Adventures of a Wandering Thirtysomething

Hvar has billed itself the next big thing for the rich and fabulous, and it’s a reputation fairly well earned. Yachts line the docks and good restaurants and cafes line the streets. We were lucky enough to score an apartment just above town with a spectacular view of the harbor and all the action.

The youth definitely brings a great vibe to the city. Unlike older and slightly more dressed-up Dubrovnik and Korcula, people in Hvar are dressed for the beach and walk everywhere in swimsuits, loose cover-ups and cut-offs. The atmosphere is all about hanging out and having a great time. At times, it’s a bit like a classed-up frat house, although we did spot a dude wearing American flag swim trunks – there’s always got to be one d-bag in the bunch.

The youth and wealth coming into the town have also turned it into a foodie town – thank heavens! Up until coming into town, our food experiences were pretty sub-par, but we ate like royalty in Hvar with fabulously fresh (and beautifully prepared) fish, veggies, pastas and pastries.

Matt and I, being the big partiers we are, stayed out until an ungodly 10:30 p.m. and walked off our fabulous dinner and desserts (yes, that’s plural – we’re on vacation dang it) while the throngs of young and already drunk 20-year-olds made their way to the bars and disco clubs. Oh to be back on mom and dad’s party payroll again…

Thanks to our grandparent-like sleeping patterns, we were up by 7:30 a.m. to take in a cool morning café stop for lattes and muffins and a quick soak in the sun and sea before a gourmet lunch and hop on the ferry to our next destination.

Next up is the town of Split, which has an old town completely centered within Roman emperor Diocletian’s palace, dating back to about 295 A.D. Then we’ll pick up our car (our first foreign driving experience – God help us) and attempt to navigate our way through the rest of Croatia and Slovenia.