“Is it always like this in Spring?” questioned the travel journalist from an English tabloid newspaper as we sat together over an espresso in front of Gradska Kavana.

I wasn’t sure if he was referring to the bright warm sunshine or the half-empty streets still relatively devoid of tourists.

We were chatting about overtourism, which seemed rather bizarre as the streets were empty. “You are comparing oranges and apples,” I started, “when you compare tourism in Dubrovnik and Barcelona.”

He had mentioned the classic Venice, Barcelona, and Dubrovnik clump of three destinations that have been plagued with overtourism.

Yep, Spring must have started as I was again talking about the upcoming season. Apparently, the 20th of March is the first day of a new season, although it depends on which season calculator you follow.

Rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection, and regrowth—and so, is it a time to throw out the clutter of life that has collected around you?

It’s time to Spring clean.

I have no idea how all this stuff reappears every March. I don’t feel like we are particularly going out of our way to collect new things, or as my wife calls them “dust catchers,” in fact, quite the opposite.

Things all changed for us when we spent two and a half months carrying our worlds on our backs when we went on a hiking expedition. I literally wore the same shorts for 63 days!

So how did we go from minimalistic to full-on hamster mode?

I am guessing that I am to blame for a large percentage. I still have this “you’ll never know when you might need it” frame of mind that I probably inherited from my father. His obsession was more with tools and practical things; mine seems to have explored new avenues.

This year, we are pulling out all the stops. Not only clutter-busting, but a complete house paint. And let me tell you, there is nothing that reveals the true horror of your hoarding tendencies quite like having to move every single item in your house from one side of the room to the other.

Suddenly, that little pile of miscellaneous items that “didn’t seem too bad” has turned into an Everest of nonsense.

Half-used candles, cables for long-forgotten electronics, and an impressive collection of hotel slippers (seriously, where did they all come from?).

Marie Kondo (remember her from the times of Covid and her clutter-free lifestyle) would be having heart palpitations at the sheer volume of things that do not, in any way, spark joy. "Does this item bring you happiness?" she would ask with her serene smile. No, Marie, this tangled mess of charger cables and mystery keys does not bring me happiness.

But the real dilemma is that I don’t actually know what half of these things belong to, so the irrational part of my brain says, "Keep it, just in case!"

And then comes the painting. Who knew walls could be this grubby? Who knew that the once-pristine white had morphed into fifty shades of beige thanks to years of fingerprints, dogs brushing past, and whatever mysterious grime accumulates when you’re not looking?

The fresh coat of paint is supposed to symbolize renewal, but in reality, it’s more of a reminder of all the DIY tasks we’ve been avoiding. I have also discovered that I have the attention span of a goldfish when it comes to painting.

First, there's the enthusiasm—the grand vision of a transformed home. Then, about ten minutes in, there’s the deep regret. "Why did we start this?" And just when I think we are making progress, my wife drops the ultimate Spring-cleaning bombshell: "Maybe we should reorganize the furniture while we’re at it?"

Ah yes, because if we’re already suffering, why not suffer completely?

So, while the tourists are slowly starting to trickle back into Dubrovnik, blinking into the Spring sunlight and marveling at our "quiet streets," I will be at home, trapped in a whirlwind of paint fumes, dust bunnies, and a growing existential crisis about why I own more than a dozen rugs!

Rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal? Sure. But only if I survive this Spring clean first.

Read more Englishman in Dubrovnik…well, if you really want to

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About the author

Mark Thomas (aka Englez u Dubrovniku) is the editor of The Dubrovnik Times. He was born and educated in the UK and moved to live in Dubrovnik in 1998. He works across a whole range of media, from a daily radio show to TV and in print. Thomas is fluent in Croatian and this column is available in Croatia on the website – Dubrovnik Vjesnik