Croatia - June 9/10

I was supposed to go to Croatia with two of my best friends, Krista and Heidi, back in 2020 but we all know how that year panned out. Excited about finally being able to travel again, we turned our initial one week trip into two. I was too busy with personal and work related issues so I left it to my very competent friends to plan what I knew would be an amazing trip, each day’s location and activities a surprise to me!

I left my house in a frazzled hurry via subway to arrive at Heidi’s house by 4:00pm where her husband, Gary, had rented a van to drive us all (plus their dogs) to the airport. He dropped us at the TWA Hotel for dinner reservations at the Paris Cafe by Jean-George.

We ordered a myriad of items and cocktails and sat at a sun soaked table with chairs that swiveled. It was fun to feel like we were living in another decade, one that I’ve always wished I could have lived through (but without the racism, sexism and homophobia).

After a bathroom break where I found an empty full sized bottle of wine in the tampon trash receptacle, we boarded the Airtrain. Heidi was almost more excited about this Airtrain than I’ve ever seen her be about anything, just about making a speech to the whole train about it.

At the terminal we realized we would have to wait in a very long line to check in because we had bags to check. Krista managed to somehow only pack a carryon. I can’t imagine she has enough dresses and bathing suits in there, but whatever. I might need her to teach me how to pack. Heidi was not really feeling the line, so she marched over to business class check in to see if there were any flight upgrades available. There were not, but she waved us over anyway. After telling the attendant that she was afraid to fly and it was her birthday trip, we were allowed to skip the line and check in immediately. Heidi should be a cult leader.

It’s a good thing I looked at my boarding passes before we got too far because for the second leg, she had given me another pass for Heidi! Thankfully the situation got resolved rather quickly and we were on our way through security. Thank God for Global Entry and TSA pre-check.

Heidi went on a search for melatonin and found them in gummy form at an organic vitamin store within the terminal.

I was frantic to get my recent food “review” of the Paris Cafe edited and prepped for publishing in my Instagram story, and was sure I wouldn’t make it before losing internet.

Turns out the gate was changed and no one told us, so even though Heidi was already under the effects of melatonin, she found our correct gate and we made our way there.

To my great pleasure, I managed to post my Instagram story in time but not without draining my phone’s battery almost completely.

Once on the plane, I was panic stricken at the fact that my phone wouldn’t charge in the outlet by my seat. The flight attendant said it would work once in the air, but she wasn’t too convincing. Once in the air, it did not begin charging and I was convinced I would have to buy a new phone.

I agreed to sit next to the stranger while Heidi and Krista sat together in their row. He was stoic and European AF.

After trying to relax, I discovered a little pouch with red socks inside, in addition to some other items I did not need or want.

This seating arrangement is the most luxurious I have ever experienced. So much foot room! How far back the seat reclines! A foot rest almost like a Lazyboy!

Heidi and I watched across the aisle as a couple struggled to get their baby into a little cocoon to sleep attached to the wall in front of them. He was like a very strong wiggly worm. This confirms it. No kids for me.

The flight attendants took our order for dinner service, but since we had just eaten we opted to forgo the dinner and just have the cheeses and grapes. I don’t usually like red grapes but these one were CRISP.

I managed to sleep for a long while until they turned the lights on and served breakfast.

My only complaint is that because we have so much foot room and there is no storage under the seat, I had to keep my tote bag in the overhead compartment, hoping no one would steal it. All my most precious things are in there! Passport! Chapstick!

Right before our final descent, the stoic European stranger pointed to an item in the Fly & Buy magazine but the flight attendant said it was as too late to make a purchase. Shockingly, the item he was after was an emoji charms bracelet. I assume he has a teenage daughter?

Once in Vienna, Heidi made us power walk so hard that my armpits could definitely have used a refresher. I also realized what an inept Amazing Racer I would be compared to her. In the end, our flight was delayed anyway and there was no need to have used up all our energy to get there.

Once we arrived in Croatia we found the man holding a sign with Heidi’s name on it and followed him to a van. His name is Šime. When he dropped us off at our Airbnb, we struggled to find the correct door, which made me question my Amazing Race skills yet again.

After a quick shower and change of clothes we headed out for an early dinner, but the place Krista found for us wasn’t serving dinner until 6:30. We made a reservation for 6:30 and wandered around what I kept calling “hallways.” Literally every single turn into a narrow…alleyway? was like being in a storybook. I wanted to eat at every place and take a picture of every building. We stopped for a coffee at D16 to pass some time. Coffee at 5:30pm? Ridiculous. But. When in…Croatia…I guess.

Krista and I discussed the whimsical possibility of getting tattoos while here, but we decided that it was just a nice notion and we weren’t actually ready for something like that.

Dinner finally came at Uje Oil Bar, where our server proposed we get a whole roasted fish. Heidi admitted she had been craving that ever since she was in Portugal several years ago.

We were escorted to a small room with several freshly dead fish on a bed of ice. We chose the one that sounded the most appealing. Scorpaena, which our server put her whole hand into and held up for me to snap a photo.

For appetizers we had prawns in lemon juice and escargot. The oysters we ordered were not delivered or put on our bill because when the chef opened them up they were not good. I cannot even express how grateful I am for their honesty and dedication to excellence.

The wine that was recommended was Maraština Sladić, a similar type to Sauvignon Blanc. We received much information about the wine and how it was made, none of which I understood. The rest of the meal was presented with such love and pride and many more descriptions I didn’t fully comprehend and each time the server arrived with something new, she referred to us as “my girls” or “my ladies.” A trend that unbeknownst to us at the time would continue from almost everyone we met along our journey.

After we devoured our fish, we wondered at his age (could he have been 3 years or 3 months?) and decided to name him Feliks.

Before heading back home we explored more of Split by wandering around the hallways while I frantically took pictures of God knows what.

We bought some Turkish towels and staked out a possible place for lunch the next day.