Hvar Style

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Hvar Town on Hvar Island has blown away any and all of the expectations that I've had for this place and Croatia in general. The nightlife seems so fresh and current. Croatia really is a country on the verge of taking off as the holiday spot. That is if its not there already. I was told by a travel writer I met that Croatia was discovered five years ago by Europeans and was just now being discovered by us yanks.

The first night I was here I was walking around the promenade with my friend. It was absolutely shimmering and buzzing with color and light. I turned the corner and came across a Miss Croatia pageant complete with catwalk, crowds, and giant plasma screen TVs. It was a real, "Hey Man, now you're really living" moment. That's an eels reference by the way.

The food here in Croatia is nothing special to tell you the truth. Which is surprising. Although, last night's dinner of stuffed pork and pommes frites at Hannibal was pretty good. I also won't make the mistake of ordering the scampi again. They just bring out these shrimp still in their shells. I had to fight and scrap just to get the tiniest portion of meat. I gave up halfway through and consoled myself with bread. Live and learn.

Yesterday I broke off from the group I'm traveling through Europe with and did my own thing. I walked around the center town harbour. I found myself a nice rock to sit and sun bathe on. I sat, swam, and admired the beauty of this place. Both the natural and bikini clad varieties. After I was done I headed back to the apartment. I took a long winding way home, but let’s hope that future generations never hear that story. OK, I got lost. So what? If they wanted you to be able to find your way home in Hvar they would provide street names and signs. I just wish I wasn't carrying a bag of groceries at the time.

I really like it here because of the fact that there is this international set of young people just renting apartments and living life Hvar style. This involves waking up late, sunning yourself on a rock, or boating if that's how you roll. Then you go home, take a nap perhaps, and get ready to go out a night and eat dinner at one of the many harbour side restaurants. Then its drinks and people watch at a cafe, hit Carpe Diem, and then bounce to this great club up this wooded path from the Marina. It is like a coliseum. There is a high-walled courtyard with rooms off of it where you dance to Euro-beat and another that serves food. In the courtyard there is a wading pool. It was there that two nights ago one would have found me in the pool with two frolicking lesbians. Tell that one to the kids back home.


At the moment Hvar seems like a great place to spend a summer. Like a Croatian Hamptons, not some over touristed package holiday place with tour busses. At least not yet. There are lot of houses and apartments being built around the island. Things can't stay the same forever I guess.



Note: This comes straight from the journal I was carrying around with me while I was traveling through Eastern Europe. It is by no means perfect. I was just jotting down my first hand impressions and not intending it for the masses. You are now part of the masses by the way. I just added this to flesh out my blog.



added august 18, 2005

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Photos

Big fish
The seafood isn't as good as you'd expect it to be.

Outside our apartment
Now if only they had street signs.

Hvar
Another leisurely day in the sun.