Kiss & Fly

Another visit to Croatia with friendship sprinkles on top

Croatia was revisited. This time around the corner on the coast at a place called Seget Vranjica. The week I went, there was a severe heatwave. Of course there was. Like it wasn’t bloody hot enough already, let me introduce you to Hell. But, since I was coming from a heatwave into another heatwave I didn’t really care. This one had air-conditioning and a big Adriatic Sea. Win.

This is the first time I have travelled to and from a destination in shorts and sandals and been hot both ends.

They say, pay attention to your journey, because this gives flavour to what comes after. The airport, flight, and all travel went very well and on arrival we got upgraded to a fancy apartment instead of a room. For free. Not only that but the maids had left tons of food: part baked frozen croissants, bread rolls, ham, cheese, beer, butter, jam…. Everyday they brought a new thing. A melon, apricots, cakes. I used to look forward to finding new prizes everyday!

This holiday included some friends going along and the reason I went to Croatia again as they had booked and knew the place well. This was something I was really looking forward to and worrying about in equal measure because I’d never holidayed with them before. I can’t be on my best behaviour for a full week a whole day. It’s funny when you holiday with others because both parties want to make sure everything runs smoother than a Mr Whippy swirl.

“Look, if you ever want to go off on your own and do your own thing, then please do. We won’t be offended in the slightest!”

“Oh yes, you too! We were just saying the same thing. Honestly, do whatever you want.”

However, had somebody gone off and done their own thing then this would have happened.

“Oh God.. Do they hate us? Is it because I was inappropriate, rude, obnoxious, refused to eat squid suckers? Should I approach them with flowers and lashings of wine?”

Thankfully, this avenue of despair and anxiety was spared as we all got along absolutely famously! As Enid Blyton might’ve said, Cue the ginger beer!

Actually, we cued the limoncello spritz and Croatia’s famous pink vino. Chicken wine.

What I particularly enjoyed, aside from the group dynamics and fun, was the chance to holiday with another female on the same page as me. Someone I could swim in the sea with and pretend to be a mermaid doing yoga without having to justify why I still think I’m 5. Someone who would actually get in the sea with me even if it was cold, want to go on a pedalo with a slide, happily buy and wear tarty ankle bracelets and friendship ties no matter how blousy. It was nice to be able to whisper in the sea or chat behind cocktail glasses about life from a woman’s perspective and be understood.

It was good to share on many levels and within that space be extremely comfortable.

Can I borrow your cream?

Taste my drink!

Try this…

What are you wearing tonight?

Shall we do this?

You look lovely.

Let me tell you about this…

Shall we get headscarves and be retro bitches?

Shall we have another wine?

Lets have a photo!

We went on boats, on trips, to the Blue Lagoon (because there’s always a Blue Lagoon), and to a national park that looked like paradise.

We ate lunch and dinner together, chased wasps together, and made fabulous new memories.

I miss it.

A whole week of that was just what I needed. I don’t get to spend long periods of time with friends like that. Most times it’s a meal out, a catch up for a coffee, a boozy gossip. It’s a kiss and fly. A longer while lets you in a little more and builds on something already very special.

Thankfully, I have a trip or two coming up with great pals so I think my happiness meter will be full for the onset of falling leaves.

I thought about friends on the plane home and all the things we’ve done over the years and it was like looking back over a sepia photo, soft, warming, and golden with memories. And as I flew into Great Britain and looked down on the fields, it looked just the same, as though my thoughts had landed on the brown patchwork quilt of England.

And then I remembered, it looks like that because it’s been too bloody hot and the ground has been scorched to high heaven.

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