Croatia Day 5 - Lokrum & Dinner at 360 Dubrovnik

Our plan for today was to take the city-operated boat over to Lokrum bright and early, so we managed to get up and be at the dock by 9am. But there was no boat to be found, despite that we had checked in about the schedule two days before. We had been told that the first boat out each day was at 9 am. We wondered if the delay might have been caused by weather, as the peaceful, azure Adriatic had become choppy and gray, with a brisk, wind whipping our parkas around. No whitecaps, but definitely a very different looking body of water from what we had grown used to. Light mist clung to us, and though it was not cold, it would have felt more comfortable curling up in front of a fire than being outside.

We decided to take a stroll and get some of the shopping that we’d planned for the afternoon done in the morning. The first shop that we stopped in had a charming array of local food and hand-made Christmas decorations. We almost always get something for our tree when we go on vacation, so this was perfect. The proprietor, like most people in Dubrovnik, spoke English, and we told him about our predicament with the boat to Lokrum. He confirmed that it did not run when the weather was bad, and that there had been some sort of incidents involving tourists in the past, which made them very cautious.

We continued exploring shops on the north side of the city, which we had seen as much of. This part of the city is steeply angled, and street after street of steps rise up of the main street. Between shops, we stopped at a bakery for pastries, with a much less friendly woman behind the counter than our previous day’s bakery. We found a covered table for our morning espresso and ate the pastries there. Our next stop was place selling on of the regional specialties, coral jewelry. This was a great find – we had planned to get some coral, and they were extremely knowledgeable. We chatted with one shopkeeper extensively, learning all about the coral harvesting and processing. He made a lot of the piece himself, and showed us the tools he used – dentist tools! These scrapped off the outer layer and buffed the inside. He also explained the pricing and how we could tell the different between fake and real – for one, the real stuff would not be for sale out on the street. After much deliberation, I finally decided on a pair of small earrings.

After some more shopping, we headed back to the dock to see if there was any change the boats were running. As it turned out, they were, and one was just about to leave. Unfortunately, we had all of our shopping with us and could not head out to island with that. Ben ran back to the apartment, and made it back to boat with seconds to spare. This turned out to just be a prelude to another mad dash for the boat later!

Lokrum island sits just off the coast of Dubrovnik. It heavily forested and uninhabited. It is home to some ruins, including a monastery and a fort, some saltwater ponds loved by swimmers, and hiking trails. It is larger than it appears as the view from Dubrovnik is of the narrow end – it stretches much further in the opposite direction, which is where the boat docks. It was raining on and off, as it had been doing all morning, and the sea was definitely choppy. It was also a lot colder out on the water than the close confines of the walled city. We met a family from California on the boat and later took pictures for them and they for us.

In what proved to be a waste of money, we took the advice from Rick Steves of buying a map. The map, as it turned out, was replicated all along the walking trails – identical maps for free. It wasn’t a lot of money, but $4 that could have been saved. Notably, it was NOT a topographical map and gave no indication or elevation or grade.

We first explored the monastery and the smallish arboretum. The monastery was now home to peacocks and had been a filming site in Game of Thrones. The peacocks were very cool – definitely one of my favorite birds and this was a chance to really see them up close. Around every corner were more! They were not particularly afraid of humans, either, but not aggressive like geese (though did poop everywhere like geese). The arboretum had some species of trees that were imported to Croatia from the US and Australia, and many were familiar. It had been partially destroyed in the civil war, but had made a nice comeback. Apparently, fire is considered a major threat, probably due to all of the foliage, and the entire island was crisscrossed with hoses to be used in an emergency. Smoking, very popular pretty much everywhere, was strictly outlawed on Lokrum.

A neat cactus like plant in the arboretum

Another cool tree, probably in the succulent family

The weather definitely changed the mood out here. The constant mist, sometimes turning to real rain, the cool but humid air, heavy overcast skies, and gray sea all gave this place a muted, somber vibe. The sound of waves crashing on rock provided constant background to our exploring. We went down as close to ocean as we dared, but what had previously been a tame, clear pool was now more savage, wild, and dangerous. We finally found the saltwater pool, but the cool temps dissuaded us from actually swimming, though the water here was still the perfect clear that we were used to, even with the overcast sky. On a sunny day, it would have certainly been even more beautiful.

