enter Croatia

There’s just something about Croatia. During a February trip to Zagreb, I was able to stand outside without a coat for the first time this year. During my trip to the coast, I could walk around in a tank top and skirt – glorious. Maybe summer will arrive in Belgrade soon too.

I have been told that the Croatian would be beautiful, but I wasn’t quite prepared for how stunning – and warm – it would be. Old Roman-era buildings right along the shore, ocean, islands. Wandering through tiny streets in search of restaurants, museums, ice cream. Delicious sea food. Being able to show off my local language.

And the tourists. So many tourists. I haven’t been in a touristy place in a while. It was strange to see the shops selling T-shirts and paperweights, and see the people wandering around with their tour groups or clutching their guidebooks or expecting locals to speak their language or toting their high-tech backpacks.

In all, it’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Belgrade has grown on me. (My seventh month anniversary in this place is tomorrow.) Seeing the tourists everywhere would get old quick – and I like having to speak the local language.

There were also people selling Ante Gotovina – heroj T-shirts, and lots of graffiti supporting him. Not particularly welcoming.

And we celebrated my birthday with cake on Split’s Trg Republike and a Spike Lee movie, my grandma’s first, I would imagine.