Dubrovnik, Croatia

Hi All!

Today’s weather was sunny with mixed thunderstorms and rain, so we changed our plans and decided to jump in the car and make the little road trip from Split to Dubrovnik. Which was a trip we were not sure we would have time for. I am so glad we did!

It’s a three hour drive from Split and it’s through the beautiful Croatian country side. We got to see acres of vineyards and olive orchards, as well as miles and miles of rolling hills and valleys full of farms that had marshy inlets for irrigation. Reminded us a lot of a part of home, Eastern Washington.

As we got closer to Dubrovnik we were driving cliff side along the Mediterranean and we could see blue sky and some serious weather moving in. We drive straight into the weather and the rain was intense. That’s saying something from two Seattleites. The drops hitting the windshield were giant and so loud. All excess water was running down the cliff, roads became mini rivers. But then, in three minutes it was over and sunny. Crazy!

Once we arrived in Dubrovnik, we parked and walked toward Old Town and the City Walls. This is the the part of the city where Game of Thrones has been filmed many times. This ancient walled in city with barracks is absolutely stunning.

(Main Court Entrance)

(Donation box for the Kitties)

Kitties were lounging everywhere.

(Look closely under the arch to the left)

(Looking down from the wall into a side street)

We walked around the main courts and investigated some small side streets, in doing so we found ourselves up on the Wall. You can see all of the city from this vantage and at points the open sea hitting the rocky walls below. You can walk all the way around the city and I highly recommend you do! Every angle offers something different.

Since we had a bit of a drive ahead of us and we saw there was another storm rolling in, we decided to head back to Split. On the way back we stopped at a vineyard overlooking the valley they grow their grapes and had a glass of wine. It was great to get out and stretch and take in the fresh air after the rain. Smells always intensify after rain and then the sun comes out. Reluctant to leave the view and wonderful smells, we got back in the car to return to Split.

We got back late afternoon and decided we wanted to stretch out on the beach. We walked back to our local beach we visited yesterday, Bacvice. It was pretty busy, but it was great to see everyone enjoying the beach. There were a lot of groups playing hand ball in the water and kids having sand fights, teenagers splashing around. The whole beach was alive. It was great to watch all the locals with their families and others vacationing like us. We laid out in the sun, dipped in the water, and relaxed. It was wonderful.

Getting hungry we headed back to the Airbnb to make another home cooked, one dollar sign meal. We had some pancetta that we bought at market along with some green beans. There is a local produce stand a couple blocks from our Airbnb, so on our walk home I stopped to get some onions, garlic and fresh fruit to round out our dinner.

I made a pancetta pasta with chicken, garlic bread and sautéed green beans with onion. It was so yummy! The pancetta was the true star of the dish, it had so much flavor and good saltiness.

Tuckered out and knowing we have a big day tomorrow of exploring all the Islands around Split, we showered and turned in.

A couple tips from today’s adventures, for anyone who visits.

Tip 1: If you drive from Split to Dubrovnik, the fastest route will have a 10 km drive through Bosnia, so pack your passport.

Tip 2: There are some areas, especially the more tourist areas, that will make it so you can not park on the street too close to the attraction, they do this by putting poles or round concrete domes along the edge of the sidewalks. This is definitely where you will have to pay for parking, however, all parking in Croatia is strictly in Kuna, and does not have change. You’ll need the exact amount. So always carry Kuna on you and in a variety of bills. The best way to do this, I mention in a previous post is to go to a bank ATM and get Kuna out then have the teller break some of the larger bills. Businesses will not do this for you, in fact it’s considered rude to ask.

Tip 3: It costs 150 Kuna/person (~$24) to walk the wall, you can pay card or Kuna here. More than worth it! Keep you ticket on your person too as they have multiple ticket check points.

Until tomorrow!

~A&Z