Dreaming of Dubrovnik

It is true, I returned from my Croatian escapade over 2 weeks ago.  Perhaps after a post-holiday illness and a house guest who stayed for 7 days some might think I wouldn’t take the time to capture this Dalmatian Coast get-away.  Too much time has past, non?  Yeah, that did cross my mind too. However, as the weather continues to turn cooler here in Paris and I dreamily remember my seaside holiday spent with a dear friend near crystal blue waters and breathtaking backdrops, I decided such an omission would be akin to coming to Paris and not seeing the Tour Eiffel: possible, but quite regrettable. And who needs regrets?

Pas moi, so Idemo (Croatian for “Let’s go!)….

Although our 10 day holiday was split between 2 of Croatia’s famous seaport towns, Split being the other, plus an overnight in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina and a day trip to Montenegro, here I will only focus on my favorite part, Dubrovnik…which will be more than enough.

The above photo is my first glimpse of Old Town Dubrovnik at sunset on my first evening.  I had arrived several hours earlier, but the sweltering heat made me stay close to my soba, a little room I rented in a private home, until the sun recessed.  My hostess was a Croatian grandmother who had lived in her home for over 40 years (she lived through the days when Croatia was part of Communist Yugoslavia and witnessed the systematic bombings of Old Town during 1991 and 1992) .  The room she offered was comfortable, but the highlight was its large balcony overlooking the spectacular Adriatic.

Delicious! I neeeeeed right now :)!

As much as I liked this first stop, she did seem daunted by the whole effort of maintaining a room and me in her home. At 10:55am the next morning, 5 minutes before my 11am check-out time, she knocked on my door and in a dreary, strongly accented voice (the Croatian accent almost sounds like a mix between Russian and Italian), told me, ‘Make sure you are out by 11.”  I was probably on schedule to be out by 11:05, but since I didn’t want to further vex her, I hastily threw any remaining  items in my suitcase and headed for the door. As I settled the bill, she complained about all the taxes she had to pay as well as the 15% fee to booking.com (the website I used to find her). “Everyone takes something, and I am left with little,” were her words.  Trying to be positive and helpful, I offered an obvious solution, “Why don’t you raise the price?” (I paid 45Euros or 338Kuna, a beyond fair price for that view).  Her reply, “But how?”  I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Uh, change the 4 to a 5?” But maybe it isn’t that easy there.

 Out and About my first night on Old Town’s main street, Stradum.

Clearly a few other folks had the idea to come to Dubrovnik in August!  Not sure if it is visible in the photo, but the street is made from a polished limestone and is very slippery!  I am pretty adventurous in heels, but one look at this ice skating rink and I remained in sandals the entire stay.

Croatian Oysters…or Kamenica in Croatian

Luckily you don’t have to be in heels to enjoy oysters :)…and Croatia is quite famous for theirs. Mali Ston, a small town located near a a renowned Croatian Oyster bay, is close by, and these little beauties were from there.  This was my first taste of Croatia, and they did not disappoint.  The flavor was more salty versus some of the varieties I eat here in France which tend to be sweeter and creamier. The wine in the picture was Croatian as well…and paired perfectly.  More please! 

Although my soba hostess/grandma may have been a little grumpy, she was accommodating enough to take this picture of me off my room’s balcon.  It was tough to leave that view, but the next 4 nights I would be staying in the cobblestone streets of Old Town…

 …and with this adorable and dear friend, Kisara!

Taking our suitcases up this steep, slippery slope in the coastal heat was no small feat! However, Pero, our new host, offered us fresh green figs, ice cold water and a shot of a sweet, Croatian grappa-like alcohol upon finding his 600 year old house at the top of town. He also made sure we were well orientated before he sent us off on our own.  Croatian grandma who?

A Stroll through Dubrovnik:

As a note, one of the many great things about traveling with my Japanese girlfriend, is that she loves to take pictures. When anyone notes her prolific camera usage she ecstatically remarks, “I am Japanese!”  And thank God for it!  Most all pictures in this blog are hers. Hvala, Kisara!

 Pile Gate, built in the 16th century and the main entrance into the city.

City Guards keeping us tourists safe with their pointy spears, drum and traditional red and blue costume.

Onophrian Fountain near Pile Gate

The water in Dubrovnik is clean, cold and available all over town in fountains like . Morning and night as we left our hotel we would ask one another, “Kisara, you got your bottle?”

“Yeah, you got yours?”

“Yeah!”

And then to the nearest fountain we would trek :). The charming culture of vacation!

Beautiful street of Old Town.

The Stradum as seen from the wall surrounding Old Town.

