What is more appropriate today than to write about love (and travel!). Isn't it best to take off and celebrate l'amour, and if possible, do it on a yacht? Every travel adventure with your loved one is special, but what about marking an occasion with a trip to somewhere warm, somewhere historical, azure, and magical? What about a trip to the Old World, and to a newly discovered place all at once? You guessed that right, I'm talking about Croatia (Surprise, surprise...) Here, the winding streets invite you to explore, and the shimmering waters lure you in to float and forget you ever had a worry on your mind. Even for me, and I spent most of my life in Croatia, these thoughts recall memories of a relaxing day by the Adriatic sea, basking in the balmy September sun (sounds a lot better than February in New York anyway...)
WHY CROATIA?
What if you could combine the romantic ambiance of Italy, Greece's blue waters, the French Riviera promenade, with wine and food that resembles all of them, but it's still quite unique? You could experience all that during one week of effortlessly cruising the coast, without driving, changing hotels, or doing any planning really. Now, I could continue trying to convince you why Croatia is such a great perfect choice for a romantic trip, but since actions speak louder than words, I present to you our most recent couples who did exactly that in September 2021, and now get to live with this wonderful memory.
THE HONEYMOON
Brittany & Seth, California
This lovely couple had their wedding and honeymoon planned for spring 2020. Fast forward to late summer 2021, we joined efforts and made it happen, and the Croatian coast became part of their trip through Europe. We chose for them a great 50 ft sailboat built in 2019 and located in Trogir, which proved to be an excellent choice as both Brittany and Seth are sports types who enjoyed scuba diving, swimming, and sailing lessons from their skipper Antonio. They all bonded and became friends for life! We at Anchor & Wine couldn't be happier with how things worked out!
Here is part of their testimonial originally posted on Tripadvisor:
(...)"We arrived to our boat Polina, and met our captain Antonio. We instantly felt a connection with Antonio, and knew this was going to be an incredible 7 days. Silvia had a welcome package which melted our hearts. There was wine, and local spreads, soaps and body oils. It put the biggest smiles on our faces and we used everything throughout the week. The boat was beautiful! Antonio showed us around and showed us how things worked before we began our adventure. Every spot Antonio took us to seemed to get better and better. My husband and I kept pinching ourselves saying this is real life. We docked at intimate bays where we dined at the only restaurant in the area. The food was fresh and delicious, and the chefs and owners made us feel like family. Then we docked at marinas where we got to explore the towns. We shopped at local markets to bring back olive oil, anchovies, fresh veggies and Rekia to the boat. Antonio made reservations to dining spots we would never find on our own. Each meal was exceptional. We had the perfect balance of adventure and exploration as well as relaxation. We told Antonio we wanted to learn how to sail, and we were given the best sailing lesson ever. He let us be hands on and was an incredible teacher. We hope to one day buy a sailboat and have Antonio visit us. My husband was tearing up the day we had to leave Polina. It was an experience we will never forget. We can’t wait to come back to Croatia and sail with anchor and wine again."
THE ANNIVERSARY
Cathy & Steve, Texas
When Steve first reached out to me, they were three couples looking to charter a catamaran in Croatia. We agreed on a comfy 45 ft cat located in Split that would take them to Dubrovnik. As time passed and uncertainties about covid were still very present, Steve & Cathy ended up traveling by themselves. That didn't discourage them from what Steve had initially planned to be part of the trip: A surprise vow renewal ceremony for their 40th wedding anniversary! After exploring a couple of options, the choice was made: The intimate ceremony would take place in a chapel tucked away in the countryside of Korcula island. Cathy was very surprised as they arrived at the tastefully decorated church, where the traditional Croatian ensemble welcomed them with a live performance, and a photograph captured how happy and moved they were on this very special day. Dinner with wine tasting followed in a family-owned konoba.
The review posted after the trip on Tripadvisor:
"Silvia planned the most wonderful vacation we have ever had! We booked a one way sailing trip from Split to Dubrovnik. The boat she picked was perfect (2019 Lagoon 45
The itinerary was great as we saw all the great small islands on the way to Dubrovnik.
The Captain (Demir) and Hostess ( Ivana ) were great.
Silvia put together a surprise renewal of vows at an old 14th century church in Korčula since it was our 40th wedding anniversary.
Very relaxing and never felt rushed. Lots of great wines along the way.
Would highly recommend!!"
Fin.