I’m writing this a week into my jetlag after returning from New Orleans. I find when I can’t sleep that my mind tends to really wander, mostly I think about all the amazing places I’ve been lucky enough to see in my life so far. One of them was this trip to Croatia at the end of September. I hadn’t travelled with a friend in what felt like forever and it really reminded me of what my life had been like before the pandemic and through my early to mid 20s – all the girls trips, city breaks, weekends away, epic road trips. It all came back to me in such a refreshing and fulfilling way, how spontaneous I had been.
The day we went to Hvar was very much in that spirit. We were forecast another unexpectedly sunny day, hurried down to the harbour to get our tickets and threw ourselves onto the ferry to Stari Grad.
I had heard about Hvar from friends and from that season of Made in Chelsea, so I expected it to be quite trendy, quite upmarket and boutique, which it is. I was really taken with how historic it is, down every sandy-hued alley and everywhere you turn, it’s so aesthetically pleasing.
We set off in an upward direction, to find the old fortress.
The views getting more and more picturesque the higher we climbed.
By this point our calves were screaming (we’d already done a lot of uphill walking on the trip by this point!), but we couldn’t turn back now. On we pushed through the grove, thankful that the heat was decidedly bearable.
When we eventually reached the top, the view panoramic views of the city, islands and sea spoke for themselves. What a treat.
We decided to buy tickets and take a look around.
And were treated to even more views of the mesmerising orange rooftops and the glistening Adriatic speckled with yachts and islands.
We soaked up all the history on offer.
Devoured the views from all angles.
Then raced back down to sea level for a well-earned dip in the blue.
Side note: Y’all. These water shoes were honestly the best investment from my DR trip, don’t leave home without them!
We played and swam until the temperature started to drop slightly, leaving us with enough to time to wander back over to the centre to find some dinner before catching our ferry back to Split.
The way I inhaled this meal was really something to behold.
This was a trip that really fed my soul and I can’t even find the words to express how much I loved it. For a week that flew by in the blink of an eye, I can only hope the memories will last a lifetime.
