DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
Dates: 19.04.2017 – 27.04.2017
RIX – ISL
19.04.2017: Madara is stressed. What to take, how much can she take, what to expect. She hasn’t flown for almost ten years. Apparently the airport metal detector sensed her stress too, because out of everyone walking through, she’s the only one who makes it beep. They practically strip her down to her socks before she finally gets through. Apparently the shoes were the evil beeping culprit. But all good – we arrived at the airport with plenty of time and Madara’s first little trip can begin.
ISL – DBV
19.04.2017: We’re flying to Dubrovnik via Istanbul Atatürk Airport. A comfortable three-hour connection. Mum has given us a Turkish mission – buy some small colourful bags. Not really knowing what awaits us later in the trip, we complete the mission immediately while we have the chance. Five of them into the bag.
We destroy a Starbucks coffee each and slowly make our way towards the gate, because by now we’ve already walked around all the shops as if they were museums.
DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
19.04.2017: Everything runs according to schedule. We land on time and only have to wait around 15 minutes for the bus that will take us roughly 20 km to Dubrovnik. Then we’re moving again.
The local mountain serpentines begin, and we spend around 30 minutes winding our way towards the city. Photography through the window from the seat next to me is already happening at full power.
The bus drops us off at the Old Town gates. From there, it’s a good 30-minute walk uphill to our accommodation – Guest House Raguž.
With surprisingly little getting lost, we find everything. An elderly couple is waiting with the keys. Very welcoming – they greet us with orange juice and show us the apartment. The only downside is that they don’t understand a single word of English. But between euros – or Croatian kuna – and pointing with our fingers, communication works well enough. We drop off our bags and take a small walk around the city. But we’re already getting sleepy, so it’s basically time to go home and sleep so we can wake up with fresh energy for exploring tomorrow.
DUBROVNIK: OLD TOWN
20.04.2017: First full day. Maybe it isn’t quite as warm as we’d like, but +30°C would probably be difficult too. Not knowing what to expect from the weather, we’re prepared for rain, +10°C and +30°C.
These are Madara’s first palm trees and first turquoise-blue water, so obviously photos are needed everywhere and of everything. As a result, our walking pace is fairly slow, but we’re in no hurry. Slowly and steadily, we make our way towards the Old Town.
We’re going to walk all the way around the city walls. Considering there isn’t really anything there besides views of the sea and the Old Town rooftops – that sounds dismissive, but I mean we’re not exactly consuming any major city resources – the ticket feels quite expensive at €24 per person. Still, it would be stupid to come all this way and then let the inner cheapskate win. Some episodes of Game of Thrones and scenes from the Star Wars saga were filmed in Dubrovnik. Since neither of us is a fan of either franchise, that doesn’t make much difference to us. Basically a three-hour photography attraction. The views are beautiful though. Adriatic Sea on one side, red-tiled rooftops of Dubrovnik Old Town on the other. Reminds me a little of Assassin’s Creed.
After the walls, we wander through the narrow Old Town streets for a while. We stop at a café that promises the best view in the city. It’s nice enough, but personally I think the city walls and red-tiled rooftops are prettier than a simple sea horizon. At least there could have been some ships sailing around… A small 0.33L wine for €6 each to restore our strength, and then we continue.
On the way back, we climb the hill to Fort Lovrijenac, which gives us a pretty cool view over the Old Town. We’re home around 18:00. Eat, rest and then realise we should still go somewhere. We head to a shop for some “grape juice” and continue to Bellevue Beach. Secretly, I’m thinking about swimming, but once I walk into the water up to my knees, I understand – no go. So we just sit there dry instead. On the way home, we discover a pizza kiosk. The smell is so good that even if you weren’t hungry before, suddenly you are. A fairly large slice with bubbling cheese costs €3.50. Very strong motivation to return here during the next few days.
DUBROVNIK: MOUNT SRĐ
21.04.2017: Today’s plan is simple: wake up and get moving. We’re climbing Mount Srđ, around 5 km from our accommodation with roughly 400 metres of elevation gain. At the top, we’ll sit around and have some wine, then take the cable car back down.
We climb without rushing, zigzagging up a good gravel trail. With every turn, the view over the city becomes more impressive. The nearby islands in the bay also come into view. The sun is properly warming us today, so the decision to exchange trousers for shorts is made very quickly.