The saltwater pool 

As it started to rain harder, we headed back towards the boat area, only to learn that we had missed a recent boat and had time to kill. Consulting the map, we decided to take a path around the outside edge of the island, then loop back through the middle to catch the next boat. We were very clear that we did not want to be stuck out here any longer – we were cold, tired, and hungry by this time, as we had skipped lunch in our rush to get to the boat earlier.

Gorgeous coastline off Lokrum 

Happy before things got ugly!

The walk started out great. The rain had let up, and the ground was flat and easy to navigate. We kept going until we got to the turn off that would let us loop back towards the boat. This is where the elevation or grade would have been key. Basically, it was straight uphill, though you could not see the top. From where we were, it looked like one big hill, but then it was a switchback with a steep ascent. By the time we realized this, it was too late to go back the way we came, so we had to plug on. Under normal conditions, we could have easily managed the hill with a few breaks and a normal pace – but we had to make that next boat. We started off at a light jog, then tried a very short sprint, then settled into a loping walk that still hurt and made us pant. I used a lot of colorful language and said things along the lines of “I’m probably going to die.” Ben felt that I had turned very morbid, but I was mostly kidding. I guess my tone of voice didn’t sound like I was joking, but it’s hard to sound light and cheerful when one can barely breathe.

Luckily, what goes up must come down (a cliché that I repeated in my head to reassure myself that this would ultimately turn downhill). The land eventually became a more gradual slope downwards, and we picked up the pace to the boat. We had actually given it up near the end, but decided to hurry anyway, just in case. The time had come and gone. When we got to a clearing near the dock, the sight of the boat coming in to port made us whoop with joy and we easily jogged to meet it. We just got lucky that it was running late because we were definitely not on time.

The view of Dubrovnik from Lokrum

We had errands to run and sights we still wanted to see back in Dubrovnik, so we were very glad to get back when we did. First, we went to our apartment and packed up a bunch of snacks, but knew that we had to get to the parking garage to pay for one more day of parking. Parking a major expense in this city, and definitely something you need to budget for.

After the garage, we headed back to Buza, the bar that we visited on our first night that sticks out into the water outside of the city walls. Technically, this was the other Buza – there are two very close to each other. Literally a hole in the wall, they only serve bottles of beer and other pre-made beverages. We grabbed a couple of beers and snagged a high up table. While the view was not what it would have been on a sunny day, the bar was still crowded with people taking in the spectacular view and enjoying the unique location.

Buza Bar

Relaxing after Lokrum

After Buza, we went and check out a couple of the churches that we had passed by several times but had not entered. While photos inside were not permitted, we were totally in awe and would have been clicking away if it didn’t risk eternal damnation and the annoyance of our peers. 

Concluding our sightseeing as it began to get too dark to see much inside, we headed back to our apartment to get ready for dinner. As it would be our last night, we wanted to do something a little nicer than we had. Restaurant Dubrovnik, despite the completely uninventive name, is number one on Trip Advisor and seemed to be a good option for a nicer dinner out. Sadly, when we arrived we learned that it would be closed for a private party! It certainly looked lovely and upscale, so maybe next time!

Wine in a cool holder

Cool light fixture at 360

The wine

We ended up at a trendy, high-end place called 360 Dubrovnik. It is so called because of its large patio that overlooks the entire city – which was closed due to the windy weather! The inside was also beautiful, and we still had a lovely view of the port (or at least I did due to the direction I sat, while Ben faced the interior). 

This place definitely was the nicest by far of the spots we tried in Croatia, and one of fanciest meals that we have ever had anywhere. We ordered a bottle of wine from Korchula, tomorrow’s destination. It was a crisp, clean white. Nothing too adventurous, but definitely tasty and on the cheaper side compared with many of the options. 

