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Hey everyone! Wow, it's been a while since I've sat down to write a post here. I kind of disappeared there for a month and a half so let me explain where I've been and update you! I'll do my best to be more consistent in the future (it should be easier now that the summer craziness is beginning to die down).
So, why haven't I been posting and where have I been? Good question. Every summer, my family takes a two week vacation (usually somewhere in Europe) as they want to capitalize on living here, where it makes traveling to other countries easy compared to coming from the States, and I don't blame them! Living here, we've been able to take so many fantastic vacations and see so many amazing places, it really is a traveler's dream come true. This summer, my mom had heard from a friend about these small cruises in Croatia that they had really enjoyed and so my mom happily booked a two week trip to Croatia (more on that later). I've been working really hard this year (did I mention that I got a mention tres bien ((really good)) on my brevet ;) ?) so I decided to give myself a little break while on this vacation from the blog. It is actually quite a lot of work to write sizeable posts each week and it takes up a lot of time (an hour up to three or four hours).
But, Lorelei, you may ask. If you took a break for your vacation, how come it's been more than two weeks since you've updated? Well around the end of our trip, we got some information that a family member was not doing so well and would pass soon. As soon as we got home, we booked flights to our family in Denver and did a 360 turnaround to fly to the States. I'm not going to go into too much detail about this trip as it was a family issue and I would like to maintain some privacy, both for mine and my family's sake. However, I hope you can understand why I wouldn't have time or make time to update during this trip either. Family for me will always come first and living so far away, I want to make the most of my time with them.
Anyway, that brings us back to now. I'm back: jet-lagged and a mess, but back! Today I want to touch on a few things: mainly my insane trip to Croatia but also back to school plans (they have changed quite significantly since I last talked about school) and a little bit of new music and movies (only because there is so much happening at once!).
So, Croatia. Our trip was amazing and split into two different parts. The first week we drove around and visited cities at our own leisure and planning and the second week was the cruise. We flew into Split, a historic town in the middle of Croatia. Some of the famous landmarks we encountered there were the statue of Grgur Ninski, Diocletian's Palace and the big cross statue at the top of a mountain (plus amazing views).
After a few days in Split, we began our drive towards Plitvice Lakes. On the way, we stopped at two places: Krka National Park and Klis Fortress. Krka National Park was definitely a cool experience-you walk on a wooden path over the swamps and water (the water is crystal clear despite the word "swamp") and at the end there is a giant waterfall that is just beautiful (you'll notice throughout this article that I will repeat a lot of adjectives such as "amazing" and "beautiful". That is because there are simply no words to adequately capture the beauty of these places). Next, Klis Fortress is an old fortress that was actually used to film Game of Thrones as the City of Meereen. The views were just crazy and it was neat to walk along the ruins.
Krka National Park ^ Klis Fortress v
Next up was Plitvice Lakes and OH. MY. GOD. Hands down one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to in my life. Plitvice Lakes is a national park surrounding a bunch of lakes and when I say the water is clear, I mean it is so clear and so, so blue! It was like it was dyed turquoise (it wasn't, don't worry). We walked again on these wooden plank paths over the water. Unfortunately, you can't swim in any of these places, but you can totally see why and it's worth it for preserving places like these. We hiked for about three or four hours (my family chose to do the long loop) and there was even a short boat ride included to take us across one of the lakes so we could continue hiking on the other side. Normally, hiking is not my favorite thing at all but I'm so glad I did it (and really, it wasn't like a hike at all because of the cool wooden path). I would recommend this place over and over again, it was that beautiful (pictures to follow).
Sorry for all the photos but it was just SO BEAUTIFUL!
After hiking through the lakes, we decided to find somewhere we could swim. We got ready and drove to a small town called Korana where there was a good sized watering hole with only a few families swimming there. The water, as usual (and even with people swimming in it) was still super clear with lots of fish. I will say, though, that if you are planning on going to Croatia and swimming there, make sure you bring swim shoes with sturdy soles as most of the beaches and swimming areas in Croatia don't have sand but pebble beaches and lots of rocks.
