Being in the Old City of Dubrovnik feels like being in a movie. Limestone streets and buildings with different colored shutters, laundry lines strung across the alleys, and restaurants tucked cutely into small spaces greet you at every turn. Boats, mountains, blue water, and old city walls surround you. During the day this adorable little city can feel a little overwhelming when the sun is beating down (there is little shade) and it can be packed with people. Cruise ships dock in Dubrovnik so on any given day there can be up to 15,000 additional people in the small area (plus all the other tourists). But in the evening when it cools off a little and the crowds disperse, the streets are lit with soft glowing lights. It really feels like you could be on a Hollywood set.
Dubrovnik was built primarily in the 15th century and was quite prosperous due to its prime location on the sea. It has had a tumultuous history and most recently suffered damage during the Croatian War of Independence in the early 90s. It was rebuilt during the late 90s/early 2000s and the large city walls still stand today.
Stacia and I stayed in the Old City up one of the cute staired alleyways. Being towards the end of our month together, we decided not to do a walking tour (we had done a lot of walking tours) and to take a day to relax and enjoy the city before Stacia left the next day. We ate ice cream, did some souvenir shopping, soaked in the A/C in our room, enjoyed some people watching, had some wine on our front porch, and ate some of the local cuisine. On our flight into Zagreb I sat next to a native Croatian who gave me some tips about Dubrovnik. He recommended a seafood restaurant which we went to called Lokanda - right on the water and with reasonable prices (our kind of place!). Stacia and I were feeling bold, so we tried shrimp and seafood risotto. What an experience. Our poor waiter had to walk us through the whole menu because we didn't know how or what to order. Our shrimp arrived with their heads and tails included, so we had to be-head and be-leg them (not my favorite thing to do I realized). The seafood risotto was black - which Stacia told me after we had finished eating that it was that way from the die of the squid. Oh joy. During the meal we both agreed we may not be cut out for the seafood life....nor the fancy yacht life.
I had a few extra days here on my own and stayed a little bit outside of the Old City. I ventured around on the waterfront and found where the cruise ships and ginormous yachts dock. I hiked to the top of Mt Srd (there is a cable car that also goes to the top) and it was a really pretty hike. Along the way I had great views of the city of Dubrovnik and sea. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the top it was completely foggy and it was hard to see about 10 feet in front of me. But it was okay with me, as the fog really cooled things down for the hike. I was still sweating profusely but at least I wasn't lobster red sunburned. I also had a riveting day of laundry and future plan research (always need those catch up days).
All in all, I wasn't a great 'tourist' in Dubrovnik but I had a great time soaking in the sights, sounds, and smells of this adorable city. I can see why Croatia - and Dubrovnik in particular - is such a tourist draw. It really is something special.
Now on to the north of Croatia for my next Workaway experience!
Highlights:
1. Getting to spend the month with Stacia! We had a great time exploring new places and had a lot of laughs along the way.
2. People Watching - one of my favorite things to do - and here there were plenty of tourists for the people watching to be top notch.
3. Hike up Mt Srd - while I didn't get a great view from the very top, the views on the way up were beautiful.
4. Ice cream - it is everywhere here and delicious. And necessary to cool off.
5. Staying in the Old City - it was so fun to stay right where all the action was!
Lessons Learned:
1. I'm pretty sure I learned this lesson before, but don't order seafood unless you really know what it is.
2. More tourists generally means increased prices - and it is not cheap here!
3. The coffee culture is different here. They believe that coffee is meant to be shared with others and it is more of a social event. So - this means few "to go" coffees, no Starbucks (I think this is the first country on this trip that hasn't had them!), and to my dismay not many coffee shops where you can 'work' (or for me - write, people watch, and caffeinate).
4. Sobe - these are what they call guest houses and they are everywhere.
5. Sometimes it's fun not to be a 'tourist' - while it's always great learning about a new city and its history, it is also nice just to sit and take it all in.
Charming Dubrovnik.
More charm.
A Dubrovnik sunset.