There are loads of people near the big cross at the summit, but walking ten minutes in either direction gives you a much quieter atmosphere. On one side there’s a panorama over the Adriatic Sea and Dubrovnik Old Town, on the other the mountain ranges of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Impressive! We find a spot overlooking the Old Town and settle down for a picnic. On the menu: boxed white wine, sausage and sandwiches.
Happy after our picnic, we head towards the cable car to go down. The happiness is short-lived. Apparently today is some kind of semi-holiday, so the last cable car went down at 14:00. My watch says 16:45. It isn’t the end of the world, but after “picnicking” and already walking quite a lot during the first half of the day, going all the way down on foot isn’t exactly appealing. Unfortunately, there aren’t many alternatives.
Tired but full of impressions and wine, we finally get home. Time for another pizza slice and that’s enough for today.
Going to bed, we can definitely feel the touch of the sun. Because obviously nobody needs sunscreen in April…
CAVTAT, CROATIA
22.04.2017: First thing this morning, our steed for the next four days arrives – a blue Opel Astra. We quickly fill in whatever paperwork needs filling in and head towards nearby Cavtat, a small town less than half an hour away. Driving in Croatia is very easy thanks to excellent roads and clear markings. One note for the future though – in mountainous areas, it’s definitely worth renting something more powerful. Our little Lightning really struggles with the serpentines…
Once parked, we have around three hours of free time before the main event of the day – kayaking around the bay. The group consists of us, one Scottish couple and two guides. Both are very entertaining and funny, and speak excellent English. The whole activity turns out much better and more exciting than expected. For around two hours, we paddle around the bay to small beaches and islands that would otherwise be very difficult or impossible to reach. I get so excited about the opportunity to jump into the sea from a pier that I forget my phone is still in my pocket. It was only my backup phone, but I’m still sad about losing today’s photos. The water is so clear that looking down from the pier it seems barely two metres deep, but the guide insists it’s at least eight metres. I jump in feet first and don’t come anywhere near the bottom. I guess we have to believe the guide.
After kayaking, we catch a sea urchin right there and eat it. Apparently sea urchins are extremely difficult to prepare and are considered a serious delicacy. You definitely wouldn’t guess that from the taste.
In the evening, my arms hurt from paddling. Madara’s don’t. I also have around four times fewer photos than Madara. I think there may be some correlation here between who was taking photos and who was actually paddling.
MOSTAR, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
23.04.2017: We start fairly early again today. We’re heading to Bosnia and Herzegovina. At first we assume Google Maps must be wrong because the distance is only around 130 km but it says the drive will take three hours. It wasn’t wrong…
It starts with us following the shortest route by distance and arriving at a border crossing where ordinary mortals aren’t allowed to cross. So we have to turn around. Nothing else to do. Fortunately, we only lose around 40 minutes before getting back onto the correct route.
When we took the airport bus, I noticed that roads going uphill always had two lanes, while downhill there was only one. I didn’t understand why. Driving our little Lightning towards Mostar finally explains it. Our Opel really doesn’t enjoy going uphill. So the extra uphill lane is basically for “mushrooms” like us whose cars don’t have enough power, allowing everyone else to pass without being stuck behind us.
After the winding and fragmented drive, we finally arrive. First impressions of Mostar are mixed. There are quite a lot of tourists, cafés are fairly full, but prices are ridiculously cheap. We buy coffee and pastries for both of us and pay €1.50 total. There are also lots of beggars on the streets. Even though almost 30 years have passed since the civil war, there are still plenty of ruins and bullet-riddled buildings right in the city centre.
Without any carefully planned route, we wander around the city. We meet Bruce Lee. Even after Googling it, I still don’t really understand why there’s a statue of him here. But it works perfectly well for a small photo session.
Next, we head towards Mostar’s main attraction – Stari Most. The best view of the bridge is supposedly from Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, so that’s where we go. Entrance is unusually expensive compared with everything else here – €6. But there’s no alternative. We have to go. The many carpets and cushions inside the mosque have a slight aroma of socks worn for three days, but luckily we don’t need to stay inside for long. We climb upwards to see the bridge. The tower is so narrow that two people couldn’t pass each other. Somehow, even though there are plenty of people in the mosque, we get the top completely to ourselves. The bridge reflecting in the river looks pretty cool. The atmosphere is slightly weakened by knowing that the bridge was completely destroyed during the war and this is an exact reconstruction. Still, it looks impressive.
