Local Woman Takes Memorable No-Itinerary Trip to Europe
We’ve all dreamed of quitting our jobs and running far, far away — preferably to a beautiful beach with a tropical drink in hand.
The thought of indulging in delectable cuisine and spending our days doing whatever our heart desires sounds mighty good. Susan Edel lived that dream last summer when she resigned from her sales manager position, booked a one-way ticket to Croatia and set off without a plan in place.
A divorced empty nester with no current commitments, Edel decided this was the perfect time to take a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, no-itinerary trip to Europe. She invited a friend to accompany her on her travels.
The pair spent a month in Zadar, Croatia, where they got to know many of the locals by washing their clothes at the laundromat down by the café and chatting with the ladies at the grocery store.
“I wanted to stay in one place long enough to feel like a part of the town so I could learn about the area and the culture,” Edel says.
She took day trips and boating excursions to various beaches and was surprised to find many of them were rocky with dark brown sand rather than pristine white. Still, the water was breathtakingly crystal clear.
Each night the women tried a different restaurant, dining mostly on pasta and fish since those were the primary options.
“After a month, I was ready for a cheeseburger,” Edel says with a chuckle. “But the food was fantastic.”
In Old Town Zadar is an underwater sea organ consisting of large steps descending into the sea with hidden pipes underneath. When the waves move slowly, there’s not much sound, but when boats create waves or the wind picks up, the organ makes a louder melodic tone.
“Every night at sunset people would sit for an hour and listen to the sea organ,” Edel says.
During their month-long stay in Croatia, the friends rented a car and embarked on a five-day trip to Split, a big city on the coast. They toured Dubrovnik, where several seasons of “Game of Thrones” were filmed, then returned to Split and rode a ferry to Hvar for three nights.
They also took a mini trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. There they explored 16 small lakes that connect into cascading waterfalls. They started at the top and did a four-hour guided tour down to the bottom.
“It was 22,000 steps,” Edel says. “It was insane but absolutely worth it.”
During the second leg of the trip, the pair flew to Venice, Italy, where they met up with their daughters to visit Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Basilica and the Grand Canal, where they took a gondola ride. Next came Florence, where Edel and her daughter walked the stunning Boboli Gardens filled with trees, sculptures and both natural and modern art.
In Tuscany, they did a wine and food tour, signed up for a pasta-making class and took a train to Rome, where they saw the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. They also toured the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
The Jubilee — a religious event celebrated every 25 years — happened to take place during Edel’s visit. The Holy Doors in St. Peter’s Basilica were open, allowing her to walk through.
“I’m Catholic, and walking through the Holy Doors is supposed to give you a spiritual renewal,” she says.
The foursome also visited the Amalfi Coast, a stretch of southern Italy’s coastline overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. One day they went to Pompeii, the ancient Roman city near Naples buried under 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79.
“That was really cool,” Edel says. “Archaeologists are still in the process of uncovering the city.”
After 10 days together, the girls flew home while the moms continued traveling through Greece. They visited Santorini to relax by the pool, lounge on the beach and browse the local shops.
“We could be adults again, so we had a lot of fun,” Edel says, noting that Greece was just what she envisioned — cobblestone streets, white concrete walls and blue roofs and doors.
They took a ferry to Mykonos, an island famous for its nightlife and luxury shopping. Edel happened to be there the same time reality star Kylie Jenner was in Mykonos, and basketball legend Michael Jordan was on a private yacht when she was in Croatia.
During their five days in Mykonos, they visited two of the high-energy beach clubs, including Paradise Beach. Home to Tropicana Beach Club, it’s one of the most iconic beaches in the world.
“Those beaches were bougie,” Edel says. “At 4 p.m. music started cranking, and dancers would come out and dance until 10 p.m.”
After six weeks, Edel’s friend flew home while Edel went on to Naxos, where she once again chatted with the islanders. She dreams of returning to Greece someday to spend six months working in a local business during the busy season.
Edel, who was gone from June 19 through Aug. 10, is thrilled she took this magical trip.
“I thought about waiting, but then I decided I’m not waiting anymore. I wanted to do this for myself,” Edel says. “This is my self-love year — doing what I want, when I want.”
