Saturday, 28 May, 2016 – Dubrovnik
Weather Report: Perfect
Well, like the Lord of the Rings, all Fellowships must eventually break-up. We had lost Andrew last night and today Boris/Viktorya and Jan/Hugh are to move out of the apartments – the former to fly to Frankfurt, the latter to transfer to a Hotel in the old town so they can catch an early morning flight back to the USA tomorrow. We are all a little slow moving this morning so it is about 10:00 before Julie goes out the door just as Jan & Hugh are doing the same. We have no fixed plans so decide to go for breakfast at a nearby place in the plaza where Julie and I had been a few times before. There we would discuss plans for the day.
We sit there for a while, talking about various options for today. Jan & Hugh have to move out of the apartment at Noon so we head over there. I have not had a shower yet and am keen to do so but the Owners are there cleaning so I cannot. The good thing is that they help Jan & Hugh with their luggage down the stairs and they go off to their Hotel for the night. They cannot check-in yet but leave the bags there. Presumably, the owners also helped Boris & Viktorya move out. Once we saw Boris at a distance but that was all so last night was goodbye from us to them.
Jan and Hugh return from the Hotel and we go back to our breakfast restaurant to make decisions on what to do the rest of the day. We read about a restaurant, Nautika, which is at the Old Harbour so we decide we will walk down there to check it out. When we get there we decide that it looks quite good and make a reservation for tonight. Julie then takes the guys down into the Old Harbour for a look around.
The Harbour has several tour company operators who are primarily doing Kayaking tours around the harbour area. Julie talks to one of them and organises a two hour boat ride around the walls of the town and a nearby island.
You can see the walls of the town in the background and also storage for some of the many Kayaks around there. The weather is great. The tour takes us around the walls of Dubrovnik and then around a nearby Island. Some photos from the tour.
We then boat around the nearest island, photos did not work out. There was a major nudist beach there but again no photos. The Captain drops us off at the City Harbour. As we get off the boat, there is a large restaurant there where music is playing so we decide to stop there for a pizza. (I still have not had my shower for the day).
Turns out that the Saxophone and Bass players were in the music band of last night, maybe there are only a few musicians in town? The Piano player / singer was new. We have wine, beer, water and food.
The Band leaves, probably going to play in another venue, and we are finished so we depart too. Jan and Hugh drop off at their Hotel, where they can finally check in. Julie and I go back to our apartment.
The Cat was there virtually everyday either on the steps or right next to the steps in the sun. I am finally able to have a shower and a nap and presumably Jan and Hugh were doing the same. Julie on the other hand goes further walking around the town, some of her photos.
It is our last night with Jan and Hugh so we agree to meet them at their Hotel, they are waiting outside. Just then a traditional Croatian wedding parade comes by with traditional costumes and singing a common song. No pictures, damn I slipped up but do a Google on “traditional croatian wedding parade” and you will be able to see some of what this is all about and Croatia’s reputation as a romantic place. Jan & Hugh take us up to their room, they have been upgraded to perhaps the best suite I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot, truly amazing. We then go to our restaurant for the evening.
What more can one ask? Turns out the waiter was also great and the food and wine not too bad either.
We had had that pizza later in the day so I did not want to order too much food, otherwise I might have gone for that John Dory on the fresh fish platter. BTW: those are shaved truffles on the two outside Scallops.
Once the sun went down, it got quite cool. The restaurant had a big supply of blankets to help defeat the cool – a lot of restaurants along the coast had the same. So in the following pictures, you will see the blankets in action.
I think we decided that the Plum was the best and the Fig the most disappointing.
So at last the special day ends and we have to depart.
On the walk back, we pass the music again from last night but do not stop. Only two band members were there then. We drop Hugh and Jan off at their Hotel and it is sad goodbyes. Thus the Fellowship was finally fully broken with Frodo (Julie) and I to carry on the adventure alone.