Croatia Trip

Just like the rest of my posts, this one is long overdue.

I went to Croatia this past May to visit my family but also to play tourist in my own country of origin. I lived in Croatia for a good part of my life, but just like in any other country, there are countless places to explore and discover so I had made it my mission to see as many new things as I possibly could in between visiting my giant family (it’s what I want you to think, but really eating copious amounts of food is what really took up most of my time there).

1. A typical picture of “Hey everyone look at me! I’m about to board a flight and I’m drinking an overpriced latte because according to Instagram it’s the only way to travel.” Shoutout to my ripped knee jeans.
2. A view of Paris at 4 a.m. just before landing.
3. Had a 7 hour layover in Paris so I had Ladurée macarons for breakfast because it’s the only logical thing to do in Paris.
4. Lounging in the terminal, enjoying some mid-morning sunshine.

 

I visited the Plitvice lakes during my visit. As someone who grew up in Croatia you can just imagine how annoyed I would get when all my Canadian peers would tell me they visited this beautiful place and I hadn’t. Not anymore, suckers! In all seriousness though, this is one of the most picturesque places I have ever been to. We hiked for 7 hours and it only felt like 2. I couldn’t get enough of the scenery. The weather was amazing on the day we went so everything was just extra bright and crisp and mesmerizing. You’re literally walking among waterfalls the entire time.

I also want to give a shoutout to myself for keeping my white Converse shoes in pristine condition throughout this entire outing. I had no clue what to expect from going to this site. Everyone kept telling me “dress comfortably”…yeah ok guys, my ripped jeans and white converse ARE comfortable. I had no clue that this would actually be a HIKE and a hike through mud, water and leaves at that. But your girl persevered with determination like no other and made it through the day looking as fresh as always (insert sunglasses emoji).

You can’t go to Croatia without visiting its capital city – Zagreb.

I couldn’t get over how beautiful the architecture in this city is. There’s Ancient Roman architecture everywhere, it’s enthralling.

Look at this building! It’s an actual apartment building! People live here! I would love to eventually move to this city. It has so much history yet it’s so young, vibrant and modern.

One thing that I couldn’t get enough of is the fact that all the cafés serve their drinks in the little glass bottles still!

Ultra narrow cobblestone streets. It doesn’t get any more European than this.

I also loved going for ice cream and talking walks through the town my family lives in. Walks along the canal or even sitting down and having coffee/drinks during the beautiful summertime weather was the best! The ambiance over there is so relaxing. Everyone is constantly just taking it easy. Definitely a big difference from the “always on the go” North American lifestyle.

And alas, all good things come to an end. The picture above was taken in Amsterdam. Our one and a half our layover turned into just over five hours so my mother and I decided to treat ourselves with none other than Heineken beer (and bacon cheeseburgers to accompany the alcohol of course).

1. On flight from Zagreb to Amsterdam. Flying over alps.
2. So many fluffy clouds! Makes me think of cotton candy and thus the Katy Perry Teenage Dream album cover.
3. Amsterdam to Montreal. The skies were so blue and beautiful. Also shoutout to KLM, one of the best airlines I have flown with. Also the only airline who’s food is actually delicious. THEY GAVE US DUTCH ICE CREAM YOU GUYS.
4. Drowning my sorrows with a gin and tonic.