Memorable encounters with local residents while cruising the Adriatic Sea
By Marilyn Farmer, 23-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador, Altoona, Kansas
My husband, Jim, and I are good travel partners. We both love and appreciate disovering the world—and doing so together. Travel is exciting, educational, and sometimes, challenging. Each country offers unique experiences and it’s important to go with the flow and accept the inconveniences and challenges each country presents to us.
Our decision to travel on OAT’s Cruising the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina Small Ship Adventure was an easy one. We’d traveled with OAT’s sister company, Grand Circle, on their Dubrovnik & Beyond: From the Adriatic to the Alps vacation in 2005. It was a fantastic trip and we’ve decided that out of the 52 countries that we’ve had the privilege of visiting, the Dalmatian Coast is among the most beautiful areas in the world. The other reason for choosing this trip was because we would be on the M/V Athena, one of OAT’s custom-built small ships, for ten glorious days. We didn’t think we could possibly go wrong since we’d seen much of the area by land—and now we could experience it by sea.
Marilyn and Jim drive around Hvar Island—a mountainous region with lavender fields and vineyards.
In our mind’s eye, we’ll always remember the fascinating beauty of the Dalmatian Coast. All bundled up and sitting outside on the ship, we loved every minute as we watched the scenic shorelines of the Adriatic glide by. We observed the sleepy little towns along the coast and dreamed about the lives of the people who live there—and envisioned what it must be like to live in such a gorgeous place. Cruising Europe’s deepest fjord in Montenegro, surrounded by snowcapped mountains and craggy cliffs, was so beautiful it took our breath away.
One of the best pieces of advice we can give other travelers is to take advantage of the pre-trip or post-trip offered for each destination if you can. Before your trip, get on the Internet and do some homework. Check out the area and see if there is a place close by that you can visit by train or bus. By doing this, Jim and I have not only been able to visit some impressive towns and villages on our own, but we’ve attended performances at many of the grand opera houses throughout Europe. Before we traveled on our Adriatic trip, I booked tickets online directly from the Croatian National Theatre—and we saw an amazing performance of the ballet Swan Lake.
Marilyn and Jim enjoy the Croatian National Theatre’s rendition of Swan Lake in Zagreb.
We had remarkable box seats that we shared with three local women. Since we didn’t speak a common language, we smiled, nodded, and gestured with them … and they seemed so pleased to share the pleasure of the performance with us. At intermission, they pulled bags of candy from their purses and shared them with us. At the end of the evening, we bid them farewell, while again realizing that we can make friends with people even though none of us understand what the other might be saying.
During our post-trip to Zagreb, we had a similar encounter. One day, Jim and I took a train north to Varazdin, Croatia, and encountered some of the biggest snowflakes we’d ever seen. We walked into town from the train station in deep snow, and as we were walking, I turned back to see Jim lying flat on his back in the snow! I thought maybe he wanted to be the first to make a “snow angel” while we were in Varazdin, but that wasn’t the case. Nothing was hurt but his pride, but a young man rushed over and helped him to his feet.
Marilyn and Jim’s Adriatic adventure allowed them to experience balmy Mediterranean days, along with winter wonderland days with buckets of snow.
The young man was a high school student and spoke some English. When he found out we were heading to the town center, he insisted on walking us the entire way. I think he wanted to hold our hands to keep us safe in the snow as he cheerfully escorted us and pointed out sights of interest along the way! I told him we didn’t want him to be late to school, but he assured us he had plenty of time.
Later that day, we ate in a small restaurant and there wasn’t a word of English spoken or printed. The waitress showed us some pictures of various foods, and we ordered based on that. Jim thought he was getting chicken, but it turned out to be duck. That was fun because we don’t often have the opportunity to eat duck. When we were ready to leave, the waitress handed me an umbrella and pointed to the heavy snow outside. Although we couldn’t understand each others’ languages, it was obvious that she wouldn’t let me leave without taking the umbrella. So, in addition to this beautiful country, we also have a lasting impression of the beautiful people that live there. There are some fine people the world over—and and Jim and I have had the privilege to experience how much kindness there is in this world of ours.
Marilyn and Jim began—and ended—their trip in the snow in Zagreb, Croatia.
We started traveling internationally in 1994, and the first—and perhaps one of the most important—things we discovered was that a smile is contagious. Even though we don’t speak any foreign languages, we have learned that a smile and friendly nod are the same in all languages. What a simple way to create goodwill in our walk through life. We have cherished memories of our worldwide experiences … and are truly blessed.
Experience the splendor of quaint seaside cities along the Adriatic Sea on our Cruising the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina adventure.