So far, Croatia has been nothing short of incredible. The night I got here, Thana and her mom took me out to dinner at a gorgeous restaurant where we were practically sitting in the Adriatic. We ate the best fish I have ever tasted (until of course our next meal) coupled with really great wine and crepes with cherries and ice cream. Due to the wine or just the excitement of finally seeing Thana in her own home, we spent hours reminiscing and singing old songs. Since we have known each other for years, there were A LOT of songs to sing.
The next day was the highlight though. The three of us got up early to go out on their boat and I got the grand tour of Dubrovnik from the sea. Before stopping at a small island for yet another 
great meal, we stopped at what looked like a rocky edge of land. Thana took me into the water and once we got to the rocks she had us go under the water, swimming underneath the rocks where we came up into a massive cave. Hardly any light shone through, and it was completely mysterious and kind of scary. I felt kind of like a pirate... hehehe.
Essentially, our days have been spent napping in the sun, eating amazing fresh food, drinking wine and sitting around and talking. We talk on the boat while sunbathing, we talk at cafes for hours and hours. We talk on the family's beautiful porch that overlooks the terra cotta roofs of Dubrovnik and the huge expanse of the Adriatic sea. I cannot imagine ever leaving. This is the most beautiful, relaxing, seductive place I have ever been. At six this morning we watched the sun rise over the city from the terrace, then walked ten minutes to a bakery that had just opened so we could buy hot bread and pastries and milk fresh from the cow that we drank straight from the carton on the walk back home.
Yesterday, a friend of Thana's mother, Mercy, arrived. Anne and Mercy have known each other since kindergarten and continue to stay in touch. The same is true for Thana and I. Today, the four of us girls drove to the house of an old friend of the Pavelic family for lunch. Thana describes her surrogate grandfather, Leo, as the salt of the earth, and she could not be more spot on in her description. His stone house and the surrounding buildings are the result of his design and work. The stones were literally stacked by his old and experienced hands. The garden is filled with mint, from which the wife makes her own grenadine and tea, and grapes and limes grow on their trees. Thana and I swam in the small bay where the family lives and relaxed in the water before lunchtime. For lunch we ate fish that Leo had caught the day before and cooked himself in his outdoor oven that was topped with his homemade olive oil. Nothing goes 
unused in this family. For dessert we ate the grapes off their trees and these amazing pastries (I think) that are made with dough fried in brown sugar and filled with fresh plums . Afterwards, we sang songs in Croatian and English, which caught the attention of an Italian couple from Naples. They joined us, drinking wine and singing, adding another language to our repertoire. Everyone spoke some part of the others language and we switched between them for the rest of the afternoon. I cant speak a word of Croatian and only slightly understand Italian, but we could sing songs anyway and leave with new friends. Think Under the Tuscan Sun but better, more beautiful, more lively, and slightly drunker! Everything was natural and amazing. We could not have had a better day.
Tomorrow I leave on a ferry to Bari, Italy, from which I may go to Naples, maybe the Amalfi coast, maybe Sorrento. Wherever the wind takes me....
Dovidenja, until our next meeting,
Marian
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