Dear Mariana,

We had a WONDERFUL time in Croatia!  It was all such a delightful surprise – just way too short.

We absolutely loved Split and the tour of Diocletian’s Palace with Anna was one of many highlights.  We thoroughly enjoyed our days in Brac – and the hotel staff, particularly Helena, couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful.  The day out with Dom and Sylvia was yet another highlight – the walking, the monastery, the wild asparagus hunt, the picnic in the olive groves – it was all fantastic, as you can see from the photos.  Please be sure to thank Dom for those.

Our stay in Hvar was again too short – what a lovely island.  Ivica was very accommodating – arranging lunch for us on a sleepy Sunday afternoon in Dol and even walking us to his friend’s restaurant one evening.  We had one of our best meals (among many excellent ones) at Hotel Apollon.  We only regret not following his advice to take a bike tour of the island – next time!  

The bus ride from Split to Dubrovnik was better than we expected, comfortable and hassle-free.  It followed the coast, which was gorgeous.  We enjoyed seeing Dubrovnik – it’s a treat to see a walled town that looks just like a medieval painting – but once was probably enough.  After being in such unspoiled parts of Croatia, it was hard to suddenly be among so many tourists.  Still, we escaped the crowds by taking the ferry to Lokrum and walking around that lovely island.  We tried a restaurant we really enjoyed – I think it was called Revellin.  It’s under a giant pine tree, overlooking the harbor.  Because it’s location is so stunning, we expected the food would be so-so, but were pleasantly surprised.  It’s evidently gotten a new chef and I can attest that the octopus ragout on polenta was delicious!  

All of this is a long way of saying we’ll definitely be back – there’s just so much more to explore.  We can’t thank you enough for all you did to make the trip such a special one.  We can’t remember when we’ve been so well-looked after and steered to so many wonderful places.  We’re already thinking of where to go next – back to Split, north to the National Park, Istria . . . everything beckons – and we won’t think of doing it without you.

Till soon I hope,

Warm regards,

Linda and Peter