Yes, all the rest of the troops are gone whereas we still have another 2 1/2 days in Dubrovnik. The point of this extra time is to chill out a bit before the long flight back to Australia and then Julie returning to work. Julie goes out to the bakery and buys some breakfast supplies, including a Borek for me. She then hurries off because yesterday she had booked a Kayak adventure with the Captain of our boat. She is gone around 20 minutes and comes back because the wind is deemed to be too strong so the Kayaking has been called off. Instead, Julie does a walk around the town walls. The following are her photos.
A typical range of stairs from the top of the wallAlong the wallDown to the old Harbour and where we were last nightThe Old Harbour – note the Kayaks in the racksThe Island we boated around yesterday
The City Harbour and where we had lunch yesterday
The Cable Cars to the top of the hill
Overlooking the town to our island
Julie comes back around Noon, I had been working on this Blog. We decide to go look at Restaurant 360, perhaps the best known in Dubrovnik and where Boris and Viktorya had gone two nights ago. It had a great view but was not open for lunch and the menu looked expensive and not that flash. So we went to the other side of that inlet and settled in at another place there.
The view is just as good here
Our table is right on the water
We order off of the “light lunch” menu.
Smoked Tuna for Julie – just OKFish and Chips for me
The wind really started whipping up to the extent that the waiters had to pull the big umbrellas down. You can see the white caps on the bay in the following photo.
Pirate Ship leaving the City HarbourOur Favourite Croatian wine
I don’t remember much about that afternoon and there are no photos available from me or Julie so maybe we did achieve the chill-out goal. A couple photos in the early evening before we go out for dinner.
Great looking bar
We head out through the town to look for a dinner place. The goal is to find a place serving salmon. Julie eventually guides us to a laneway setting, out of the wind, which she obviously knew had salmon on the menu.
Note all the stairs in the backgroundThe well hidden restaurant blackboardSalmon, of course
Julie complained to the wiater that there was something on the menu for this dish that was not there.
Burger for me, just OKIrish Coffee
We wanted to leave but the Waiter said that he had something for us.
A Dessert for both of us
Apparently because of the omission on Julie’s salmon they decide to give us these desserts. Many readers will know that I am not a dessert person so eventually I gave mine away to people sitting at the table behind us. Still a nice gesture. Then it is off to bed.
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.
Hugh ordered StrudelNot the best grilled ham and cheese I have ever had
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 Old HarbourThe Fort protecting the Old Harbour
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.
Our CaptainJulie and Hugh as we depart the Old Harbour
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.
A popular inlet cave for KayakersThe Outskirts of DubrovnikThe Girls in the BoatThe Walls
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).
Never did figure out the name of the restaurantThe Band
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.
Julie ordered a saladand we had Pizza
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 Watch Cat
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.
The Guys Entering NautikaLovely table, lovely setting, lovely weather, lovely group
What more can one ask? Turns out the waiter was also great and the food and wine not too bad either.
The Old Fort in the backgroundThe Selection of Fresh FishA Cute Sorbet to startScallops for Julie and me
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.
An impressive salad to Jan and HughSeared Tuna for JulieLamb Cutlets for HughPrawn Risotto for meThe Old Fort at Sunset
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.
Note: all the girls at the table behind had blankets onIrish Coffee for JulieIt was nice inside tooWhat me asleep, No Way!Our nice waiter said that the chef was offering us free fruit brandies
I think we decided that the Plum was the best and the Fig the most disappointing.
The Fruit Brandies on the Table
So at last the special day ends and we have to depart.
The Boys Leaving
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.
Friday, 27 May, 2016 – Dubrovnik to Korcula – Dubrovnik
Weather report: Great
Today is the last day with Andrew and his tour. We are to go to the Island of Korcula. After breakfast, we are to meet Andrew outside the City gates. He stops to pick us up, is there for 1 minute and gets a ticket for parking in an “illegal stop”. In the mean time there are professionsal drivers that park in the same spot for over 30 minutes etc.
We drive to the Peljesac Peninsula which is around a 90 minute drive. We go to a winery there, Milos.
Arriving at Milos Winery
We find out later that Milos is perhaps the most famous Croatian winemaker. We are greeted by his Son who gives us a tour of the winery.
In the barrel roomGoing through a hole in the wallOur location
Our Host
We are then shown to the tasting room which is amazingly modern and well done.
Entering the tasting roomPaintings everywhere
The tasting has commenced
Andrew of course has water as he is driving. We started with a rose that I thought was quite good. Note the cheese platter and bread bits.
This is the range of wines tasted plus their Olive Oil
We depart and head to our next destination which is Korcula Island. It is necessary to take a ferry across.
About to board the passengers only ferryThere is also a ferry for passengers and automobiles / trucks that was very popularLooking backOur wake – the car ferry has departed too
We arrive at the island after about a 40 minute water journey. We are met by our guide for Korcula, Andrea, who tries to be a bit of a comedienne.
