MikeBuckley

This post of my trip report is about the two-day segment driving from Trogir to Dubrovnik. I realize that most people get to Dubrovnik either by sea from one of the islands or by quickly driving or taking a bus for about a four or five hour trip. For those inclined as we were, I highly recommend taking a couple days to enjoy the many things to see and do along the way.

For those interested in logistical details, we had arranged to pick up a rental car in Split. My wife had a great idea of picking it up when we returned from Hvar. After driving to Trogir, staying the night and walking around the next morning, we could then begin our drive down the coast toward Dubrovnik without having to go into Split.

<b>Dalmatian Coast</b>
Photos at http://www.pbase.com/mike_buckley/dalmatian_coast

<b>OmiS</b>
One of our favorite old towns! If you're driving south on the main highway, take a left at the first light immediately after you go over a small bridge at the edge of Omis. Go through a tunnel and park in the lot before you get to the next tunnel. You'll get a nice view of the entrance to the gorge.

You'll get an even better view of the gorge if you walk up the moutainside to the fort. Doing so will be a challenge for anyone having trouble coping with lots and lots of steps, but the views of the gorge and the old town from the highest point in the fort are tremendous.

The old town is small, quaint and very interesting, very much like Trogir in that regard, though even smaller.

There are lots of activities in Omis. I saw a trail going up the side of the mountain that made my wife and I itch to get our hiking boots and poles out of the car. We saw lots of places that provide river rafting too. Omis is on the edge of the Adriatic but we didn't venture to any beaches. Too bad we hadn't allowed enough time for any activities other than our enjoyable walks to the fort and around the old town.

<b>Makarska</b>
We got to Makarska about 6:00pm and began looking for an apartment on the edge of the old town. Remember that this was the last week in September, when there are lots of vacancies. Within 15 minutes we had seen two apartments. We chose the second one because it was 50% larger and one-third cheaper.

Our evening meal at the restaurant at Hotel Porin was ordinary except for two items. The Dalmatian Salmon (which we never saw described that way on any other menu) was an unusual yellow/gold color. It was deliviously served on a lightly buttered, grilled bread.

The other item had to do with wine. My wife wanted a beer, so I ordered a glass of table wine rather than a bottle. My wife warned me that, compared to the really good bottles we had been drinking throughout the trip, I wouldn't like the table wine. She was right. So I ordered a bottle of red wine that I had enjoyed previously on the trip. But when our waiter brought it to the table, it was the grand cru version, which is the best quality of that particular wine. Before the waiter opened the bottle I confirmed that the price of the grand cru was the same as what I ordered. He assured me that it was. The vintage of this particular bottle was 2001, compared to the much pricer 2003 I had seen in restaurants and stores. Not knowing the precise reason it was so relatively inexpensive, I enjoyed it. Not being able to drink all of it at dinner, we took the rest of it back to our apartment, which is a luxury that is not allowed throughout most of the United States.

Makarska's old town is the least interesting of all the Croatian old towns we visited. It was too organized, with no twists, turns, unique alleyways, dead ends and the like. Like most old towns, it is situated on the wharf. While that has a certain amount of appeal, we think it's wharf is no more interesting than other wharfs. So after spending just a couple hours in the morning, we headed back to our car to head further down the coast toward Dubrovnik.

One of the nice things about traveling is seeing how they do things in other parts of the world than the way they are done at home. Walking back toward our car, we learned to be grateful that we had parked in a legitimate parking space. That's because we saw Makarska deals with cars improperly parked. A flatbed truck with a cratne parks in the street beside the errant car. They place straps around the car, attach the straps to the crane, and lift the car straight up before swinging on to the bed of the truck. It's a simple, ingenious way of removing cars that otherwise could only be booted.

<b>Igrane and Klek</b>
On the way to Dubrovnik, there are so many villages and towns at the base of the mountains at the Adriatic. You simply pick some that appear interesting are might provide a place to eat.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the beach at Igrane, a typically rocky beach on the edge of a pine forest. I imagine that we could have had a similar picnic at at least six other towns nearby.

