Tirena Dubrava Dubrovnik

... we docked in Dubrovnik and said farewell to our ship. If you ever have the chance to cruise the Croatian coast on one of these big ferries – DO IT!! We walked over to the bus station and bought our tickets for tomorrow’s trip to Kotor, Montenegro. We then hopped in a taxi and before long were at the most luxurious hotel of our trip – the new Grand Imperial Hilton Dubrovnik. Sitting right outside the Old Town at Pile Gate, you couldn’t ask for ...

... unique way. After a break, they came back with some more familiar songs: she'll be coming 'round the mountain, jingle bells...







The last morning is sad. sad, sad, sad. Who is going to cook for me? keep me in water and champagne ...

We sailed into Dubrovnik in the morning light. It's a spectacular City in an imposing setting surrounded on one side by looming mountains and the other side by the island-dotted calm Adriatic. Cruise ships and ferries lined Gruz harbour. I'd booked a hotel in Lapad bay, a bit away from the Old Town, so checked in and took a crowded bus down to the Old City Gates and WHAM! hit the crowds. I very quickly learned that the Croatian tourist strategy is volume, not quality, and this meant ...

... our invitation to join us for another drink in the Old Town. We all got along very well and I especially enjoyed their energy. We only had 1 round of drinks together as it was already very late. Orelle and Dmitri were tired after their long drive from Zagreb while Franca and I had to get up in less than 2 hours to get ready for our 5 am bus to Split. We were all so tired that the walk back to the guesthouse felt like an eternity. Dino Vagabond

... private beach, or supposedly private. My lounge chair had a great view of people going around the hotel fence to the beach. Dubrovnik is a charming walled in city. There isn't much left in this town to remind you of the destruction that happened in the early 90's when Serbia attacked this UNESCO site. The most obvious signs of the destruction are from the buildings shiny, somewhat new orange roofs that stand out ...

Dubrovnik, from the Slavic word "dubrava" or "forest" in English. Well, after sleeping and getting used to the new time zone, we awoke to see the coastline city, or town if you will, Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik sits on the southern part of Croatia (formerly Yugoslavia) along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea. Certainly a tourist driven location during the summer, there are many people walking throughout the ...

... that stays in Dubrovnik now stayed at my accomodation. We chilled there a couple of days. Our boarding house is in Lapad, a fourty minute walk from the old town, in something of a suburban district. There is a decent eatery where we had pizza about five times in three days. It's near a beach. We had fun there one night with some gents from Texas, enjoying local Croatian brew until the wee hours of the morning while someone in the distance smashed the ashtrays that ...

... at night. It probably will not be as nice in the daytime, sadly. I had a great cheesecake-like pastry with raisins and then returned to the hostel. On the way, a UK man busted me for checking out two French girls that walked by. I believe in balance ... I checked out the front, so of course I had to check out the back as well! "Worth a look!" he shouted. "Worth a SECOND look!" I replied. Life is beautiful and so are the ladies in Croatia.

... Croatia to Stari Grad, a little town that had not yet been discovered by tourists. Before arriving in town, we took a few hours to hike in the national park, a difficult hike that was worth it for the views. Then we took a swim in the water off the little town before eating dinner at the hotel, watching the lights reflect off the water. It was a fitting end to my journey through Croatia as it was beautiful and highlighted just why I'd fallen in love with the country.

... to the clear blue waters of Banje Beach- our afternoon diversion. Later, we returned to the Old Town and walked the walls and took about one million pictures! (see the photo album for proof) We also had what was probably the best pizza of the whole trip at a place called Mea Culpa in the Old Town. Its no secret though, it is written up in every guide book and deservedly so.