Very busy relaxing. (damnit!)

Greetings from sunny Croatia! We’re camping in Istria, which is a very interesting place- Some of the buildings here date back to the Roman times and there was a strong Italian influence here for many centuries.

This is a huge commercial campground which is crammed full with just about every nationality except for ethnic Croatians. There are probably more Germans populating the tents around us than there are in our neighborhood back home.

I don’t know if it’s due to the 14 hour drive-from-hell to get here, or the half-day it cost to get our tent set up next to the caravan, but we are CRABBY. We haven’t hit our stride yet and are hovering in a constant state of irritation.

At least it’s possible to do that here in a bathing suit, though, so there’s a silver lining to an otherwise puss-colored cloud.

When we arrived yesterday evening I immediately offered to check us in at the administration building—normally I hate that kind of activity, but it afforded me a few precious minutes alone and probably saved the lives of my two small children who I was plotting to dismember right there in the back seat of our car.

The reception office was crammed full of tourists and in my state of mind I found them particularly odious. I got in line behind an American who was straight out of a David Sedaris novel. He was shouting at the receptionist as if she were stupid: WHERE. IS. MY. APARTMENT?!

A shudder ran through me and I switched to a different line. Where I found myself directly behind a trashy Dutch couple who were bitching and complaining. You didn't have to know a single word of Dutch to understand what they were saying. It was that obnoxious.

**sigh** It's always horrifying to realize that tourists reflect back the most embarrassing facets of our own cultures...

Regardless of the wad of gum in my mouth and the four Dutch passports I was clutching in my hand I felt compelled to distance myself from my offensive compatriots. So when it was my turn I addressed the receptionist in German. (don't ask-- for some reason it seemed like a brilliant plan at the time. ???)

Hi. We’ve got a campsite reserved under the name V.

I’m sorry, I don’t see your name on the list.

Um, well, it’s under the name V. (I spelled it out again, a little bit louder this time.)

No, I don’t see your name here.

I could feel the people standing in line behind me collectively rolling their eyes and cursing me for my own national stereotypes.

I handed the receptionist my reservation confirmation and she looked at me and smiled coldly.

But this is for tomorrow. You have arrived one day early.

At that point my head exploded. For some reason it had not even occurred to me that I could possibly annoy this woman more than the demanding people who had been ahead of me...

Luckily she was able to find a spot for us anyway. And it was even on the side of the campsite where everyone wears clothes.

***

S just walked by holding an open can of beer. ??? I guess that's my cue to shut this thing down.

If he's lucky I won't knock him down before I rip it out of his hand and chug it...