Our Adventures in England: Croatia

I must say that before visiting Croatia I didn't really know too much about it. I knew it was part of the former Yugoslavia, I had heard of Dubrovnik, and somehow I also knew that the capitol is Zagreb. From our news here in the UK I also knew that Croatia is the newest member of the European Union; admitted just this past summer. What I didn't know was that Croatia only declared it's independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and the Croats fought a four year war for independence to win their freedom. Our cruise made two stops in Croatia in Dubrovnik and Split.

The old city of Dubrovnik is surrounded by almost 2 km (1.2 miles) of walls, with a harbor opening into the Adriatic Sea.

Inside the walls this mainly pedestrian city was loads of fun to explore. Filled with shops, cafes, museums, churches and cathedrals, we spent several hours wandering around the streets.

We had a beautiful day and definitely could have stayed here longer, but our group was off to see a traditional mill and sample some local snacks.

We tasted some locally made liqueur and enjoyed some nuts and figs at this stop.

Our last stop of the day was at a farm with a family owned restaurant. We walked through the farm where we definitely saw some different sorts of vegetables. The farmhouse itself was huge, almost mansion-like. Our guide explained that here on the farms people do not get married and move away into their own homes. Instead, wings or floors are added onto existing homes. Most families have several generations living together and everyone has jobs to do. Of course, many are involved directly with farming. We were served a wonderful supper and entertained by some of the family.