Arriving on KorculaIsland layout with Andrea partially obscured
We are lead on a tour by Andrea around the island and its old town. I guess we were sick of old towns by then as we took little photos. However, there is one thing that Korcula is especially famous for – the explorer Marko Polo used Korcula as the jumping off point from Venice at the start of his famous Asian tour.
The Journey of Marko PoloOK, one narrow passageway with a variation of the Bridge of Sighs
The tour finishes but Andrea agrees to take us to where we are to have dinner in the late afternoon. After discussions, it is agreed to move the reservation from 5:00 PM to 3:00 PM as we would still have a 2+ hour drive back to Dubrovnik.
We say goodbye to Andrea, although we do see her later by accident, and go to the other side of the island – Boris and Viktorya go their own way. We are all starving so stop at a cafe on the water and order drinks and a pizza. We probably should not have, as it spoiled the appetite a bit for the late lunch but gee it was good.
Julie is with us for a while, for a drink, but then decides to explore for a while and will meet us at the restaurant. On her way to the top, she goes by the restaurant where there is a young girl making pasta for our meal.
Julie then heads up to the top of the walls and the following are some of the photos that she took.
The pizza crew decide we had better leave our idyllic setting, we did believe that that side of the island was a better setting than the other side where the restaurant was, and go over for our late lunch. When we get there we discover Boris, Viktorya and Julie are already there.
The Pizza crew arrivingThe first course – looks amazingAndrew settling inFish Fingers
Not really, just a crap photographer. It was a nice fish but it was overcooked which was a common problem that we faced during the trip. The pasta was what we saw the young girl making earlier in this Post. I should mention about our waiter who was very knowledgeable, especially about the wine – we were served 5 wines, and was a really nice guy.
Sorbet as a refresherMore of the pasta with vegies
Julie orders an extra bottle of nice wine.
We did not really rave about this, our final tour dinner, but probably the pizza that we had ruined our appetite. The waiter was great and the wines quite good. It turns out the ferry schedule has been changed and we would have quite a long wait so the waiter organises another boat to take us across.
On the return boat – Andrew looks like he is asleep already
When we reach dry land, we all say goodbye to Andrew so that when we get to Dubrovnik we can all jump out and try to avoid getting him another ticket. The drive back is uneventful, might have been some snores along the way. We reach Dubrovnik and jump out as planned. Andrew then drives off into the sunset.
Our transport for the last 10 days, bye bye
There is a long flight of very old rock stairs to negotiate to get down into the town. Jan and I struggle to get down the stairs but eventually make it. We all go back to the apartments and settle in our rooms for a while. We had made no plans and were feeling a bit washed out. Eventually Julie pokes her head out the door, just as Jan and Hugh are planning to go out. Then Boris and Viktorya come down the stairs. Boris suggests that we go to a place across town which has live jazz and we all agree. We get a table for the six of us near the front.
The Band
They were playing 40/50s jazz. They were not the Pardoners but weren’t too bad, just what we needed. We ordered drinks and some of us food.
Julie and Hugh has Irish CoffeeI order a seafood risotto – not great but OKViktorya orders soup
A fourth member of the band shows up and picks up a guitar. The old guy switches from guitar to saxophone.
Music was good and it is a fitting way to end Andrew’s tour. We will see Jan & Hugh tomorrow but say goodbye to Boris and Viktorya and crash into bed.
Moday, 23 May, 2016 – Blagaj to Mostar to Perash, Montenegro
We are awakened at 5:00 AM by a “call to prayer” song outside. We go down for breakfast and there is a young guy, seemingly overworked as he helped us with our bags when we arrived, then was on night duty last night and then morning duty today. For Breakfast, there was no buffet and no menu, I cannot recall what we ordered. Could not have been bacon or ham as we are on the Muslim side of the river.
We check out of the Hotel, putting our luggage in the van. We then walk up the road to the mouth of the Buna river. There are lots of market stalls along the way, mostly empty that time of day. We also looked across the river to see some of the restaurants alongside under water from the flooding Buna.
Across the raging riverFlooded
Walking to the 15th centry dervish house
Andrew, Jan and I elect not to do the tour of the house and settle into seats outside of it.
The Source of the Buna River
The girls that go on the tour are required to cover up for religious reasons. Some of Julie’s photos.
Me waiting besides the riverUs from above
Covered Viktorya
Meanwhile, us below are watching rock climbers on the face of the mountain behind us.
Rock climbers, two going up, one coming down
We walk back to the Hotel past the still mostly empty stalls.
It is tradition to have a drink from the Buna source
We are met at the Hotel by Alma and Ermen. They have arrived in their specially renovated car – a Jugo I think. Boris and Ermen had talked about it at length last night and Boris decided that he wanted a drive.