To begin, they served us an amuse bouche of toast with foie gras, something that I had never tried and had some moral objections to eating – which I ignored while I indulged in this rich treasure for what might be the only time ever. It was like an extremely flavorful version of butter, and it was amazing. While I have no intention of ordering this on a regular basis, I am really glad that I tried it. The controversy comes from the way it is prepared, which can only be done by overfeeding a goose and causing its liver to swell to disgusting proportions. It’s repulsive to think about, but hard to argue that it’s worse than the way that widespread factory farming practices that produces the bulk of the American diet. Some cities have outlawed it, much to the chagrin of most chefs. Look, I read Diet for a New America and numerous other articles about factory farming. Yes, I was vegan for a while, and now I try my best to eat food with a high animal welfare rating – grass fed, no pens, etc. So, no, I am not going to become a foie gras connoisseur but trying something like this at this particular place felt ok. Plus, it was free!

The tuna starter

Another tuna pic

Next came our first course, the tuna appetizer. This was spectacular. The tuna was incredibly fresh, perfectly marinated with ginger and soy. The guacamole it was served with, while flavorful and creamy, wouldn’t necessarily have been my first choice as a sauce – but it worked.

For entrees, I had turbot served over potato leek foam with a side of ginger couscous. The fish was perfect, and the foam was incredible.

The cous cous

Ben had the tempura shrimp

 Ben's tempura was served with a gel sauce dotted artistically along the sides of the plate. Each bite was divine. While we did not try some of the more adventurous menu items – deer, pigeon, and suckling pig to name a few – we were very happy with the quality of the food and the preparation. The service was also over-the-top. Several people were taking care of us at the same time, and we had a funny moment with our waiter when we realized he had a twin working the table next to us. As soon as we sipped our water, it was refilled. Our wine was constantly topped off. Plates were cleared promptly and we felt pampered. For the record, the bathrooms here were also spectacular, much fancier than the weird, airplane like bathroom that Ben had found enchanting in Kotor.

Another "on the house" dessert selection brought to us

After our meal, they brought us a mini apricot yogurt parfait, on the house, while we contemplated our dessert options. We decided on the “100% chocolate,” which was an array of chocolate desserts similar to something we had tried in DC at Coco Sala. The quality continued in the desserts – we were definitely not disappointed by any aspect of this meal. We had told ourselves not to stress about the price while we ate, to just focus on the experience. It was definitely one of the priciest meals we have ever had, but we had no cause for complaint. While I think that 360 Dubrovnik likely does not live up to the sort of places in NYC and Chicago that it was obviously imitating, I can’t say for sure because this my only real experience with this sort of cuisine in such a high-end setting.

After dinner, we strolled for a bit to encourage digestion, then went back to pack as our plans for day 6 was to get an early start on our way out of the city.

Croatia Day 4 - Road Trip to Cavtat and Kotor, Montenegro

              Today we took a day trip out of Dubrovnik to the south, first to a town called Cavtat, then on to Montenegro and the city of Kotor. During this vacation we tried to balance the need to get plenty of rest with our goals of getting up and getting going and today was no different. We were doing pretty well getting out the door and decided we would just stop at a bakery on our way to our car that we had noticed the day before, which we did. I got something made with what tasted like croissant dough wrapped over a potato filling – super yummy. But then I realized that I had forgotten the rental car keys – so back to the apartment we went, but did eventually get on the road.

                It was not at all hard to follow the signs to get back on the highway heading south towards Cavtat and follow the signs down off the main road into town. While we did not have a map of Cavtat, it was small and easy enough to navigate. Our goal was to spend some time walking around the seafront promenade, grab some coffee, and then be on our way. We easily found a parking area right next to the center of town – it was reasonably priced and there were plenty of spots, but I imagine that during summer it might be a bit difficult to find a spot. Given that it was the off season, it was still fairly busy and closer to full by the time that we left. We walked over to some shops and grabbed some water and a tourist map and set off on our walk. Cavtat has several inlets and a little peninsula that juts out into the water, separating two different parts of the bay / harbor. There is a nice walking path all the way around, which seems to be the norm in most of the seafront towns that we stopped in.

We made our way around – taking pictures, oohing and ahing – and it really was beautiful. The hills around were a lot more gentle and greener than those near Brela. The water was just as amazing, though, and the weather was again perfect. We stopped in to check out an old monastery and chapel, and eventually found a scenic spot for coffee (I went with tea). Continuing on the path brought us full circle back to our car, and we got on the road again as Kotor was still a ways away.

I want my morning cuppa here everyday!!

