On the recent inaugural sailing of the Viking Sea from Istanbul to Venice in April, I jumped at the chance to visit Cilipi, Croatia, one of three villages on a shore excursion called the Flavors and Traditions of Old Croatia that was available at the Dubrovnik port.
I had been in Cilipi twice before. It was beautiful the first time, a sad wreck of a place the second time and, I hoped, it would be beautiful again on this trip.
On the first visit in 1976, when it was still part of Yugoslavia, musicians and folk dancers entertained our group. Women in traditional dress sold handicrafts.
The second visit, in 1993, came soon after a 1992 cease-fire during Croatia's war for independence from Yugoslavia. Almost all the buildings in the central square were roofless and gutted. A group of volunteers had dug a ditch across the square to repair the town's plumbing.
For this year's visit, I expected a reprise of the experience from 40 years ago, but I was wrong.
All the action of the excursion was centered on rural family businesses, and the centers of the villages were not part of the plan. I did ask for the chance to stop for a third set of photos at the heart of Cilipi, where the buildings have indeed been nicely restored.
My visit this year illustrated the evolving tourist interest in more meaningful contact with the cultures and people visited while on vacation.
Our group watched an olive grower in the village of Orasac demonstrate the old ways of pressing olives, first using a horse-powered mill and then a manually operated press. The best part of this demonstration was watching our host pamper his horse, offering her bread to keep her motivated. Just as enjoyable was the snack for the visiting humans, comprising fresh greens, smoked prosciutto, cheese and olives all bathed in the olive oil he had made and offered with a very nice homemade wine.
At the next stop in Ljuta, we watched the hosts demonstrate the traditional ways of milling grain and fulling wool, both dependent on a fast-moving river and waterwheels.
The Cilipi visit came last. It was lunch in a farmhouse, an authorized agribusiness, where much of the ground floor has been set aside to host tour groups. Two folk singers provided the entertainment.
Our multiple stops included tastes of local liqueurs (cherry, grappa, loquat and walnut) and brief tours of family gardens, the source of the fresh foods served to visitors. Also, our guide described eye-popping remedies for aches and pains using things such as grappa, olive soap and raw eggs.
Hosts sold their products, both olive oil and other foodstuffs. We got to carry the tastes of Croatia home in our luggage.