Sweet July….
July began in France. The weather there wasn’t quite the same, and the light dresses I had brought were too thin. I enjoyed time with my loved ones, partied with friends and family, and protested against the far-right, which threatened to come to power. And on the bus ride back, the left was elected. Relief. After 37 hours of travel, I arrived back in Murter.
Life is so beautiful here. The island in the summer colors is stunning. We are in paradise. I swim, read, watch sunsets, eat ice cream, crepes, pizzas, and dance at Reful concerts… Yoga classes have started. I was stressed at first because I’m not a yoga teacher, and it was outside my comfort zone. But trying new things always has a bit of anxiety, of stage fright. And in the end, I love it. I love preparing the sessions, which makes me do a lot of yoga at home. And I love the sessions with tourists on Luke beach at dusk. It’s kind, calm, gentle. People are nice and grateful. They enjoy it, and so do I. And I’m quite proud to be a yoga teacher for a summer on the beaches of this beautiful Croatian island, it’s cool. I attended Romi’s aerobics classes, which are also great. In the water early in the morning with upbeat music, we dance facing the sun warming us, backs to the Kornati islands, clear in the morning light. Then we end with a swim in the clear waters of Slanica. It’s like a dream, or Club Med, your choice, lol.
The Eco-Wednesday summer edition is going very well. The Lantana setting is breathtaking and brings a peaceful, vacation-like atmosphere, with the smooth playlist of the bar and the view over the sea at Čigrađa. The kids are interested and all so cute. The atmosphere among us colleagues is also much more relaxed than in winter. The summer vibes are taking over, and here we are, barefoot, dancing, laughing while leading our workshops. We went to do a workshop in Pašman, enjoying the beach beforehand, discovering a new island. I led a workshop on the threat of plastic in the ocean, by the sea with children in wet swimsuits from their last swim.
I went to Zadar for a weekend to attend a music festival on the waterfront with a Romi look-alike, maybe her cousin. It was a wonderful evening full of surprises in a Zadar transformed by summer and tourists, all in celebration! It did me a lot of good.
My friend Naëlle came to spend a week with us. Yoga, aerobics, beach, swimming, restaurants, concerts at Reful, we did it all. Even Murter’s underground tunnels, for the first time. After a first failed attempt, we tried again and went through long underground tunnels used during the war to reach magnificent viewpoints over the sea at the top of Raduč. We hitchhiked to Šibenik, meeting cheerful locals along the way with whom the conversations were pleasant and enriching. This city charms me more each time with its radiant beauty. The return trip took us 3 hours instead of 30 minutes by car, but eventually, a taxi agreed to take us back without paying! Hitchhiking with a taxi, that’s the key to a successful trip.
Summer continues, gentle and happy. We enjoy every moment. I enjoy my time with Romi, whose departure is approaching. If I think too much about her leaving, I get teary-eyed. I will miss this island, our daily life as well. For now, let’s enjoy this summer, keep laughing, talking for hours, swimming, reading, learning while having fun with the kids, stretching facing the sea, and continue to be happy simply.
Juliette, volunteer from France
About the ESC : The European Solidarity Corps is a program of the European Union to strengthen solidarity in various areas: from helping the disadvantaged and providing humanitarian aid to engagement for health and the environment in the EU and beyond.
The program offers young people the opportunity to respond to the needs of the community, make a concrete contribution to society, and in the process gain invaluable experience and develop new skills. The program is also intended for organizations active in the field of solidarity that want to involve young people in their activities.
