SUMMARY Another gorgeous, sunny day in beautiful Dubrovnik. We walked around the city on top of the fortress walls - great views, many photo ops, more stairs, nice coffee stop atop one of the round turrets. Late morning, our friends, Ron and Nancy, arrived and we were anxiously awaiting them at the City Gate. Afternoon “swim” in the Adriatic - so cool and clean and refreshing! Happy hour chez nous and then a great dinner at Proto. - Karen
DETAIL
Last night I was thinking I need to drink less and maybe this morning, for our walk of the wall around the old city, we’d have our swim suits on under our clothes. The abstinence is still TBD but we’re deferring the swim suits til later.
The day, like so many before this, is blue, sunny, and cool. Delightful. It’s a bit after eight as we trudge down the 100 steps to the main walking boulevard. We wanted to be on the wall when it opened (at 8) but, oh well. The town is already fairly busy with tourist touring and waste collectors collecting the waste and scrubbing the promenade.
Walking the wall is impressive! It goes all the way around the old city and you get good views from everywhere (better to see the approaching invaders). But, oooh, so many stairs. Fairly safe, fall wise, might be hard to get hurt too badly. Lots of hand rails. It’s early in the day, but a lot of people are already making the loop.
Half-way around we stop for coffee and a very nice view. We reach out to friends, Ron and Nancy, who are due to get in today. They were traveling from Austin through Detroit and Amsterdam. They let us know they’re safely in Amsterdam and awaiting their flight to Dubrovnik.
We stop at a nice looking bakery/pastry shop on the way back to our apartment. Karen gets a little pastry with spinach and feta. I get a baguette sandwich with ham and cheese. They’re so good in Paris! In the comfort of our room we dive into our breakfast/lunch. It’s fine. The bread looks Parisian, but has the taste/texture of American white bread. Oh, well.
Soon we get a message from our friends: “The eagle has landed!” We walk to one of the city gates to meet their shuttle bus.
As their room’s not available yet we head off to lunch, their luggage in tow. We go back to Mamma Margarita’s. Salad and pizza and a serving of a Croatian meet dish: ćevapčići. It’s ground beef and lamb, in the shape of a finger, well seasoned with two sauces and fries on the side.
Alas, Ron and Nancy still aren’t getting much communication from their rental host. They provide images of their passports and wait (and wait). Eventually we head to their address and wait over there. Down the way is a couple with their luggage awaiting their apartment. Ron’s on the phone with one of the many players in this saga. Layers of players. Finally a nice tourist gentleman renting a room next door shows up and suggests: “maybe the code I got will also work on your main door” He gets it and it does! They’re in.
For the next few hours still no communication from the apartment owner. Ron and Nancy go to put the key back (for occupants of the other apartments) but by now the lockbox is re-locked and we didn’t think to write down the code. Whoops!
We leave the city (not a long walk) and go swimming in the Adriatic!. There are a number of people also enjoying the water or just hanging out on the rocks. The mix of clouds and sun is keeping things cool. There’s lot of slippery moss on the rocks and it’s very natural (read: big, irregular, with occasionally with jagged edges). It’s tricky getting in and it doesn’t bode well for the eventual egress. The big swells push one temptingly towards the hand rail and just as fast pull you back out to sea. Frustrating for you, amusing for your fellow swimmers.
The water is cool at first but quickly feels wonderfully refreshing. We bob for a while, treading water. It’s too deep to stand. Before long we’re looking for an easier way out. There isn’t one. We exclaim with delight at the prospect of doing this off our rental catamaran for an entire week!
Dried off and shoes back on, we head back to our respective rooms to change into dry clothes. We all gather at our place for happy hour: beer, wine, gin and tonics. All that plus pistachios, cheese, crackers, and the yummy figs. We arrange a ride back to the airport in the morning to get our rental car.
It’s still early for dinner so we walk the town. It’s obviously an highly popular time to walk as the city is extremely busy.
Dinner is on the terrace, up more stairs! Proto is a fancy, ‘expensive’ place, but pricy here is still fairly reasonable. We’re outside and the weather continues to be lovely. The place is fancy and almost full. There’s lots of lively banter going on. To warrant the higher prices the eating utensils are highly stylized with useful part of the forks and spoons tilted at a slightly awkward angle. Perhaps the designer is left handed and is getting his revenge.
Dinner is worth it: fish (sea bream) tartare, fish carpaccio, sautéed scallops, and Caprese salad. Entrée (for all of us) is fettuccini with shrimp and a black truffle cream sauce. Delish!
Photos
Although early in the day the main promenade is wide, clean, and beautiful
Walking the top of the old city wall. Many interesting parts.
Watching the moon watching over us
The marina, ever beautiful and inviting
We approve of their choice of roof tile colors
In the distance you can see the wall seemingly going on forever
Stopping to enjoy the view or catch our breath? We'll never tell.
The main pedestrian thoroughfare, from above, early in the day
On top of the wall, always great view options
Buža Bar
Someone took our picture.
A guard post out of the elements
The ladder was not a required part of the city wall walk, thank god!
This canon was maybe appropriate back in the day. Now? For the kayakers? It seems like overkill.
Back on terra firma we find more stairs (and more cats)
Such pretty architecture
Here at last! Here at last! Thank God Almighty Ron and Nancy are here at last!
But... there rooms not ready yet. Hm.
After it is it's time for a dip in the Adriatic Sea. Where is it? Right over there.
Post swim happy hour at Farnsniente Central
Followed by dinner at Proto (upstairs on the outside terrace)
Where we all had fettuccine with truffle cream sauce. Divine!
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