Croatia and Wales 2024: 09/06/24

Rain overnight with a sunny 27°.

Well, it took a while, but we eventually arrived. All four flights, with the exception of BA out of Gatwick, were on time. We had a little confusion with our prearranged shuttle service which Des had booked for the wrong date, however, a phone call later, we were on our way to our accommodation. The lady owner of the apartment was on the street to welcome us. Twenty steps down in the dark and we were in. The apartment is well appointed with full kitchen and balcony. The owner is very accommodating, greeting us with wine, cheese, ham and biscuits.

This morning, Friday, we did our first excursion to the Old Town. It probably took us about an hour and a half to walk there but it allowed us to enjoy the view of the Adriatic Sea along the way. We also stopped for a great breakfast. Despite being on the main thoroughfare the entire way, there were very few restaurants. They are pretty much nonexistent near our accommodation.

Old Town Dubrovnik is interesting but so, so crowded. It is impossible to avoid the many tour groups. Nevertheless, we meandered the main street admiring the old architecture and looked in awe at the many side streets leading up the side of the steep hill. It is so steep and has many steps but is still very picturesque. To climb to the top of the wall requires payment of a 35 Euro fee. The view is meant to be quite spectacular, but we didn’t feel we were up to the challenge of a hundred or more steps so gave it a miss. The Old Town has several churches but what was mostly seen throughout the area was the great number of jewellery and souvenir shops as well restaurants along the narrow alleys.

A little after mid-day we sat for some refreshments at a little café along a side street. A little later, we stopped and stood in line for a Holy Burek. This is a form of long pastry found in the Balkans and other countries. It is a rolled-up pastry, filled with either cheese, spinach, chicken, veal or potatoes, a street food not to be missed.

To get back to our apartment, we took the local bus for part of the way and walked the remaining ½ kilometer or so. Since there are no restaurants nearby, we stopped at the local Minimart and found something suitable and simple for dinner and breakfast. We enjoyed spaghetti with salami we had in the fridge, and cheese. We also bought some nice bread and wine to top it off. After enjoying a visit on the balcony, dinner was enjoyed!

As we finished our meal, Saska, the owner arrived to make sure all was well. She suggested an activity for tomorrow which is perfect, so we now have a new adventure to look forward to.