Florence recaptures some of our discoveries about our Croatian hometown of Šibenik. Had we not had a guide to describe some of these ‘secrets’ we never would have known about them.
Or If These Walls Could Talk
Anyone can get a guide book and a map and walk around a strange city. The problem with this approach is that you are bound to miss something truly amazing and those guide books are only as good as the person who wrote them and how well they did their research. Sometimes it is best to hire a guide to learn the secrets of a place that only a local would know.
On a beautiful winter day recently we did just this walking around the city of Sibenik with Tina Vickov, owner of Sibenik Plus Tourism Agency and Tina Bilus (a licensed guide for Sibenik County) who gave us some of the inside scoop on the city we have been calling home. What we found out was that even after being here for several months we had more to learn.
The most famous landmark…
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Applecore 
Just wonderful! Beautiful words and photos!
I’m glad Florence was taking notes that day. – Mike
A most fascinating post! I totally agree with you about hiring local guides if possible, as they know so much and are always excited to share. They know all kinds of special places that we would never know about otherwise. It’s also a good way to support the local people who have much to offer.
Often we read comments from people who pride themselves on “going it alone,” and while it’s fun to make our own discoveries, I wouldn’t want to miss out on what I learn from local guides and also the relationship that is formed.
Fortunately, we made contacts with people who went out of their way for us to make sure we had the best possible experience in their city. They worked at making sure we comfortable, happy, and taken care of. Their desire was that we should love their city and their country, and we did. And because we are easy to get along with, we became good friends. Without question we were treated special. I think, if we referred friends, our Croatian friends would work just as hard to extend the same courtesies that we received.