We stopped in Klek, the last town before entering Bosnia, to enjoy an hour at the beach. As my picture indicates, it is an absolutely pristine beach and on this particular day there was not a cloud in sight. Even the rocks are relatively small, making the walking much easier on the beach and in the water. Because this was the last week in September, none of the vendors were open and for good reason: in the 150-yard stretch of beach I counted only 25 people. I and others found the water warm enough, but I suspect that those like my wife would think it was too chilly. Being on such a pretty beach and having it almost entirely too ourselves was a real joy.

After leaving Klek, we continued our drive toward Dubrovnik, enjoying the afternoon light, the gorgeous mountains and the Adriatic. As we passed the Peljasec Peninsula, we wished there had been enough time to visit it, especially the wineries.

Next (and final) segment: Dubrovnik

MikeBuckley

My apologies for the typos in my previous post. Unfortunately, Fodor's edit capabilities are not &quot;sticking&quot; after making the edits.

sundowner

After you edit, use &quot;preview my reply&quot; again and then post. It seems that the edits work when you do that.

What a great trip report and wonderful pictures! Thanks for putting all of this together.

MikeBuckley

sundowner, I've been trying your method of editing. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Glad you're enjoying the trip report!

MikeBuckley

<b>The Story of the Electronics Genius Waiter</b>

I forgot that I haven't told the Story of the Electronics Genius Waiter. The segment about Dubrovnik will need to wait.

To tell this story properly, I need to retrace our travels to when we were in Trogir on the first full day of our trip. I also need to provide a little background information.

Because photography is an important part of my and my wife's travel experiences, it's important that I am able to recharge the batteries used in my digital camera. To do that in Croatia, we brought outlet adaptors and the gadget that converts 220 volts to 110 volts. Probably the most important information you should know at the begining of this story -- though it will become obvious at the end of it -- is that despite my compulsive study of Benjamin Franklin, when it comes to electricity I know nothing about volts, watts or herz.

Now, the story.

When my wife removed the converter from her suitcase on the first day of our trip, it fell apart in her hands. One of my batteries had very little charge left on it and the other three were completely out of juice. I had no way of charging them. I needed a brand new, bright and shiny voltage converter.

A very helpful clerk in a Trogir hardware store sent us to the opposite side of the old town to an equally helpful clerk in an electronics store. He assured us that a particular store in Split would be able to provide me with a brand new, bright and shiny replacement converter.

Fortunately, we were planning on going to Split the next day and after a 5-minute cab ride we had in our possession a brand new, bright and shiny voltage converter. Life as I know it (remember that travel photography is important to me) was saved!

Fast forward to our arrival in Dubrovnik, where we spent the last few days of our trip. For the first time on our vacation, my wife couldn't find a hair dryer belonging to the apartment. Figuring that she would use her own hair dryer, she also couldn't find the outlet adaptor we thought we had packed that was needed to operate her dryer. So, being the nice guy that I am, I gave her my brand new, bright and shiny voltage converter that also served as an outlet adaptor to use with her hair dryer. Not only did her hair dryer not work, but it also fried my brand new, bright and shiny converter that I needed to recharge my camera batteries.

There we were, in Dubrovnik, intentionally planned as the last stopping place on our trip because so many people at Fodors suggested saving the best for last, and I was unable to take pictures with my digital camera. Once again, life as I know it had just ended.

An ironic side note: Almost immediately after my wife's hair dryer fried my brand new, bright and shiny voltage converter, she found the hair dryer belonging to the apartment. Sheesh!

With no alternative other than to hit the alleys and streets of Dubrovnik's old town in pursuit of an evening meal, we looked for an appealing restaurant. One in particular -- Proto -- seemed to meet the criteria of the evening. I had remembered that someone at Fodors had raved about it, so we tried it. (When I returned to the apartment, my print of tripgirl's report reminded me that, indeed, she had praised Proto.)

We enjoyed the food and service immensely and I'll provide details about that in a separate post. For now though, please remember that we're talking electronics expertise, not culinary competence.