From the drive 

The drive from Cavtat to Kotor was uneventful. It had some beautiful spots, and it was nicer than I expected it to be. The border crossing was super easy and fast, though not quite as fast as the Bosnia border. The weird thing is that you had to stop in Croatia to exit, then again in Montenegro to enter. They asked no questions, but they did look at our passports and put them through that passport machine. Once you get into the Bay of Kotor, the scenery turns spectacular again, with tall, granite-topped mountains rising steeply to one side with glistening turquoise water on the other side. The road was winding and a little bit of a white-knuckle drive, but so far, traffic everywhere had been incredibly light, so it was fine if slow at times around all the sharp bends and curves.

View of an ancient town from across the Bay of Kotor

                Along the way, there are several towns that Steves recommends stopping at, but we knew that we did not have a lot of time and decided to take a few pictures along the way, but only stop once we got to Kotor town. We were not at all disappointed in Kotor and very glad that we made the trip. Again, parking was very easy, but in a busier time it could be an issue. Kotor is an ancient, walled city, and we entered through the main gate. We got a tourist map, then found a bathroom, which actually charged one Euro to use the toilet! That was fine, though we had to go get change (only had large bills) first. But ironically it was one of the least clean and well-serviced bathrooms that we visited on this whole trip – both for the men and women – no toilet paper, empty soap dispensers, etc.

From that view by the main gate, you could see the wall climbing steeply up the huge mountain behind the city. Unlike the walls of Dubrovnik, which are relatively flat (of course, I did not feel that way when I was climbing them), this wall is basically a switchback up one side and down the other. Definitely intimidating, especially to someone exhausted after the previous days’ adventures. I would recommend that unless you are in super good shape, probably don't try to do these one after the other. 

If I remember correctly, this church was built sometime in the 1300s.

Inside of an ancient church. Not sure if I was allowed to take this or not; many churches did not allow it,
but I saw no sign here

View of the walls

View from the walls

One of the well-known but newer churches. I think 1700s.

Another selfie from the top

Kotor as seen from the walls high above

                The buildings in Kotor feel a bit older and somewhat less well maintained than Dubrovnik – in a good way. It felt even older (I am not totally sure which city is older, but I know that the maintenance for this city has been less). There were, as was typical, a number of historic churches and public buildings that were architecturally striking. We explored around, took more pictures, soaked it in. Like Dubrovnik, Kotor has a large population of feral cats, and they seem to embrace it. We got our daughter a “Cats of Kotor” shirt and took some funny pictures of them hanging out in a big group. We also visited a nice local art shop, with a variety of interesting items. There, I bought myself earrings, a necklace for my daughter, and a black and white print of a drawing of the city. While in the shop, my husband was bent over looking at some items on a low shelf, and as he stood up, slammed his head on the middle shelf. He was fine, the art was fine, but it was a very close call as the glass shelf covered in various breakable art and sculpture rocked back and forth and the items all tottered. One item did fall over, but luckily did not break. The women in the shop were very sweet and gracious and expressed more concern over my husband’s head than the art, which was nice. It was definitely a hilarious moment looking back.

                After doing some more shopping around, including getting some locally made liquor, we decided to check out the walls. They were as difficult to climb as they looked. We paid a small admission price and headed up. We agreed ahead of time to only go to a certain point, then take another path back. Ben wanted to keep going once we got there, I think, but I just couldn’t go much further. I felt torn because I was hungry, thirsty, and tired, but this would be the only time I ever had the chance to climb these walls. Lesson learned – next time bring water!

                We did head back and found a little restaurant to try. We had not thought to use trip advisor ahead of time so it was kind of luck of the draw. It was fine. Nothing spectacular. As usual, I got some antipasti – this time meat and olives. Portions were generous, but it was my least favorite of all the cured meat that I had tried. The real highlight was the large, cold beer. I also tried a local specialty, fried cheese, and that was delicious.

This beer was so refreshing after our hike!

   We decided to check out another spot for dessert, one that we had noticed a bit earlier. We got coffees (one of the best we had, it was large and flavorful) and shared a crepe like dessert with chocolate and nuts – very tasty. I had a second cup of coffee to make sure I had plenty of caffeine for the trip back and because it was so delicious. The bathrooms in this place were very unique – enough for my husband to take a picture.

