Thoughts and observations from the Dalmatian Coast

Hello all... it is about 8 p.m. local time and we're now on the island of Brac (pronounced with a 'ch' at the end). It took us about an hour to get here from Hvar. We are loving the fact that every place we've been to and every place we've stayed has been different from the one before it. Definitely giving us some great memories and stories... several of which just can't be shared with such a large audience. ;--)

Anyway, here are some things we've discovered along the way:

People think Americans are rude but some of the people here have to be the rudest we have ever encountered. Not the locals necessarily just in general. There's no such thing as a line... people basically huddle around whatever entrance they are trying to access and rush it when it opens. Think cattle at a dude ranch in the West being herded into one of those gated-off areas. I'm just waiting for someone to 'moo.' I mean honestly...

As far as traditional Croatian fare or folklife, we have yet to see or experience much of either. Actually a bit of a disappointment that the places have been so touristy. As beautiful as they've been we haven't gotten much local flavor. A lot is influenced by Italy and Germany. Last night we ate at a German restaurant on Hvar. We tried the octopus salad... so good! It was a mix of chilled octopus, with peppers, potatoes, greens, and a few other things. This trip for us has been so much about trying new things and I think we've been able to do that a lot of the time.

This is the most ice cream eating place I/we have ever seen. People eat ice cream for breakfast at 9 a.m. and for dessert at midnight. Strangest thing ever and I think we're all going to come home disappointed by the ice cream in the States. It is so fantastic here!!!

Europeans in general are so un-self conscious about their bodies it is unbelieveable. A few of us have gone topless twice and I have to say that while it is definitely somewhat liberating, I couldn't help think the whole time that it was wrong and it was something I wasn't supposed to be doing. Maybe that's why the 'foreigners' are usually the ones who are the topless ones. And let's talk about guys in speedos. Over here, everywhere you look there's a guy in a speedo. Nine times out of ten he looks damn good too.

The beaches over here aren't sand. We've only gone to one beach with sand and we had to hire a taxi to take us to it on Korcula, but it was about a 20-minute ride away.

We have honestly not met that many Croatians. More Italians, Brits and Aussies than anything. I think that's because they get these insanely long holidays and can jet all over the place. If only we could be that lucky. We've been doing cartwheels for 8 months in preparation for this trip and it is only two weeks long.

It is very weird not watching TV or even listening to a radio. Our apartment today is the first one to have a TV and we were so in awe of having one that we watched a Spanish soap opera being translated into Croatian for 15 minutes. We didn't have a clue what was going on or being said so we started our own storyline. Ours was actually probably better anyway. Ha...

Bread with oil and parmesan cheese rocks!

Everyone is beautiful here... and while we certainly fit in... we just don't know where to look first.
(I have her permission to say this...) Katie has pretty much fallen in love at each place we've visited but has had to break up with the guys to travel to the next place. Leaving broken hearts all over Croatia...

So far we have 'met' the son of a Croatian singer, an underwear model and a member of the Croatian Olympic basketball team. His name was Vlado... and he was hilarious. Spent a month in Baltimore two years ago and the two things that stick out to us about talking to him are that all he wanted to eat there was meat and all he was being served was crab. "I ask for meat, and you serve me crabcake." He also said that his host family took him to a Baptist church and during the sermon he was introduced by the preacher and the whole congreation starting yelling "Hallelujah!!! to try to 'save' him. Guess you had to hear him tell it in his broken English. One of his favorite American phrases is "I'll put a cap in your ass!". We figure it must have been a rough neighborhood in B'more. Ha ha hah.....