After finishing dinner at Proto, we asked Alan, our wiater and son of the owner, if he knew where we could purchase yet another brand new, bright and shiny voltage converter so I could charge my camera batteries. Explaining that he had studied electronics before joining his mother's restaurant business, he asked why I needed a converter. After I told him the story, he explained that I probably didn't need a voltage converter and that I had probably never needed a converter; I only needed an outlet adaptor. If I would meet him at 10:00am the next morning, he would loan me his adaptor for our stay in Dubrovnik.

The next morning, with my charger, camera battery and hat in hand, I met Alan at the restaurant. After reading the specifications on the back of my battery charger, he plugged the charger and his adaptor into the wall. Everything worked exactly as it is supposed to. He was obviously right that I had never needed my old or my brand new, bright and shiny voltage adaptor to operate my battery charger!

So, the moral of this story is that if you ever want to have your life saved as you know it for the second time in one week, the best advice I can offer is to make sure that your waiter is truly an electronics genius.

MikeBuckley

Please add to my notes about Croatian wine. You'll find them in a separate thread at http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...amp;dirtyBit=1

MikeBuckley

This is the final segment of my trip report.

<b>Dubrovnik's Old Town</b>
Photos at http://www.pbase.com/mike_buckley/dubrovnik

We met Nada, our apartment landlord, at the Ploce Gate. Interestingly, she never required a deposit and only contacted us a week ahead of time to confirm that we would indeed be staying at her apartment, which is located in Old Town.

Nada, a middle-aged woman, was born in her parents' home (not in a hospital) in Old Town. Though she has never lived outside the city walls, she no longer lives where she was born. That includes the two-month seige in 1991 when almost everyone left for safer places. During those 60 days, she was without electricity and survived on the water that was sneaked into Old Town.

Nada's thinks the ground floor of her current home was probably built in the 16th century before the 1667 earthquake. Her mother added on the second floor in 1957 using the old Dubrovnik stone. That floor is now the apartment that she rents to travelers. 30 years ago Nada added on a third floor, which is where she lives.

Nada has been working for 20 years for the government agency that is responsible for the reconstruction of Old Town. Her expertise is information technology, called &quot;informatics&quot; in Croatia. Once she became aware that I was very interested in the history of her home, she generously gave me a DVD produced by the government that celebrates 25 years of restoration. (I haven't yet watched it. Yeah, I know I'm the only American that doesn't own a DVD player.)

The apartment is conveniently located one-half block away from the Stradun on the side with no steps. It has two bedrooms, a library, full kitchen, the most spacious living room of our trip, and a terrace. Everything is adequate (including the sink made of ceramic tile) though not stylish. Nada's attention to our happiness is more than adequate. If you're interested in her apartment, review it at http://www.dubrovnik-area.com/Eng/de...ajID=NB-A-0341

We began our first morning in Dubrovnik with a walk on the walls. I had read so many trip reports indicating that most people take about two hours to complete the walk. we got halfway around in two hours, not because of physical disability (we exercise avidly including jogging) but because we enjoyed lingering while enjoying the overall views, the details, chatting with people, and taking pictures. Thank goodness the ticket is good for unlimited entrances on the day it is purchased.

After an early lunch on our apartment terrace, we visited the Franciscan Monastery. We also poked our head inside several small churches, disappointed to realize that their interiors had been white washed to provide neutral backgrounds for modern art exhibits; only their exterior indicated that they had once been churches.

The late afternoon light beckoned us to comlete our walk of the walls. The rooftops of Dubrovnik seen from the Minceta Tower, the highest point of the walls, is a memory we won't soon forget.
And though I'm not one to sit long at a bar, my wife had difficulty dragging me away from enjoying the setting sun at Buza Bar.

While my wife lingered in bed, I took a solo stroll through Old Town in the early morning. The sights and sounds are very different then compared to any other time of the day. Only the market selling fruits and vegetables is open at that hour. There was the lone man dangling a fishing line over the edge of the wharf and a few people readying their boats. The few people on the Stradun are there to deliver goods to the shops, leaving their products outside the door until the shopkeepers arrive. Indeed, I had to wait (!) for people to enter my camera's viewfinder while taking pictures of the Stradun scenes.

