Have you ever had a dream that took nearly 20 years to come true?

What follows is my story about just such a dream…

I fell in love with opera at 18, and by 19, I had developed a deep affection for The Three Tenors—Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, and José Carreras. The prior year, however, marked the end of their concerts together. With a bucket list goal set, I resolved to hear each tenor live before they retired. In 2005 – through what I believe to be a direct answer to prayer, I witnessed Pavarotti perform just two years before his passing in 2007. Fast forward to 2017: I experienced the virtuosity of Domingo in concert at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on a blustery February evening. Only one tenor remained.

José Carreras was the reason for the trio’s inception, so it was essential to hear him perform. After his recovery from leukemia in the 1980s, Carreras established a foundation and performed rarely, often in distant locales. But with several concerts planned for 2024, I knew this had to be the year. My husband and I chose Croatia and crafted our autumn vacation around the concert.

With a purposeful 23-hour layover in London, we planned to make the most of a day in the city. As new members of the Arkansas chapter of the International Wine & Food Society, we were eager to explore the club’s flagship headquarters office location, the In and Out Naval and Military Club. After visiting some of the main sights—Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Piccadilly Circus—we received a warm welcome and were given a private tour of the club. We were also hosted for afternoon wine at The Goat Brasserie. We concluded our day with a fine dinner in The Coffee Room, the club’s formal dining room overlooking St. James’s Square. True to our travel tradition of pairing wines local to the places we visit, we chose a crisp English sparkling brut to accompany our meal. The Cornish hen was exquisite, as were the prawn cocktail and Eton mess.

After a memorable day in London, we journeyed across the Adriatic to Croatia, thrilled to explore its wine and culinary traditions. The late September weather could not have been more perfect. Traveling from south to north through Croatia was a culinary delight, with perfect pastas, the freshest seafood, and wines that were both clean and full of character. Our visit to Winery Botaro near Dubrovnik was particularly memorable; for six generations, they’ve produced an impressive array of wines, cheeses, digestive liqueurs, and traditional foodstuffs.

In Dubrovnik, we indulged at Restaurant 360 Dubrovnik, the city’s only Michelin-starred establishment. Situated atop the ancient castle walls, the restaurant offers sublime views. The service was impeccable, and the dishes were adventurous works of art! The pigeon entrée was surprisingly nuanced, while the scallop tartare was the best I’ve ever had.

Continuing northward toward the Carreras concert, we reached Split, where we explored Diocletian’s historic city and enjoyed unmatched parmesan fries at an outdoor café and a mortadella pizza at Luxor that was pure perfection. A visit to Šibenik led us to exceptional baklava, and in Zadar, we were captivated by the haunting Sea Organ. Our final destination, Zagreb, offered distinctly Austro-Germanic culinary and architectural influences. A dinner highlight was štrukli, a rich, baked pastry and cheese dish, which paired splendidly with a stainless-steel-aged Zinfandel.

Our hotel, The Esplanade, a 1925 art deco masterpiece, was originally built to host passengers from the Orient Express. Among Zagreb’s highlights was Pupitres, a wine bar that took us on an educational journey through Croatia’s diverse wine regions. Croatian pumpkin seed oil, I must note, is truly a delicacy. We found that wines made from Plavac Mali (red) and Pošip (white) grapes stood out, and we also discovered Malvasia Istriana, which is certainly worth seeking out. Croatia’s sparkling wines show great promise as well.

The evening of the concert finally arrived! Following an exceptional Croatian dinner, we headed to Lisinski Hall to see Carreras. Though his music is intimately familiar to me, I had no idea what the program held. With my heart excitedly pounding, I clutched my husband’s arm as Carreras delivered stirring renditions of classics like The Impossible Dream, Granada, Moon River, the Brindisi from La Traviata, and a breathtaking O Sole Mio. Despite his nearly 78 years and his previous health struggles, his voice remained a vessel of pure beauty, power, and emotional resonance. Conducted by David Giménez and accompanied by the Zagreb Philharmonic, Carreras enraptured the audience with his inspiring selections and at least four encores, each note echoing with vitality and depth. I ended the night with many happy tears and overwhelming gratitude.

It was a profoundly moving night of music, a culmination of a decades-old dream, and a wonderful European journey.