being flexible

Most everyone in Croatia that we encountered spoke at least some English. On our trip we rented a car, stayed in nice hotels, and more often than not ate at restaurants in more touristy areas. We didn't exactly take the training wheels off for our big international family trip. We wanted something that, while a little different than the typical vacation, would still be reasonably easy to navigate with kids of varying ages. And this trip fit that bill nicely. It was an adventure but not too much of an adventure. 

But all travel, especially international travel, is bound to come with some unexpected surprises or challenges. Flights get delayed. Luggage gets lost. Food can be different. Details get lost in translation. Dad can't figure out where the parking break on the rental car is. Et cetera. So, despite our relatively controlled itinerary, we tried to prepare the boys for the unexpected little hiccups that come with travel by talking to them about needing to be especially flexible when traveling. We really tried to drill home the point before the trip, especially with respect to food.

So, a few days into the trip, when Kari was faced with an unexpected surprise of her own at dinner, she didn't really have much choice but to live up to the example of being flexible. She ordered fish and chips. We were all a bit taken aback when the waiter arrived and announced, "here are your little fishes" while placing a plate full of well, little fishes in front of her. She didn't eat them all but she did eat enough of them to prove that she could be flexible with food too. I felt so bad for the situation she found herself in that I ate one of the little fishes too as a show of solidarity. But only one.   

I think the big boys got the point about being flexible. And, for the most part, they did well with it on the trip. But luckily they didn't take the being flexible too far and rightfully spit out the clear vodka-like Croatian liquor they were served one night by accident at dinner. For some inexplicable reason, the restaurant at the hotel in Plitvice keeps extra liquor in the same glass bottles that they serve still mineral water in. They apologized about the incident but didn't seem particularly concerned about it all.  And they said it wasn't the first time it had happened. Somehow, I doubt it'll be the last time either.