LEAVE YOUR DAILY HELL - TRIP IDEAS

DALMATIAN
YESTERDAYS
Im sorry, the old man who picked me up at the airport in Split,
Croatia scratched his head. But I thought there were going to be two
of you.
I half-smiled and got into the front seat. Me too.
By the time we made it onto the highway, and the sky began to striate
into layers of orange, purple and pink, a familiar melody replaced the
late Yugoslav-era pop-rock that had been on the radio when we
departed the airport. Busted flat in Baton Rouge, the voice sang,
waitin for a train.
Holding it together when the first chorus started took everything I had,
so you can imagine how close I was to a complete breakdown when
My Heart Will Go On came on next. Had we been in the beautiful,
historical city center, I wouldve cried, melted and evaporated into
nothing right then and there. Welcome to your home in Croatia! He
opened the door to his rental property, which was much too big for one
person. He cracked a smile as he walked me out onto the
balcony, which featured sweeping, romantic views of the Adriatic.
I couldnt understand what the woman standing across the street from
me the next morning was shouting, but I did notice that she had a
Dalmatian by her side. Now, being that I was on the Dalmatian Coast, I
wasnt eager to interpret the spotted dog as a sign, which I also owe to
the fact that my Pennys last appearance had been so subtly ominous.
But I walked over to her anyway.

Panorama? She clarified, which made me understand

immediately that the word she had been saying in the first place
Marjan, the name of the viewpoint my poorly-scaled map had
made it so impossible to findwas precisely the one I needed to
hear.

alcoholandfriedfoodIconsumedduringacelebratorylongweekendinSwitzerland.
ButthecontinuationofthispainthenextdayinSplit,andthefactthatphysicalactivityexacerbatedit?
Well,thatwasdisconcerting.
ThisisnothowIthoughtthethemefromTitanicwouldmakeitselfrelevantinmylifetoday,Ileaned
againstthestonerailingafterhavingfinallyreachedthetop.Isurehopemyheartgoeson.
Now,Imanextremelyheadstrongperson,andthelastwayIwantedtospendmyfirstfulldayinthe
Balkanswaswaitingtoseeadoctorinapublichospital.SoIwentaboutmyplansasintended,heading
downfromMarjanandintothewallsofDiocletiansPalace,comfortingmyselfwiththefactthatifIdid
kickthebucket,itwouldbeasIwanderedthroughRomaneraalleywaysdrapedinbougainvillea,orasI
tookinawideviewofthecitystiledroofsfromtheBellTowerofSt.Dominus.
Ornot.
Youwillsurvive,Ireassuredtheterrifiedwomanwho,asImademywaydownthestairwayofthe
tower,hadstoppedmetomakesmalltalkaboutmylensinlieuoffollowingherchildrenup.Goandbea
coolMom.
Miraculously,IlivedlongenoughtowalkalongtheRivawaterfrontatdusk,eventoendurebeingtoldby
someboozesmellingbroswhosepictureIpolitelyrefusedtotakethattheyhopedIfellintothewaterand
drownedonmywaytowhereIwasgoing.Mynewfoundhealthdidmotivatemetobringmydepartureto
Bosniaforwardaday,though.IwonderedhowmyBobbyMcGeewouldvefeltaboutthat.

IwassobombardedbytourhawkersuponarrivingbackinCroatiafourdayslaterthatallIfeltcompelled
todooncesafelyinsideDubrovniksoldcitywallswaseatapizza.Andalthoughthemargheritathewaiter
broughttomytablewasmorethanmassiveenoughtosuffocatemyanxiety,Istillfeltonlypartially
presentatthetable.
Polobleu,thecharmingFrenchmanhadsaidtomethreeyearsearlierinNice,asweenjoyedamuch
moredeliciousandItalianpizzatogether.IthoughtIwouldntseeyouagain.
Itookasipofwine.Maybeyoushouldvebeenontimetonight,then.
IhaveafeelingIcanmakeituptoyou,Hugotookmyhand,anddidntletgoofituntilthesunhad
nearlycomeupthenextmorning.
Ofcourse,IwasfaracrosstheMediterraneannow,thesunsettinginsteadofrising.AndDubrovnik,forall
itshustlersandbrosandTitaniclookingcruiseships,wasmorepicturesquethananycityinthesouthof
France,evenifsomeofthatlikelyhadtodowiththefactthatitwasrebuiltaftertheBalkanWar.Yet,even
asthewispsofcloudsabovethecityscreamedthesortoffuchsiayouonlyseeinPhotoshop,itslikeI
wasnteventhere.
TheweekafterNicehadbeenadream,withHugohavinginvitedmetostaywithhiminParis.Lunchesin
parks,twilightstrollsalongtheSeine,realchampagnesippedatoptheEiffelToweralltheromanceI
thoughtIwasneverentitledto,certainlynotwhenIdbeenwearingthebluepoloshirtthathadcaught
HugoseyeatLeSixnightclub.
IdsorelishedthewayheadoredmethatIneverstoppedtoquestionit,orwhetherIshoulddomoreto
reciprocateitthansimplybeingthere.