After Plitvice Lakes, we hopped in the car en route to Dubrovnik-but first a stop in the town of Zadar to see the Sea Organ there. It was neat to sit by the ocean and hear the water make music. We walked around Zadar and ate lunch there before driving the rest of the way to Dubrovnik.
In Dubrovnik, the first day we took an all-day boat tour that was a really neat way to tour the area. Our tour guide took us to many cool and non-touristy places. First, we stopped at a mini blue cave. We anchored our boat and then swam all the way into the cave. It was neat and blue. After a while, we swam back and set sail for the island of Lopud, where we first stopped at Beach Sunj for a swim stop and then sailed to the other side of the island to have a drink while my brother swam in the little swimming area below the restaurant. Finally, we sailed just off the coast of Sjekirica Beach and had another swim stop (somewhere along the day we ate lunch onboard). As the sun set, we sailed back to Dubrovnik, which was very peaceful as the sun was setting and the wind was calm. I would definitely recommend an all day boat tour like this one from Dubrovnik. It was a great way to explore different islands in the area and swim in the still super-clear and super-bright blue sea.
The next day we drove about an hour to the city of Ston to visit the City Walls, built in 1358. It is one of the longest preserved fortification systems in the world and are known as the "European Great Wall of China". My mom and I climbed the walls up the mountain to see neat views of the salt mines below and the surrounding area. After coming down, we walked around Ston for a little bit more and then headed back to Dubrovnik (really there's not much else to see in Ston besides the wall). We had a kayak tour booked for that night so around 4pm we headed to the meeting point. We kayaked with a group, first to a secluded beach cave where we ate sandwiches and then all around the (cursed) island of Lokrum. We stopped at a cave where there was cliff-jumping and since my brother begged and it looked safe enough, my brother and mom jumped off a 30 foot cliff (before you ask, no way am I doing that, it was enough just to watch them). We finished kayaking around and paused in the middle of the ocean for an optional swim and to watch the sun set, which was just breathtaking. I would also recommend this tour as well, especially with all the stories the tour guide told us about the area.
Ston ^ Kayak Tour v
The next day was our last day in Dubrovnik before boarding the boat (heading back to Split). We walked around and looked for Game of Thrones landmarks (Dubrovnik is King's Landing) and then walked the city walls in the afternoon (would not recommend and many locals warned us not to do it in the afternoon because of the extreme heat, however we didn't have any other time to do it so we suffered. To be clear, I would recommend walking the walls just don't do it in the middle of the summer at 3pm). The views were amazing, though and it really gave us a great view of the city.
The next day, part 2 of our vacation began. We boarded the Premier Cruise ship (holds around 30 passengers but we only had 22). I won't go into extreme detail of every day but here was the basic boat schedule: We would wake up around 8am and have breakfast while the boat sailed towards our destination for the day. In the late morning/early afternoon the boat would anchor in a secluded bay area where we could have swim stops (between breakfast and then you would have free time onboard to, in my case, relax on the top deck with a ((virgin)) pina colada on hand). The swim stops were a really great feature to this cruise. It was very quiet and we were alone as a group so it was not crowded or crazy. There were also paddleboards and floaties we could use (my brother and I had many paddleboard fights) and the water was just so, so beautiful. After a few hours, we would get out and have lunch while we finished sailing to our destination for the day. Once we got there, there was usually a pre-arranged walking tour of the area and after that we would have dinner in the town and return to the boat to sleep (while docked). I thought it was a really great plan that gave us time for relaxing, time for swimming and time to visit different cities and towns, plus it was nice having everything already planned and booked for us.
We went to Mljet National Park, Korcula (Lumbarda), Vis, Hvar and finally, back to Split. My two favorite places (aside from Dubrovnik) were Korcula and Hvar. Korcula is often called a mini Dubrovnik (although don't tell the locals that) and I found it very charming. We also had an amazing tour guide who dressed up like Marco Polo's mistress (Korcula is rumored to be the birthplace of Marco Polo) and she referred to Marco Polo as her "honey bunny". She was great and interactive and we definitely learned a lot about Korcula. In the evening, we had a nice dinner and my parents and I went to watch a live classical music concert in the town square. Hvar was an island where we stopped to have a classic Croatian meal at a family-owned vineyard. I think Hvar had some of the most pretty views and sunset from the vineyard. We also got to walk around and they had a donkey and a baby donkey, who were running around free. The food was delicious (I didn't get to try the traditional meal because it was meat but they gave me some sort of crepe with this amazing squash thing and it was just amazing). The town of Hvar was cool too, small, but cute with a few little landmarks here and there.
