October 8, 2019 – A heartwarming tale of honesty from a Minnesota tourist visiting Trogir.
One of the first things expats will tell you about the benefits of living in Croatia is just how safe it is. From walking around late at night to letting children play outside, Croatia seems (happily) to have been caught up in a time warp of the past where some of the less savoury aspects of modern life rarely occur in Croatia. Murders and violent crime are rare, as is theft (unless you talk on the State level…). I remember reading in the regional news a few years ago about the theft of a few litres of olive oil from a resident’s garage – that is the level of crime epidemic we are dealing with.
When I first moved to Hvar, I never locked my house, and neither did many of the neighbours. There was simply no need, and it was easier for the postman to enter (as he did) if he had a package to deliver while you were out or sleeping. I know of many foreigners and diaspora who have moved to Croatia to bring up their kids in a safer environment.
And part of that safety comes with honesty. I have lost count of the number of times I have left my laptop in a bar after a cold one too many to find it just where I left it. There was even my favourite story of the postman who liked a drink or two who left the town’s pension money on a cafe table as he went off to do his rounds. He was more than a little relieved to find it being looked after in the cafe two hours later. And for my personal ultimate experience, this is what happened when I dropped my laptop on the streets of Zagreb and only noticed the next morning.
And so to the reason for this post and the identity of the lovely lady above. Perhaps it is best told through the words of tourist John Kaul from Minnesota, a region with a sizable Croatian population of its own. John was apparently enjoying his holiday in Trogir when disaster struck:
This is Anna. She works in a restaurant in Trogir, Croatia. Yesterday was not a red-letter day for me. I dropped my camera and damaged a lens. Then I left my wallet at a restaurant the same evening. The next morning when I returned to the restaurant in a state of near apoplexy she comforted me by rejoining me to my wallet. Everything was there. I tried to thank her with a big tip. She would have none of it. So, I went off to a local market bought her these flowers. She said that I had made her very happy. Not nearly as happy as she had made me! I love Croatia and Croatians are the warmest and most honest people on earth.
Great story – if anyone knows the name of the restaurant, please let me know and I will add, so that others may enjoy Anna’s fine service and hospitality.
I loved some of the comments below John’s post:
When I got to Croatia the first time I said “my family left this place for the Iron Range of Minnesota??? You’ve got to be kidding me!” lol! It honestly is a magical place to me. I am glad you have been enjoying your vacation!
You have heard about the lovely people of Trogir, now meet the town, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site close to Split. Learn more in the Total Croatia Trogir in a Page.