After joining my wife at the apartment, we visited the Sponza Palace. The War Memorial room is a very moving exhibit of still photographs, some hanging on the wall and others shown in a video displayed on a flat-panel monitor. Though the room was reasonably full with tourists, the images of the horror of war invoked total silence. In the main interior of the palace, which requires an admission fee, there was an enjoyable exhibition of old photographs of Dubtovnik's Old Town.

After lunch at our apartment, we visited the Cathedral and the Rector's Palace. The Cathedral was very crowded and we were disappointed that its Treasury appeared to be a one-room affair that people were allowed to view only from beyond its doorway. The Rector's Palace had many fascinated rooms displaying artifacts, furniture, costumes, etc from earlier centuries. Our favorite was an exhibit of 19th century illustrations of Croatian scenes and the palace itself.

This being the last afternoon of our trip, I purchased a few bottles of wine while my wife spent an hour unsuccesfully looking for gifts for our nieces.

We had enjoyed walking the walls the previous day so much that we decided we would use our last daylight hours of our trip to walk a portion of the walls near the Pile Gate. In other words, our plan is that it would be the perfect ending of an absolutely fabulous trip.

Indeed, it was!

We had four fascinating experiences on the walls. The first is that we learned that it's not a good idea to require serious medical attention if you live on the side Old Town with steps. When the attendants wheeling a woman on a gurney got to the steps, they lifted her up in the sheets and whisked her away, leaving the gurney in the alley.

Our second surprise was more pleasant. As we faced the Adriatic, a huge cruise ship emerged from beyond the cliffs and walls of Dubrovnic. Everyone on board cheered as their ship literally sailed into the sunset, giving them their last view of Dubrovnik.

Our third surprise came when one of the residents set out some Christmas tree ornaments for sale to the tourists. His daughter handmade them from various shapes of pasta sprayed with gold paint. Ah ha! Perfect gifts for the nieces! And purchased on the walls of Old TOwn!

Our fourth surprise (in only one hour!) happend when we looked down upon Buza Bar I. It was a wedding reception! What an idyllic scene for such a romantic occasion!

<b>Old Town Restaurants</b>
Proto
This is the only restaurant that equalled Yaksa in Trogir. There are three seating areas -- the interior, the alley, and the upstairs terrace which requires reservations a day in advance even in September.

Their salmon carpaccios is deliciously marinated in cognac and we enjoyed the best grilled vegetables of our trip.

My wife's main dish was a very good shrimp preparation but the highlight of our meal was Proto's variation of black risotto. Though not a black sauce, it is dark and rich. That's because the owner believes many tourists find the black color or a description of it unappealing. The risotto is to die for. Thankfully, I lived to tell about it.

We won't return to Dubrovnik without also returning to Proto.

Our only other restaurant meal -- also our last in Croatia -- in Dubrovnik was pizza at Mea Culpa. This was our third pizza in a week, more than in the last five years. That's primarily because we felt that Croatian restaurants didn't seem to offer any other good food that wasn't relatively fancy; the oferings of sandwich shops and casual restaurants didn't appear to be particularly interesting or unique.

The pizza at Mea Culpa was pretty ordinary, but the specialty was that all wine by the glass costs proportionally the same as by the bottle. There is no reason to order a bottle, which is something I have never experienced in a restaurant.

<b> Trip Summary</b>
In the months prior to our trip, almost everyone we talked to asked us why we were going to Croatia. In 25 years of travel, often to relatively exotic places, we had never been asked that.
Having been there now, Croatia is easily one of our top ten destinations and possibly our top five or six.

The ease of traveling through Croatia poses less stress than most trips. It's easy to plan. Though as everyone mentions, it isn't particularly easy to get there, upon arrival it's obvious why that annoyance is well worth it.

