Adventures of a Wandering Thirtysomething

The town of Korcula

Three days in Dubrovnik were just enough to get all of the sights in, some solid beach time, some relaxing strolls through town and start to actually relieve some stress and really settle in to our travels.

And then it was on to tiny Korcula to truly relax.

Getting to Korcula was a wonderful journey in and of itself. For about two hours we wound along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea, hitting scenic town after scenic town as the blue water sparkled against the clear sky. As we got closer to Korcula, the coastline began to mix with fields of wine grapes. Croatia is known for its delicious wines, particularly white wines and dessert wines, and the hot sun, low humidity and ocean air all play into its fabulous flavors.

Overlooking the harbor from the watchtower

We then hopped from land to sea, jumping on a boat to make the rest of our trek across the sea to the island of Korcula, one of many Croatian islands.

Compared to Dubrovnik, Korcula is extremely small and sleepy. Home to Marco Polo and the same kind of city walls and architecture from the medieval period, it's unique in that the design was actually quite well thought out for the 12th century. Rather than the typical hodge podge of houses and churches from that era, it's organized like a fish with a central street, straight and narrow streets on the west that help capture the ocean breeze and keep the city cool, and slightly angled streets on the east that resist the nasty winds from that direction. Pretty forward thinking for such a small-minded period of time!

The Old Town entrance and watchtower

Korcula is definitely a place to unwind, simply because there isn't much to do to distract you from relaxing. The views are magnificent and there are fabulous walking paths all along the edge of the town and down through the marina, taking full advantage of the sea view and mountainous ridges.

Our hosts, some of the most gracious people we've met on our travels, were instrumental in helping us to unwind as well. They welcomed us with wine, cheese and fruit, plus personalized guidance on restaurants, things to do, offices to purchase tickets, and more. As someone who now works in the hospitality industry, it was certainly a welcome treat to have someone 5,000 miles away from home give me a 5 star experience.

The vineyard lined road to the beach

Today, rather than bum around town, we decided to hit the beach in nearby Lombarda. A short 15 minute bus ride landed us just a few moments from one of Croatia's only sandy beaches. A quick walk through the vineyards, and we were out in the sand and surf, relaxing with all of the other vacationers from across the EU soaking up the sun.

Bright and early tomorrow morning we head to Hvar, one of Croatia's party capitals frequented by the likes of Prince Harry, Beyonce and a bevy of fabulous celebrities and extremely wealthy folks with yachts.

At the beach