Fairgrounds and opera and wine, oh my!

Our week in Croatia was beautiful, exciting and jam packed with adventure but adventure doesn’t always have to be big and bold. It can be calm and quiet.

During our stay Joe forced me to make no plans for 3 whole days and I was honestly panicked. 3 whole days of nothing. But what would I do? “Relax” he told me. I absolutely love relaxing, when I’ve planned my relaxation. 3 days without plans filled me with dread and anxiety but it turned out that the unplanned adventures were some of my favourites.

The moon and the opera.

We took half a bottle of white, a pack of cigarettes and went to sit behind a building on some rocks that I’d discovered the day before. It was dark and the sea splashed against the rocks as we sat like a couple of teens swigging wine from the bottle. As we inhaled the minty fumes (I’m a menthol smoker, what can I say?) we saw a bright pink streak of light in the distance. What the hell was it? Joe thought it was maybe a light on top of a building in Split which was just across the water. The next time we looked it seemed a little bigger which was when I realised it was the freakin’ moon! We were both speechless. It was so pink and so bright! As we watched it slowly emerge from behind the mountains it was like watching the sun set in reverse. I’ll never forget that beautiful, big blood moon.

We’d seen earlier in the day that some kind of concert was on in the square near the apartment so made our way back. The square had been made into an outside concert area with a stage and the best part…it was Opera. We sat outside drinking our (now warm) wine from plastic cups and listened to the singers as the constant chorus of cicadas and planes overhead tried to drown them out. My favourite evening.

The abandoned fairground.

Ahh, the hotel. This was so cool but so scary. We happened upon it during a long walk along the coast checking out the neighbouring Kastelas. As a photographer Joe was keen to check it out so we climbed in and did a little exploring. Graffiti covered the walls and broken debris and glass covered the floor. Either a fire had destroyed it or fires had been set after it had closed down. Either way it was spooky as hell.

The fairground outside was even weirder. Calm and still, not a person in sight but a full on set up. We used the opportunity to take some photos and creep ourselves out. It was definitely one of the stranger moments of the trip.

Mastrinka-The old olive tree.

This was only a 5 minute walk from our apartment. At 11 metres height with a radios of 23 metres it was pretty big. A stunning 1500 year old olive tree. How insane is that? Imagine the things it has seen and tales it could tell. Not only was it beautiful it was also humming with Cicada. For years on holidays I have longed to spot a Cicada, a mysterious insect that sings a loud mating song. Finally I got to see one. I could hear them all over the old olive tree and as I followed the sound it took me to a branch and there it was on the underside, huge and very noisy. I was so chuffed to have finally glimpsed one, it made my day.

On those 3 days I really did find time to relax too. We swam in the sea and I actually did swim. It was amazing. I also lounged around like a mermaid on the rocks, Joe fished and we just enjoyed being. I enjoyed some alone time too. I explored the little streets, went for coffee, jogged and read on the beach. In fact my mornings on the beach were probably my favourite part of the holiday.

Every morning whilst Joe still slept I would take myself off to the beach with my towel and a book. It was the best time to go. Not as many people and a little cooler. On one of the mornings I listened to music but mostly I just hung out preferring to hear the sound of the nature around me. Cicadas singing, crickets chirping and waves crashing. It was a beautiful start to my mornings and I would then go back to the apartment refreshed and ready for breakfast and coffee.

If you’re thinking about going to Croatia I can absolutely recommend Kastela. It’s small and quiet but you don’t have to go far to experience some excitement and the hustle and bustle of Split is only 27 minutes away. With a choice of national parks and islands to explore too it makes the perfect base for some time away.