Bonnie, the dog in the carMadman Boris screaming down the boulevard
We say goodbye to Ermen and Bonnie and join Alma on the bus to Mostar. We find a parking lot, it will later be totally full like everywhere else around. Alma is to lead us on a tour of the old town. Andrew and I decide to skip the tour and settle in to the afternoon’s restaurant for a drink.
Some of Julie’s photos from the tour.
Alma and the team return after a while. It is decided that we will visit a coffee shop run by her Son. Julie decides to prance around the top of the city.
Entering the coffee shopViktorya relaxingPreparing the coffeeThe coffee ready for drinkingFor the table
Alma’s Son explains how to use the stuff delivered on the tray to make the perfect drinking coffee. Very interesting. Julie misses the whole presentation, which was a pity. She does show up eventually.
That is an old, large roaster / grinder that Ermen had owned and renovated
We then walk back to the restaurant for lunch. It is now quie crowded, another reflection of tourists everywhere.
We have had said goodbye to Alma who will get a ride back from her Son or something else. We walk back to the Van. On the way is a large, old shell of a building that is being converted into a Hilton Hotel. Should be impressive when completed.
The New (to be) Hilton
We are then on the road out of Bosnia to enter Montenegro. There is a lot of driving, probably nearly 8 hours on the day including stops. I don’t recall a long hold-up at the border so it must not have been too bad. We actually get quite close to Dubrovnik, our next destination after this. We end up in the seaside town of Perast which unlike most of the towns on the Dalmatian Coast is not incredibly crowded with tourists – this is not to say that there were none, but it is nice by comparison.
A vantage point toward PerastThe Adriatic Inlet from PerastDinner is on the water – stunningFresh fish selection
Soup
Our friendly albeit begging duck
I have tagged this Post with Duck but we did not eat it.
A departing cruise ship – good riddanceIrish Coffee
That’s it for the night.
For you avid readers it is 8 days later and we are about to depart for the long flight back to Australia. An estimated 36 hours door to door. The rest of the Blog will be finished at home with a real computer.
The main reason that we are at this Hotel is because of its famous Spas and its treatments / massages. So we start early by going down to the spa when we wake up which is around opening time of 6:30. There are lots of different pools with our primary selected one is the sulfur hotsprings where the temperature is around 38 C. It is quite stunning and relaxing. At one point there is an outlet where the hot water is sprinkled onto your head and body, again quite good.
Julie then goes to the whirlpool spa while I return to the room for a shower. When she returns she also has a shower and we go down for breakfast. It is a large room with lots of people, there is a large convention going on. No bacon today, which was my staple breakfast diet in Romania but there is enough to eat. One can also order eggs, bacon, omelot but I do not do that today.
Julie has something like 3 treatments today so heads off to her first one. I go back to the room for a bit more snooze.
The entrance to the Spa hotel
Julie comes back from her first session but then quickly heads off to her next. I am continuing updating the Blog but the response time of the wireless in the room is non existant. So I head back down to the lobby again where the response times are great – makes all the difference.
I work away for quite a while, going back up to the room a couple of times to see if the cleaners had come, no. Eventually I am joined by Julie who finished the treatments but could not do a full clothing change because the cleaners were now in the room. I had just ordered a coke from the nearby bar so Julie looks at the menu and finds that they make one of her favourites which she orders from the bar and it is eventually delivered to our table.
Irish Coffee
I bumble around for the rest of the afternoon. Julie has booked me into a massage, the Deluxe massage at 4:00. Julie gets changed when the cleaners are done and leads me down to the masssage area. It is a little different kind of massage with more rubbing than usual but very good.
Awaiting my masssage
While I am on the table, she takes a walk around the Island on which the Spa Hotel is located. It is apparently about 5km. The following are photos taken along the way.
The Yellow BridgeTurtle
She returns to the room a bit after I come back from the massage and we have a glass of another wine, not as nice as the Bikaver.
Neither of us had anything to eat since breakfast so are looking for an early dinner. So after we finish our glass of wine, on the balcony, we go down to dinner once again in the Grand Hotel. We order the same wine, Bikaver, as last night.
Julie with our wineThe Violin band is again playing
We order our meals, some challenges since it is not a comprehensive menu but we do OK.
Smoked Salmon salad starter for Julie again, better tonightGoulash soup for me
My soup was very chunky with lots of vegies and Romanian Grey Beef in it. Nice paprika flavours too.
Catfish stew for Julie for a main. She quite liked it.
I ordered saddle of hare and the waiter said, oh, the rabbit.
Underground mutton
The hare is overcooked and a bit tough but quite tasty. It seems it is customary here to overcook foods.
That is about it for the day. Note that the point of the stay at this part of the trip is to relax and not go, go, go. I will see if Julie has any other photos to add for this day.
BTW: it has rained for the 8th straight day, ever since we landed in Romania.
The good news is that we get an email from our tour friends Jan and Hugh, from California, that they have safely arrived in Budapest. They are crashing for the night, which is pretty much what we did.
