Many travellers are discovering Break Time Nautical for their unique nautical bracelets, but one customer walked out of the shop with so much more.
It is no secret that I am a sucker for a good love story. I am the one subtly wiping tears from my eyes whenever anyone shares anything remotely romantic, sad, beauiful… ok I am emotional. Love stories in particular get me good. When I first started travelling, I was obsessed with asking people about their love stories, our lives are filled with so much glossy magazine images and Hollywood notions that I wanted to discover what love really looks like.
So, when I opened my computer the other morning and saw a marriage proposal in a local Split Boutique shop, it absolutely made my day. The journalist in me couldn’t help but to learn more; thankfully I know the owner of the shop, so we met for a coffee and got all teary-eyed together.
Mirela Rus, owner of Break Time Nautical explained that there was more to the story and that the proposal in the Break Time Nautical shop was no mere coincidence. Marius Strambeanu and Livia Enache are long-time friends of Mirela Rus and Ionut Copoiu from Bucharest.
Apparently, Marius perhaps has something to do with the Break Time story, just over two years ago, Ionut was making these bracelets for friends in Romania, Marius saw them and asked for one as well (he was still wearing the original from two years ago). Little did Mirela and Ionut know that they would end up building a life in Croatia based around these bracelets. Over the years Marius has been one of their #1 supporters, purchasing many bracelets for friends and family, but he was about to purchase the most special of all…
Pictured with original Break Time bracelet from 2015.
Mirela and Ionut are passionate about Croatia and have convinced many friends to visit over the years, always sending them off to Vinišće – the first town Mirela fell in love with and the reason they moved here. After convincing Marius and Livia to come and visit, the wheels were set in motion. Marius then reached out to them sharing that he intended to propose to Livia on their upcoming holiday in Croatia and wanted some help with the final touches because he wished to do it in the Break Time shop.
Everything was set, they all went for a walk around Split while Ionut began regaling them with the history of the town and pointing out buildings and monuments of interest. Mirela ‘coincidentally’ got a phone call and had to go to the shop where they were all to meet soon. Back at the shop, Mirela had the ring with her and slipped it onto a Break Time bracelet and placed it in a bag, waiting for them to arrive, the rest you can see for yourself in the video below…
She said YES! Ok, she nodded convincingly. A beautiful moment.
Marius and Livia were also gracious enough to share their comments with me.
“I’ve been working on everything since February, after following the suggestions of Ionut and Mirela to visit the coast of Croatia, especially Vinišće for a few well-deserved days by the beach, with good food and rest. But, as the time passed, I needed a plan (with a bit of surprise and excitement) to complete my proposal. Ionut, Mirela, Split and last but not least Break Time Nautical made it all possible in a way that touched me even more than I anticipated.” – Marius
“I was really, really surprised. Before we got to the shop I was caught up in Ionut’s stories about Split, I saw Marius was a little distracted, but I had no idea what was about to happen” – Livia
With such a special moment happening here, I was curious as to their feelings about Croatia in general.
“We are both for the first time in Croatia, but certainly not the last. We loved the unique coastal landscapes, the quiet of Vinišće, the friendly people and of course the food – that’s why we want to come back maybe next year – ‘the virus is transmitted further’ (referring to Mirela’s long-time obsession with Croatia before they moved here. As for Split, it will be a special and exciting place for us from now on and we hope to annually renew our collection of bracelets straight from the source.” – Marius
“Croatia made me feel alike to its land; because when I came to this country I was a Miss and when I go I will leave a future lady, just like the change beside the Sveti Rock tunnel. When you come in Dalmatia, everything changes from the weather to the landscapes. Now, I have been changed in Dalmatia too.” – Livia.
Marius works in Europe FM radio in Romania and while they didn’t tell their friends and family immediately, word (and perhaps a little help from the video) has spread.
Croatia weaves its magic once again. Heartfelt congratulations to you both and a lifetime filled with many more adventures!
