You have the high profile tourist destinations... with the glitz and glamour... with the unique features... with the cruise ships... and the people. These are 'must see' destinations... written up in all the tourist books. But with them comes the crowds... inflated prices... poor quality food and service... the hustle and bustle from merchants and tourists. You go there... you 'tick' the box... you move on.
Every now and again, you 'luck' upon the treasured destination. The weather has to be right... there are no crowds... you find some features that capture your interest... a couple of good restaurants pop up (often not mentioned in the travel books)... everything clicks! This is what has happened to us in Korcula. Upon arriving at the bus terminal our host met us and walked us back to the apartment... lovely place... lots of room. We enquired about facilities to do our clothes washing... "Yes", she says. "I'll do it for you." "And the charge?" we asked. "No charge" was her reply. "OK", we say... "we'll stay for two nights". We took a walk around the old city of Korcula... hardly a tourist in site. We had an early dinner... loved the food... and prices... and service. Coming back to the apartment, we meet our host in the street. "We would like to stay for a third night... is that possible?" "No problem" was the reply.
This morning we have another day of brilliant sunshine... no crowds... and the merchants are as polite as yesterday. We took a local bus to the second biggest town on the island... and were once more struck by the natural beauty of the place. We walked narrow roads between vineyards to a pretty beach... visited the local church... walked around the wharf area... had a refreshing ale.. and came back to Korcula. We immediately emailed our host and asked for an extension into the fourth day.
We know we will have run out of exciting venues before the fourth day... but we will be relaxed enough to find micro-topics of interest to keep us amused. So don't expect shattering headlines for the next three days. We'll try and convey the karma that a quiet Croatian island can add to your holiday mix.
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