             

                The drive back was a bit of a white-knuckler, given the twisting roads, but traffic was incredibly light. The border crossing back out of Montenegro ended up taking significantly longer than on the way in. For whatever reason, the line, while not long, moved incredibly slowly. Several cars were pulled out to be searched! Luckily, when we finally got the check point, we were waved through with little fanfare. Same thing at the second border stop entering Croatia.

                After getting back to Dubrovnik, we decided to check out a wine bar that we had read about called D’vino. It received excellent reviews from both Trip Advisor and in our Rick Steves book. Knowing that we would soon be visiting the area’s most prolific wine growing region, we thought this would be a good chance to learn about Croatian wines from English-speaking experts. We sat outside at table in the narrow alley, just off the main street or stradun. Our waiter was a Croatian hipster, but very friendly and informative. We ordered a flight of white and a flight of red Croatian wines. The reds were mostly from the region that we planned to visit in a couple of days, while the whites were mostly from a more northerly area called Istria. Istria is also famous for its truffles, and if we come back to Croatia, I’d love to check it out. It’s quite close to Italy and can easily be combined with a trip there.

We took our time with the wines and then enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to the apartment, soaking in the atmosphere some more, wanting to completely absorb it into our memories. 

Croatia Day 3 - Hiking Dubrovnik

                We woke up not too early and not too late and headed out for breakfast. We were looking for a bakery to just grab coffee and pastries, and we ended up at a small restaurant that advertised itself as a “patisserie.” Now, my French is not great, but that implies to me that they might have pastries. We sat down and ordered coffee and looked at the menu. No real pastries, just muffins and cake. And several items we asked were sold out. We ended up settling for splitting the chocolate muffin, which came out with frosting and sprinkles, essentially turning it into a cupcake. I also tried some sausage, which was very tasty.

                Our plan for the day was to head up to walk the city walls and play the rest of the day by ear. The city of Dubrovnik, former seat of the Ragusan Empire, is surround by stout, imposing walls that are in excellent repair and serve as a major tourist attraction now. We grabbed some water in advance, because what we had read was that it’s hot and tiring up there. Even on a fairly mild October day, that was excellent advice. If you are going in the summer, treat this like a serious hike and prepare accordingly. There is very little shade and only a few small refreshment stands.

We made our way to the entrance recommended by Rick Steves in his guidebook (this book was really an excellent resource and we would have had a much less well-planned vacation without it). We passed it once or twice, but bought our tickets and made our way up to the entrance and began the hike. In some ways, it reminded me of hiking the Great Wall. There, too, it’s an ancient wall, often with a lot of steps, and crowded by tourists. We had a large group of French tourists arrive right when we did, which made for slow-going at first. One observation I had of European tourists, be they French, German, or Swiss, the average age of a tour group is probably 65. It’s probably because of the time of year. I am sure younger groups tend to come in the summer when school is out, but it was really remarkable to me how uniformly gray these groups were. They also seem very fit and to be enjoying retirement in a great way, so good for them!

                The wall is one direction, counter clockwise. The real attraction here is the view. Everywhere you look is beauty. The main view is of the ancient city, with its red roofs, contrasting with the gleaming turquoise Adriatic that surrounds the city on all sides. Mount Srd looms up behind you. We started on the north side of the wall. The first tower we came to, the Minceta tower, was another GoT filming location. We went to the top there and managed an even more spectacular view. As we kept walking, an amazing view of Fort St. Lawrence opened in front of us. We decided then that we needed to get there, too, and would do that later in the day.

Some of the many amazing and difficult to capture views from the wall:

                The wall was hot, tiring, and amazing. We made our way around and at one point came across a juice bar with tables with a view out to Lokrum island off the coast. We were sort of suckered into a drink, as no price is posted and we didn’t think to ask. They were fresh fruit, though – squeezed right in front of us. It was very tasty, but then we got the check and realized that we had just spent about $15 on these.  Oops. The drink was delicious, though, and it was nice to sit and relax for a minute. 

Lokrum Island just off the shore

Happy smile - until we saw the check!

