FinePix X100 (23mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO200)

Good Food Served Here is something I have seen a lot when traveling. Strangely most of the time this statement was far from being true. Or to put it another way: it was a downright lie. Traveling Croatia I have never seen such a sign. First: their language is not English and Second: most tourists come from either Austria or Germany so if there are any signs they are written in German. But I haven’t seen any “Hier gibt es gutes Essen” signs either. What I have seen and tasted was some of the best food I ever got while traveling. And this is not only due to the fact that I have spent most of my vacations in Canada, Ireland or Scotland, the food was very good to excellent in absolute terms. Especially fish and seafood but also the meat dishes. I ate a roasted lamb in Dubrovnik which was one of the best things I have eaten for months. The wine is very good too.

Good weather, good food, the sea, beautiful towns with lot’s of history and breathtaking national parks. It seems that Croatia is the hidden gem for travelers. Problem is: It’s not. It’s far from it. According to wikipedia Croatia had more than 11 million visitors in 2008 ( there are just about 4 million citizens! ).  In 2005 it got the “destination of the year”-award from lonely planet. So is it overcrowded and best to be avoided at all? No, I just recommend to go there in either May, June or September. You got good discounts on hotels or apartments and almost empty beaches. FinePix X100 (23mm, f/5.6, 1/80 sec, ISO200)