (Filippa's father) recommended us to visit. Afterwards, I have no idea. We'll just take it from there and continue the adventure....
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