But now we’re off to Croatia! Gene and I depart on Saturday from JFK on British Air to Zagreb, Croatia for a quick six day trip to explore the Mediterranean country of Croatia!
Croatia is a Central European and Mediterranean country, bordering Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north, Serbia in the east and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south, as well as a long maritime border with Italy in the Adriatic Sea. These borders total 2,028 km altogether. Croatia has an unusual shape (similar to a croissant) that is unlike any other country in the world, which comes as a result of five centuries of expansion by the Ottoman (Turkish) empire towards Central Europe (although Croatia was never conquered by the Turks).
CURRENCY:
$1 US Dollar is about 5,8 Croatian kunas.
You can exchange your money at the airport, banks or at the hotels. ATMs are also available. Dollar bills are not accepted (does this tell you something about the US economy??); Euros are accepted at restaurants and hotels.
Northern Croatia has a temperate continental climate whereas the central and upland regions have a mountainous climate. The entire Adriatic coast has a pleasant Mediterranean climate. Spring and autumn are mild along the coast, while winter is cold and snowy in central and northern regions.
TRADITIONS:
Despite - or because of - repeated invasions over the centuries and amalgamation with other countries, Croatians have maintained a strong, distinctive culture. Croatians depict their daily life through folklore. Songs, dances and costumes exist for every occasion in all parts of the country. Croatian dances are physically demanding, as dancers sing while they perform brisk and lively movements.
CROATIAN CUISINE:
Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous, and is therefore known as "the cuisine of regions". Its modern roots date back to Proto-Slavic and ancient periods and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Proto-Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today - Hungarian, Viennese and Turkish - while the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian and French.
CROATIAN WINES:
Croatia is justifiably proud of its broad palette of high quality wines (up to 700 wines with protected geographic origin) and brandies, fruit juices, beers and mineral water. In the south, people drink “bevanda” with their food (heavy, richly flavored red wine mixed with plain water), and in north-western regions, "gemisht" (dry, flavored wines mixed with mineral water).
SHOPPING:
Shopping in Croatia is usually not on a traveler’s radar as the country is not known as a major shopping destination. Even the briefest shopping excursion provides insight into the local habits, diet and cost of living.
Croatia has been on my list for quite some time. We look forward to this one! Well, actually, we look forward to them all! Really...we do!