Just past the drink spot, we realized that we were right near an exit that would put us near our apartment, so we decided to exit the walls and move on to other things. Back at the apartment, we snacked on some stuff, including sharing a beer we had bought the night before and bag of what I thought were pretzels but turned out to take it one step further – peanut butter filled pretzels! Perfect with the beer, and a snack food that we really should adopt here.

The beach

The chairs were available to rent

                Ben was very keen on swimming, so we got swim and beach stuff together (the apartment had beach towels for us to use) and headed just outside the city to a small beach area located near a club/restaurant called East West. We had read in advance to know that although the club is in front of the beach and has some reserved seating, it’s a public area. Again, it was pebbles, which hurt my feet a bit – I had wished that I had brought water shoes or anything other than flip flops. It was quite comfortable to sit on, though! Ben did go in the freezing water, which he was very glad to do, but he didn’t stay in it long. It was so crystal clear and clean, I regretted not wearing my suit.

Fort St. Lawrence - and filming site of Joffrey's Name Day celebration in season 1 or 2

                We did not stay long at the beach, though. We had too much to do and had to get to some things before they closed. Next on the agenda was Fort St. Lawrence. This was a part of ancient Dubrovnik’s defenses, and is very visible just outside the walls on jut of land rising high above the sea. Oh, and of course, it was a GoT filming site! We made our way over there, which was little confusing, but once there faced a mountain of steps. At the top, we paid the small admission fee to get into the fort. It was pretty bare bones, the stone architecture and – here we go again!! – the view were spectacular. 

View over the water. My camera sucks.

View of the city walls and Lokrum from Ft. St. Lawrence

The battlement and replica cannon on the Fort

After exploring St. Lawrence for awhile, we headed back towards town, where we decided to take the cable car to the top of Mount Srd. We read about it and the option of climbing it, and decided that it was a bit too late in the day and a bit too much hiking after a day with a lot of hiking already. It was about 120 Kuna for the two of us to go up, and they accepted credit cards. Roundtrip is about 200 Kuna for two people, but we decided that we’d walk down.

Up and away in the cable car

                The cable car seems fairly new and very modern in contrast with all of the ancient buildings around it. They pack you in a bit but zip you right up to the top. Fear of heights would definitely make this a fairly unpleasant experience. Once at the top, there is an enormous observation deck hanging right off the side of the mountain. Of course, the pictures and view are amazing. It’s also quite a bit chillier up there, so be prepared for that. There are a couple of items of interest up there including a war memorial and museum. We skipped the museum, and just walked around and soaked it all in. Lots of pictures, lots of oohing and ahing. Yes, just writing it brings me back to how redundant it was – but that did not take away for our feelings of awe. We were mocking ourselves by this point, but couldn’t help it because we’ve never seen anything like it.

              

Selfie at the top of Mount Srd

  It took a few tries, and passing through an area that said “pass at your risk”, before we found the path down the mountain. Well, going down was only marginally easier than going up, I’d guess. The path was made out of very sharp crunched gravel – painful even through sneakers. Maybe thickly soled hiking boots would have been different, but our feet were killing us by the end. We joked at walking on regular dirt felt like walking on pillows. The path was pretty much empty – we passed a few people on their way up, and one couple passed us on their way down. It was a long walk back to town, but exhausted and sore though we were, it felt good. All in all, that ended up being our most active day – over 27,000 steps – approximately 11 miles – as recorded by my fitbit!

                Even though we were sweaty and gross, we stopped for dinner before even going back to our place because we were so hungry. We tried a small pizza and pasta place that had excellent trip advisor reviews – and was recommended by our host. I had spaghetti with fig and bacon, which was amazing! As an appetizer, I had bruschetta with mozzarella and (more) bacon. My husband had pizza – cheese and veggies. It definitely lived up to its recommendations, especially being so hungry. The prices were reasonable – we both enjoyed a beer with it. I would definitely go back here and now that I write this, I wish I were eating there right this minute.

                After dinner, we rested and showered and contemplated just going to bed. I got a second wind, however, and convinced Ben that we should head out on the town again. We walked all around, ending up back in the main square. We got gelatos at one of the ubiquitous spots, then sat down at a café where Ben ordered (another) dessert and I had fig liqueur. There was live entertainment, it was a warm night, and we were just as relaxed as can be.