Korcula ^ Hvar v
Finally, we arrived back in Split. My family and I didn't do the included walking tour since we had done one when we first got there, so we went to a little beach instead (would not recommend beaches in Split-they are crowded and rocky and just not that great ((even the water isn't as clear or blue as other places we went to))). We found this really delicious pizza place for dinner called Pizzeria Bokamorra. The pizzas were amazing (we had a dessert one too that was raspberries and white chocolate and pistachios and goodness) and they had really great cocktails and mocktails. We spent one more night on the boat and then bid our goodbyes. I will say, I loved the smaller cruise because by the end, everyone knew each other and you do make some good friends. Our last day in Split, we walked around and visited a few more landmarks before heading for the airport and flying home.
All in all, I did not know that Croatia was that stunning of a country and I would 100% recommend a vacation there, whether you want to go hiking and touring or just relax. I would also recommend the cruise we did (I believe it was booked through Croatian Cruises, but I'm not sure, if you really want to know feel free to send me a message below!). I was really grateful to be able to take such a beautiful vacation and would definitely go back!
So we only had a few days at home before we flew to Denver. We didn't do much, a few hikes here and there but mostly just time with family and cousins (and of course, many trips to Target and going to the donut shop!!). That was about it for traveling and I got home two days ago, hence the severe jet lag and exhaustion.
Back to school stuff. I start school on September 2nd (remember we don't get out until July). I actually decided to go to Pontonniers after much deliberation and phone calls (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, go read my other two posts that explain everything about school in Strasbourg, I'll link them below ((I just don't have the energy to re-explain everything right now, sorry))). The main reasons for my decision is because first, literally everyone I know except two people are going there and I don't want to be alone (although my education comes before any social aspects and I would never make an important decision in my life based solely on what my friends are doing). Second, I just think it's going to be the best option for me. Sure, it won't be American-style learning anymore and I'll have to take the French bac (gulp, I don't even want to think about that right now) but I've heard nothing but great reviews and experiences from there, and plus, since we are now staying in France indefinitely (don't know if I announced that here yet) it will be the best option for my French (I hope). Anyway, there were a lot more factors that went into it but ultimately, it was the best option even if I didn't want to admit it at the beginning of the summer. I'll do another post about what Ponto is like as a French high school once I start and see what things are like.
Finally, I do just want to touch on a few movies and some new music quickly. My brother and I went to see Black Widow and even though a lot of people I talked to didn't think it was all that great, I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't the best and there were a few plot holes (the Budapest thing, like what?) but I liked getting to finally hear about the Red Room and to meet Yelena (Florence Pugh is awesome). Plus, the post-credits scene just left me with so many questions! Also, I liked the music in Black Widow, I thought it captured the essence of the movie well. The other movie I want to recommend is the highly-anticipated Ryan Reynolds movie, Free Guy. My cousin, brother and I went to see it in Denver and it was amazing! The glowing reviews are definitely true: it was hilarious, epic, loving and just awesome (plus the Marvel references and surprise cameos were so cool and had me squealing excitedly in the theater). I am looking forward to seeing Shang Chi soon too. As for music, the new Billie Eilish album, Happier Than Ever is pretty good (especially the titular song), but what I'm most excited for is the new Ed Sheeran album that was just announced, =! It comes out in October but from hearing Bad Habits and Visiting Hours I already know it's going to be bomb and a whole new era of Ed. Also Don't Go Yet by Camila Cabello is a bop + Summer of Love by Shawn Mendes.
Anyway guys, hope that covers mostly everything that's happened since I've been gone. Again, if you have any questions, feel free to send me a message below or at my email, lorelei.el.clarke@gmail.com. It's great to be back and I can't wait to start posting again!
Also, I did recently join Instagram, so if you want to follow me and see more pictures from Croatia, my handle is lorelei_el14 ;).
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Can't wait to be back and see you next week!
Loreleixx
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