Villa Pattiera Cavtat

... a candy store it was an all you can eat buffet ALL THE TIME. All I can eat turns out to be quite a lot but it is also quite uncomfortable. I don't skip meals on principle but I almost did on the ship. Every time I thought of the logistics of feeding thousands of people and keeping them entertained in a floating hotel it boggled my mind. The only thing it was missing was a basketball court which is probably a blessing because lots of ...

... coffee as well, but that's the last thing you want when its 30 C + outside. We told her the story of bad directions from the port and she wouldn't stop apologizing. She showed us the balcony and said see, look you can see the port from here. And every other landmark we told her apart she would say, you can also see that from here, everything is within 200 m! "Oh, I'm sorry", I'm so sorry." The place had a lot of character with a big display of wines, ornamental ...

... in front of the Rector's Palace. The Old Pharmacy, located inside the Franciscan Monastery, was opened in 1317, it is the third oldest pharmacy in Europe, but the only one still working. The inventories, ceramics, bowls, laboratory equipment and old medical books of the old Pharmacy are kept in the Franciscan Monastery Museum, among other ...

... the Café Gradska is a funky café with excellent cakes and good coffee. The best thing about it though is the atmosphere. Just the right mix of warmth, good lighting and a soft buzz that made us feel at home right away. We took a seat upstairs and enjoyed watching the people come and go, the twinkling Christmas decorations and eating our cakes. Yum. Time to go back to our apartment and pack up for our move to Hvar.

... It was very rainy so we went to a gelato place, and then headed back to the ship. The next day we were up early to catch a bus to Split. We stopped in Bosnia for a little while, and looked around. Then we headed on to Split and to our Hostel. It was a really nice hostel more like a private apartment. That day we walked around Split and ate at a little Café called the Black Cat ( a theme for the trip!). We also booked an adventure for the next day. The next morning we ...

You always here about "Serbia and Montenegro this", "Serbia and Montenegro that", it is hardly a stretch to assume that, despite the double-barrelled name, they are in fact one country. Even Travelpod´s drop-down menu lists them as the same country. But, as we discover upon entering the Montenegro half, they are actually two separate entities. Normally this would not present a problem. Hey, if you want to be your own country, good luck to you. However, whilst in ...

... of Dubrovnik, at the southern tip of Croatia). What a joy. We spent three nights and two days sunbathing and swimming. On the second day, we rented a boat and went swimming out at some of the little islands in the cove. No tourists to be seen out there and we got to go swimming au naturel. Bliss. In the evenings, we strolled the sea wall, watched the Hungarians beat the ...

... for all travellers (and many tourists are there, trust me) but unlike Rome I didn't care, because there was an ambience and energy in the walled-town which was contagiously delightful. The walk around the city walls was better than advertised and I'll let the photos do the talking. For today's poem I did a historical, non-linear approach. Dubrovnik's city walls are such an iconic image of the city that I ...

... the hostel. Some times you are just meant to hang out with people. I spent the first day just walking around, walked for an hour to see what was down south, just busy beaches, was so tired again from walking had to sit for a couple of hours. It is all uphill in Dubrovnik, even when your walking downhill.... I walked through the old town for the good part of 15 minutes. Frightened by the amount of tourists and overpriced things, as well as bored to death of the old clock tower ...

... in Sponza Palace the most interesting - this place must have been caned in the bombardment. As usual it is the little things that are the most captivating though. Pits in stone walls where shrapnel from the shelling has left its mark, bizarre statues, greenery and flowers of potted plants in the minor laneways, lace ...