I must see this

So much travel porn has been crammed into my Facebook feed during the July school holidays. But only one destination has filled me with longing.

It’s not somewhere that I had ever considered visiting before, but the photographs my friend Claudia has shared of her trip to Croatia have captivated me.

Croatia looks stunningly beautiful.

Forgive the theft, Claudia, but I’m going to share some of my favourites:

I suspect the best is yet to come because Claudia’s family and her friends have hired a boat for a Croatian cruise.

I’ve been madly researching Croatian cruises ever since seeing her Facebook posts.

They seem oddly affordable. A seven-night Split to Dubrovnik cruise on a small ship called the Black Swan, which only accommodates 36 passengers, includes:

• A Deluxe Cruise from the magnificent, medieval city of Split to glittering Dubrovnik, visiting a hand-picked selection of magnificent & charming islands
• Inspirational Guided walking tours of the charming towns of Dubrovnik, Split, & Korcula
• Guided tour of the breathtaking Mljet National Park & visit to the tranquil salt lakes
• Experience the extraordinary Blue Cave, the pearl of untouched nature
• Sumptuous breakfast & 3-course lunch, prepared by our talented local chefs
• Welcome Cocktail Evening & Captain’s farewell Dinner with live local entertainment
• Sample the delicious Croatian cuisine in a choice of delightful restaurants, whilst enjoying a sunset over the Adriatic
• Various tasting experiences such as fresh oysters at a unique oyster farm & wine tasting experiences at a family winery
• Private airport transfers to and from the ship in Dubrovnik & Split

You get all of that from about $1700 per person.

Sounds too good to be true!

The Black Swan apparently even has a jacuzzi on its deck, but I couldn’t find a pic. This is the hot tub aboard another Croatian small ship called My Wish,

I want to be sitting in it RIGHT NOW with a glass of pink wine in my hand. I am not even slightly deterred by 118 people on that Aussie cruise ship having COVID-19.

I offered to book a few cabins for me and the kids on a Croatian small ship in 2024 (with the proceeds of selling my house, once the market recovers). The youngest is planning to be on a European gap year and I thought she might like to break up the penury with some luxury. I even said she could bring a friend, but she was very not fussed about spending time with me during her getaway.

Huh? I am offering her a luxury cabin for a week!

I do not understand teenagers, well I don’t understand mine. My friend Claudia’s daughters are happily sailing with her.

Ah well. Maybe she’ll warm to the idea eventually.

In the meantime, I’ll try to convince DD to go on a mini-break a little closer to home with me.

Song of the day: Rod Stewart “Sailing”