The Adriatic Sea is a striking coastal setting in Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen’s Croatia trip. Its rocky beaches and pristine turquoise water offer a vivid spectacle, but the beauty of the landscape does not make the trip itself easy.

Setting and Landscape

During the trip, Poppy, Alex, and Bernard, the official R+R photographer, visit Dubrovnik’s Old Town, with its high stone walls and winding streets, then travel farther out to the rocky beaches beside the Adriatic Sea. The water’s clear turquoise color makes the coast one of the trip’s most beautiful sights.

The Final Evening

On their last night, the three travelers drink heavily at a restaurant overlooking the sea. As the sun sets, pink and gold light spreads across the water, which first appears as a sheet of light and gradually darkens to deep purple. The view gives their final evening a quiet visual splendor, even as the travelers are exhausted and weighed down by wine.

Narrative Significance

The Adriatic’s beauty stands in contrast to Poppy’s description of the journey as the best and worst trip she and Alex have ever taken. The sea supplies an image of shared wonder, but it cannot resolve the strain of traveling with Bernard or the tension between the longtime friends. Its changing colors accompany the trip’s end: a memorable landscape at the close of an experience whose emotional complications remain.