Slowly, we continue through the market towards the bridge itself. Mum’s colourful bag mission would have been considerably easier here. At the airport, we bought two for €8 each. Here, four cost €2. On the bridge, one guy collects donations. Once enough money lands in his box, he jumps from the bridge into the river. We wait long enough to see it once. The bridge is 25 metres high… and it’s April. Mountain rivers aren’t exactly warm at this time of year.
Before continuing, we refuel in a safe place – McDonald’s – where we get both internet and a toilet, neither of which had been particularly easy to find in the city.
BLAGAJ MONASTERY
23.04.2017: On the way back, we stop at Blagaj Monastery – the Dervish House. Here, however, there’s a sea of people. The parking area is ridiculously tight. Judging by appearances, the parking “manager” is about 100 years old and keeps directing cars into spaces that look maybe 50 cm longer than the vehicle itself. Less than ten minutes of moving a few centimetres backwards and forwards and we somehow fit.
The monastery is impressive. It’s built directly beneath a massive cliff overhanging the Buna River. We take photos, walk around for about 30 minutes and absorb the scale of the cliffs. We can’t spend too much time here though because the journey home will take quite a while. Ideally, we’d like to cross the border before dark.
SEA URCHINS
23.04.2017: The drive back turns out considerably longer than we’d like. We completely mess something up with navigation and manage to extend an already three-hour drive by another 1.5 hours. I don’t really see much of the scenery because I’m gripping the steering wheel for dear life, but apparently the mountain views are beautiful. The road is a narrow serpentine route only one lane wide – despite being two-way – with no markings or signs, U-shaped hairpins without barriers and steep cliffs immediately beyond the corners. Fun driving…
Once back in Croatia, we decide to cool our brains. Time for a swim. The sun is already setting, giving the landscape completely different colours from anything we’ve seen so far. While I pretend the water is reasonably warm, Madara hunts for sea urchins along the shore. The swim is exactly what I need. Very refreshing.
In the evening, we go out for pizza. For experimental purposes, we try a different place instead of our usual kiosk. Naturally, we don’t get anything better.
The day really stays in my memory because of the huge contrast between two neighbouring places. In one, restaurants are full, streets are busy and endless new buildings are under construction. In the other, there seem to be as many beggars as tourists and dirty little boys run around between buildings still covered in bullet holes.
KOTOR, MONTENEGRO
24.04.2017: Another new country today – Montenegro. Less than 100 km to drive. On the way there, we’ll drive all the way around the Bay of Kotor. On the return journey, we’ll take the ferry across the narrowest part. Not knowing what kind of roads await us today and remembering yesterday’s experience, we leave pretty early. Fortunately, today’s drive is completely smooth.
First impressions of the city are excellent. A beautiful, relatively small town at the very end of a narrow bay between two mountain ranges.
The main task today is climbing to the old Kotor fortress. The route goes steeply uphill for around 3 km. Everything is very well organised, with stone steps almost all the way to the top. At the summit, one guy is selling 0.5L bottles of water for €3 each. We came prepared, so we resist this tempting offer.
The view from the top is very impressive. The entire bay is visible. Small boats move in and out of the harbour like ants in a colony. We sit for a while, drink the lemonade we brought with us, absorb as much of the view as possible and slowly prepare to head back down.
At the city market, we buy cherries. I get completely ripped off and pay almost twice what I should have, but at least the cherries are good.
Kotor leaves a very good impression. I’d definitely like to return here and explore more of Montenegro as well. The narrow Old Town streets are beautiful and create an atmosphere that makes you want to slow down rather than rush towards the next attraction.
BAY OF KOTOR FERRY
24.04.2017: Still slightly traumatised by yesterday’s drive home, we start the return journey fairly early today. This time, everything goes smoothly. The ferry is simple too. If you’re on foot, it’s free. A car costs €4.50. The crossing is short – around 20 minutes and we’re on the other side. That saves roughly 1–1.5 hours of driving. Nice views over the bay along the way too.