On the early medieval wall….the unexpected wardrobe coordination was just an added bonus!

Old Wall and Adriatic

The port of Old Town

On Stradum there is a little stone face ledge that men used to use to impress girls by balancing on it while taking off their shirt (I can’t ever imagine being to impressed by that…but that is neither here nor there).  The act has been attempted so many times over the years that now the ledge is well worn and practically impossible to stand on unless you are a small child…with super Spiderman capabilities :).

In Old Town, many of the locals have moved out and made way for tourist shops, restaurants, apartmans, sobes and hotels.  However, this traditional barber shop is still hanging in there while its clientele, well, they just hang.

Market in Old Town.  Prices are set more for tourists than locals, but that didn’t stop us fom stocking up on….

…our new favorite fruit.  Green Figs!

Old Town by twilight…always the best time of night.

Highlights of Dubrovnik: 

From drinking champagne while overlooking the Old City at 2am, to having a hamman where our Turkish host showed us more than how to do a traditional hamman (if you know what I mean :)! ), to swimming into a “blue hole” to see our bodies, the water and the walls sparkle in a dazzling, neon aqua light, to sitting on the ancient steps of Old Town enjoying wines produced on neighboring islands, to learning a Croatian beach game called, picigin, from our 23 year old skipper who could have come off the cover of any magazine, to falling asleep on the rocky shores of the Adriatic after a dip in the pristine waters, to eating mussels marinated in perfected sauces, to taking a scooter ride out to a romantic lookout with a charming and beautiful local …each day in Dubrovnik was a new surprise and adventure. Here are a few of those highlights in pictures:

Dubrovnik from Fort Imperial by day…

…and by night with a little French Champagne to boot!

Best way to have a morning coffee.

Going into the “Blue Hole”…which is just that little, little cave you see behind us. Once inside we didn’t want to leave. It was indeed dazzling! (Note: we didn’t hit our head going in or out either!)

Exploring the island of Lopud.  This day Kisara and I rented a private boat and skipper to take us around the islands near Dubrovnik. It was the highlight of the trip (and you will see one small reason why in just a few seconds…).

So cute! Kisara on Lopud.

Behind me is our skipper, Florijan.

He had just finished teaching us a Croatian beach game called, picigin. We stood in a circle in about knee deep water and batted a ball back and forth.  He complimented us on our quick ability to become adept players. I think we honed our skills more rapidly than most as we didn’t want him to get bored playing with us and go back to the boat…that would have meant he would have  put his shirt back on. 🙂

The sunset wasn’t part of the deal we struck when we rented the boat…but Florijan treated us to this spectacular ending on the Adriatic.

 Us hanging in our favorite cafe, Cafe Buza, by day….

…and by night.

Peacocks inhabit the beautiful, lush island of Lokrum that is just 10 minutes by ferry from Dubrovnik.  We spent one idyllic afternoon on the island bathing in the waters and reading and sleeping under the trees.

There aren’t a lot of sandy beaches on the Dalmatian Coast, but Kisara and I found a nice flat area under a tree on Lokum island to spread our beach towels.  This is a view from our chosen spot.

Some of the typical Croatian cuisine.  Calamari and Octopus Salad.

D’Vino Wine Bar where we went to further our expertise on Croatian wines… 

The high tables near the entrance to wine bar were full, so Kisara and I were seated at the most magical seats in the house…cushions placed on the ancient step with a short wooden table and a dancing candle.  I am sure the wine tasted better there.

What!? Is that Florijan again!? Why isn’t he on the boat?  Well, you see, I forgot my towel in the boat owner’s car, so Florijan was kind enough to drop it with us in Old Town.  Since he was there…we took him to dinner :)! Turns out his uncle is a Croatian wine producer and Florijan knew quite a bit about wine too. That just made him more cute…if it was possible.

I have two favorite quotes from this trip.  The first one was said to me by an adorable Croatian man.  He  knew maybe 30 words of English, yet was interested to know where I was from.  When I replied “America,” he smiled and said, “Yes! Your eyes are from across the ocean.” Uh, melt!

The second, and my favorite of the favorites, was said to Kisara and I by our uninhibited Turkish hamman friend.  We were out and about in Old Town with him and his friend.  Kisara and I were doing what Kisara and I do, giggling while pointing to items in shop windows or around us…just enjoying our time together. Watching us, the Turk said, “You two are beautiful together.”

The whole trip was made beautiful because we were together.

I beam now thinking back on all the wonderful people we met and the experiences we shared that will always keep Dubrovnik close to my heart.  Still dreaming of it…

Until next time….when I try night swimming 🙂

*link to a short history of Dubrovnik