I doubt that my trip in any way conveys the immense enjoyment of our trip, but maybe my pictures help out. The following link provides easy access to all of them: http://www.pbase.com/mike_buckley/dubrovnik

MikeBuckley

I accidentally posted an improper link. To access an overview of all of my pictures, please use this:

http://www.pbase.com/mike_buckley/travel_croatia

ckwald

Mike,

I decided to take a break from my own report writing and enjoy the last segment from you. It's great! Amazing, isn't it, how two people can come back from a trip to many of the same places yet focus on so many different things. That's why reading these trip reports is so much fun.

And speaking of focus, your photos are absolutely wonderful!

MikeBuckley

<i>two people can come back from a trip to many of the same places yet focus on so many different things</i>

Yes! Equally fascinating to me is how we (or at least my wife and I) focus on different things a week after returning, a month after returning, a year after returning, etc. Travel truly provides memories that keep on giving, and giving, and giving.

tully

Thank you for a wonderful report &amp; photos. Have saved some of your info to help for my trip.

aprillilacs

Your report is a pleasure to read, and the photos are stunning. A wedding reception at Buza Bar--perfect! Makes me want to get married all over again and have the reception there. Maybe I'll propose that to my husband of 37 years!

MikeBuckley

tully, I hope the trip report becomes helpful in some small way. I find reports immensely helpful when it comes to the logistics of getting around and restaurant suggestions. Every once in a while I would suggest something (such as not getting on the #37 bus in Trogir) and she would ask how I knew that. My stock answer: Fodors online.

aprillilacs, I forgot to mention that it was interesting that the bride wore off-white and the groom wore white. In my picture, they are the seated couple in the lower right corner with their backs facing the camera: http://www.pbase.com/mike_buckley/image/69238140

Barb

Wonderful report! and fantastic photos. Makes me feel like I am back there. Bravo!

MikeBuckley

Thanks, Barb! Glad you liked everything!

kathrynj

Mike, Thanks so much for your report. I am in the process of plan ning a trip for next summer and a lot of your info will be incredibly helpful. One question, I am traveling with a friend who is a not a beach, island person. Would it make any sense to stay in Trogir or Split and do Hvar as a day trip and do Korcula as a day trip from Dubrovnik?

MikeBuckley

kathrynj,

So you understand the context of my answer to your questions, neither my wife nor I are beach/island people. During our 8 days in Croatia, we spent a total of one hour at the beach for the purpose of being at the beach. We spent a second hour at the beach only for the purpose of enjoying a picnic.

Others probably know more than I about the practicality of going to Korcula as a day trip from Dubrovnik, but my research gave me the feeling that it takes too long. We didn't go to Korcula at all, due to the limitations of time.

I'm certain that Hvar can be done as a day trip from Split and less conveniently from Trogir, especially if you use the catamaran, which takes half the time as the ferry. Moreover, the catamaran goes directly to Hvar Town, whereas the ferry goes to Stari Grad. I can't imagine going to the island of Hvar without going to Hvar Town.

Be aware that you can go to Hvar and ignore that there are beaches or that it is an island. We spent two days on the island doing exactly that and had a terrific time. Indeed, of the 47 pictures I posted taken in Hvar Town and elsewhere on the island, none are pictures of the beach.

Hope this helps! Maybe others have good ideas for you too!

HappyCheesehead

Hi Mike - your photos are just wonderful! I think I will adopt a few and pretend they are my own..... will you require royalties??

kathrynj

Thanks Mike---am still working out all the logisitcs. The real problem is lots to see and too little time. Starting in Venice then heading down to Dubrovnik and figuring out what to do in between---only have 12 days total....Kathy

MikeBuckley

Feel free to enjoy my pictures in any way you like, cheesehead. No royalties. Not even any bragging rights. If you like some so much that you would want to print them, let me know so I can send you high-resolution files.

kathrynj, Dubrovnik is wonderful. But if I were planning a trip that also includes Venice, I would make a point of starting in Dubrovnik and ending in Venice. That would be saving the best for last in my book. Dubrovnik is great but Venice is simply spectacular.