Near the border, an increasingly unavoidable need for a toilet begins developing. The Italian ahead of us in the border queue gets completely searched, with almost every one of his many bags opened. I can’t take it anymore – nature is calling. Time to find a solution…
DUBROVNIK: OLD TOWN IN THE EVENING
24.04.2017: After the drive, we rest at home for a while and then head outside again. Tonight’s plan is a restaurant to celebrate yesterday’s name day – which Madara forgot and later tried to explain away. We walk around for ages looking for the right place. Madara’s inner cheapskate is fighting hard, but eventually I convince her and we eat right on Luža Square. Madara gets a bucket of squid, while I have pork wrapped in seaweed. Add white wine and we’re happy. Considering this is a restaurant right in the middle of the Old Town, paying just over €50 feels surprisingly reasonable.
DUBROVNIK: BEACH & SUN DAY
25.04.2017: Originally, the plan was to drive to Kravica Waterfalls, but after last night’s wine and sleeping longer than expected, neither of us feels like spending the day driving around. Instead, we head towards the far northern end of Dubrovnik. There’s a small hiking trail there with views from the cliffs over nearby and more distant islands in the bay.
Today is finally properly warm. Madara insists that we need to sunbathe. Since we’re taking it easy today anyway, fine. I can lie on the rocky beach for a while. The water is pretty cold, but I can’t stay still for long anyway, so eventually I go in for a dip. Coming out of the water, I meet a Japanese – possibly Korean – family. They’re dressed in autumn or winter clothing while I’m walking out of the sea in shorts. They look genuinely shocked that anyone would swim in this weather and ask me: “You in sea??!!” After chatting for a few minutes, I unsuccessfully try to explain where Latvia is, that it’s considerably further north and that weather like this would actually be considered pretty warm back home.
In the evening, we have to return the car. It struggled a bit in the mountains, but overall everything went very well. Late in the evening, in complete darkness on an unlit street, the rental guy supposedly checks whether we damaged anything. After a thorough 30-second inspection, we get an approving: “No damage. Everything is okay.” And we can go home.
DUBROVNIK: ISLAND CRUISE
26.04.2017: Last full day here. At the harbour, we spot an interesting offer – a three-island cruise for €35 per person. It lasts almost the whole day. As a nice bonus, lunch is included. We’re not expecting too much from that part, but still.
The day is fairly windy. Perfect weather for riding around the bay in a small boat. There are around 30 people altogether. Shortly after departure, the captain announces that we’ll skip the second island because during the night two boats heading there sank because of the strong wind. We won’t take the risk. Very encouraging start. As a result, we get twice as much free time on the third island.
The first island is Koločep, where we get a short express visit of around 30 minutes. Basically enough time to walk to the church by the harbour, take a selfie and return to the boat. Lunch will be served on the way to the next island.
On the way to Lopud, lunch turns out much bigger and better than expected. Wine is included for free too. I get roasted pork, while Madara gets an entire fish. We can barely finish everything.
Since we skipped Šudurad, we now have three full hours on Lopud. We walk all the way to the far end of the island. This feels like a place largely untouched by tourism. A few dozen locals who live here slowly sweep leaves and dust around their yards while wearing tracksuits. Full Sunday mode. I have a suspicion that every day here is Sunday mode.
The ride home from Lopud gets interesting because the wind has become much stronger. The little boat rocks seriously from side to side and waves smash hard against the hull. After one particularly large hit, an alarm even starts sounding. One woman’s lunch fish is making a very determined attempt to escape, but she’s still holding on. After enough waves slam against the side, you involuntarily start looking around for the life jackets and calculating how far you’d need to swim to reach the nearest shore.
The captain proves he knows what he’s doing and we arrive safely. All lunches remain inside their owners as well.
DUBROVNIK: LAST EVENING
26.04.2017: In the evening, we walk to the Old Town one final time and make another loop through the narrow streets, although thoughts are already turning towards going home. On the way back, one final stop at the kiosk for the last pizza slice.
DBV – ISL – RIX
27.04.2017: Our flight is relatively early – 11:00 – and considering we still have to get to the airport, there’s no time to mess around. The morning is already warm, so Madara catches the final rays of sunshine while waiting at the bus stop. A local white tomcat is waiting for the bus as well.
We get through all the airport security checks without any unnecessary problems and wait for our flight. Next to a loudly snoring old man.
