How to lure people to The Bench and how to turn them away.
I know, I know, last week's instalment in The Bench series was supposed to be an exception, theme-wise. I strayed from the old Dalmatians who gather on benches and use their vast wordly experience to debate about the current state of affairs, but can you blame me? The old couple on the waterfront in Rijeka was too touching a scene to resist.
Judging by the following photo sent to us by Andrew Villone, I'm not the only one with a soft spot for romance. A camping resort on Krk island seems to be equipped with the best possible kind of resting spot – a kissing bench! You bet I'm allowing this theme to go on for another week.
How sweet is this? Not only is the bench located at a lovely photo point, it also looks like a pretty calming place to share a couple of gentle moments... or just sit back while listening to the sound of waves behind you.
My favourite thing about the photo – apart from the couple themselves – is the fact the sign on the left says 'Kiss please'. What a polite sign! Of course you'd kiss, especially when asked so nicely. With such a warm welcome and tranquil scenery wherever you turn, it's hard to imagine this bench stays unoccupied for long stretches of time.
A somewhat different example comes from Bogomolje on Hvar island, where we find another spot accompanied by a well-meaning invitation. The bench on the photo below says sidi i uživaj, meaning take a seat and chill out/enjoy, but it remains eerily vacant despite the best possible intention of its maker.
My guess? Croats don't like being told what to do – not even if it might end up being enjoyable. Whoever wrote this should follow the kissing example next time, or resort to some reverse psychology: Do not sit on this bench. Sitting forbidden. I bet it'd fill up in no time.
