Dubrovnik Days - Sept 24-27

We arrived in Dubrovnik September 24th and visited there until September 27th in the afternoon.

 The first day (see previous post) was mostly travelling as we really didn’t get to Dubrovnik until closer to what we consider dinnertime.  The second day however was all about the old town. Once we partook in the hotel's breakfast buffet we got our stuff together for the day and walked into the old town.  The coastline is really beautiful and helped us make it up some steep hills in the blazing sun (and it was only 9 something in the morning).

The old town was swarming with cruise passengers. Little umbrellas leading the herds down all the streets and alleyways.  Despite that though we were still able to find some places that were unoccupied, even if sometimes it was just for a moment.  We both really love Dubrovnik.  And have discovered that iced gelato can really help you deal with the stress of the day.  We also discovered that most of the shops have air conditioning and this fact is important to know when the temperature the whole time we were there hung between 23 and 28 and was extremely muggy.  It was great fun just roaming the town and exploring the hidden sights and unexpected photo ops.  Everywhere you turn you see something new and then you look up!  And as the sun moves across the sky even the places you have already seen look different and you discover something new.  That is how we spent our first day.

In the late afternoon we decided to go back to the hotel and have a nice refreshing swim in our pool.  As it turns out though the unheated pool curled Elda's toes and I don't even think both ankles got wet....I made it up to my knees.  Such a good plan foiled.  Sitting in the sun reading our e-readers became our alternate plan. 

After all the walking we did throughout the day we thought we would try out the hotel buffet for dinner.  The items themselves all looked very good and there was quite a selection; however it isn't until I go away that I realize how much healthier we Canadians on the west coast are when it comes to what we eat for the most part.  I think that almost every dish in the buffet was swimming in butter. So not what we are used to. Don't get me wrong it tasted good but I think I felt one of my  arteries clog on September 28th!

After dinner we really felt the need for an additional walk and so we headed off in the opposite direction to what we had already seen and checked out the neighbourhood.  On the way back we stopped by some benches on the waterfront ad watched a couple of men fish, while enjoying the sight of the cruise ships across the bay.

The next day was a bit of a repeat but this morning we made our way over to the other side of the harbour to check out the daily market.
 

 

Along the way we may have also checked out a couple stores - so unlike us! We may have even made a purchase or two. Since all the buses take you to the old town we hopped on the first one that came along...along with what felt like every other inhabitant of Lapad Bay - when we thought we were packed like sardines on the first trip we were SO WRONG - this trip we felt like chunk tuna. How is that you say? Well at first glance chunk tuna looks like just one piece but when you take it out of the can you can see it is actually many pieces. We were jammed in s tight there wasn't an inch of space not occupied. In fact at one point Elda was perched up between the wall of the driver and the foot space of the two people in the front row; hanging there like a chimpanzee every time we went around a corner. This didn't last for long and as soon as a little space became available Elda was back down with the rest of us crammed in the aisle.

While in town we also took a tour of the city walls.  It was great - with fabulous views of the roof tops, the cathedral and church steeples and all with the backdrop of the marvelous Dalmatian coast, harbour and islands.

Once we had our mandatory gelato and stocked up on water for the night we had dinner just outside the old town gates and tried two varieties of risotto.  Then we hopped on the bus, headed back to our hotel and started packing as we were  checking out the next day.

We had thought of going on a tour of Montenegro on that day but the prospect of 10 hours (mostly in a bus) just wasn't working for us.  And as much as we would have liked to see Kotor, Budva, etc. neither of us would have traded our day in Dubrovnik for that.  Perhaps another time.

Our final day in Dubrovnik was a pool day.  The hotel stored our luggage for us and we gave our poor little tootsies a rest by staying pool side and just soaking up the sun (and whatever shade we could find).  Went for a little walk, had a little lunch, and mainly relaxed.

We expected our transfer to Korcula Island at 4:45pm.  "Expected" being the operative word, but more about that in our next post.