We Survived the White Knuckle Drive of Death! - Our 2006 Croatian Trip Report
 

Another “September in Croatia” Fodorite reporting in. We had a blast in Croatia and would love to go back someday. If we do, it’s going to involve a boat – those waters are incredible!

I have used Fodors to help with trip planning for years, but have never actually written a trip report. It’s not so much that I don’t want to “give back”, but frankly I am a horrible typist and this is going to take me two forevers to get down in writing! Additionally, since I always follow advice offered by my fellow posters, a lot of what we have done on other trips has already been written about in other threads. Croatia is a little less explored here, so perhaps this time I can make a useful contribution. I am also putting in some logistical info here, hope it is useful for the Croatia virgins, and not too boring for those that have already been. Actually, I was hoping there would be this big deluge of trip reports coming in and no one would notice I did not do mine!

DH (49) and I (44) took off from Madison, WI for Croatia on 9/2, using FF miles from NWA and flying Air France metal. Closest I could get to Dubrovnik was Zagreb via CDG in Paris. I was convinced I would miss the connection at CDG as we only had 65 minutes, so I decided to make it an overnight stop in Zagreb. That way, even if I ended up in Paris overnight, I still would not miss my separately booked Croatian Air flight on 9/4. Needless to say, all my plans for missing the CDG to Zagreb flight came to naught as we made the connection with time to spare.

Upon arrival in Zagreb we picked up some kuna (from the ATM near security at departures – the one near arrivals was empty) and headed out to the bus for ride into the city. First billboard we see on the way was sausage related, so hubby’s interest was piqued. We ended up getting slices of all sorts of different hard sausages/salamis for lunches and dinners while in Croatia and they were mighty tasty. Can you tell I am from Wisconsin?? We take our sausage seriously here!

Our hotel for the night was the Arcotel Allegra (108E for two including a big brekky the next day with hot dishes and every European breakfast food you can think of) and at the bus station we hopped on the tram that took us right to the hotel. It was not very far and we ended up walking back to the bus station the next day. The hotel was great and had a modern feel. Fun rooms, darkening curtains, big comfy beds, free internet, nice staff. Our room was super quiet as it was over a small courtyard. I would recommend. By the way, I had gotten a great deal at the Regent Esplanade (149E per night not including a breakfast) but I cancelled that ressie as we were there such a short time and were barely going to be in the room. I did walk into the Regent, and although it looked nice enough, in my opinion it was not fabulous nor worth the extra $.

Ok – about Zagreb. We have been to Vienna, Prague and Budapest and I was interested in how Zagreb would compare. It does seem like a poor Hapsburg cousin, but there are interesting areas and it seems as if there is a lot of restoration work going on around downtown. We hit some highlights, Cathedral, Trg bana Jelacica (was everyone in town there???) and walked about in the Gradec area which we found charming in the windy streets of Europe way, but none of the shops were open as it was Sunday. We stopped for beer at Oliver Twist and had dinner (ok) at an Italian restaurant a bit further down the street, Agave (120 kuna all in). It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and walking was a good antidote to an overnight on an airplane. To be honest, however, I have to agree with posters who have said it before me; it was not what I came to Croatia for. I would have skipped it for another day along the coast if I knew then what I know now.

By the way, what is the weird fascination Zagrebians have with corn? We saw it being sold on carts everywhere, roasted, boiled, popped!

We got a great nights sleep and after breakfast we headed north of the Trg bana Jelacica for the big market and enjoyed poking around. It was great just settling into the feel of Europe again. We head back to the hotel and walk over to the bus station and back to the airport for our flight to Dubrovnik. What a great deal that was, less than 75 US for the two of us combined directly from the Croatian Air website. I did buy the tix early though, as soon as they were available because those really fares go fast. We had to make a stop at the desk and get our tickets before we checked in but that took two minutes. The plane was newish looking and flight was great. Water and a mint were the refreshments!

In Dubrovnik we stopped first to pick up our car (booked through AutoEurope and picked up at Sixt – 263 US for 7 days) and were asked if we were going into Montenegro. You betcha we are. DH swears he sees the attendant switch car keys then and we end up with a Skoda Fabia with a missing hubcap. Hey, fine with me. If Montenegrins like Skodas I am cool with them too. Is the missing hubcap code for ignore me?

You are hooked on Southern Dalmatia just as soon as you start getting glimpses of the gorgeous water and the stark coastline. Oh yes, we are going to like it here just fine. We look at each other, grinning, and the oohs and ahhs begin. Could this BE anymore different than Wisconsin???

More to follow!

I remember your name... were you asking questions about Croatia quite some time ago? I am glad you finally took the plunge!

Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries I have had the opportunity to explore.

Please take the time to go to the War Photos Museum. It is not upbeat by any means but it provides good insight to what the Croatians went through during the recent war.

I can't wait to read more of your report!

Cheers!

Great start HappyCheesehead! Looking forward to more.

Jana

Anxiously waiting for more too ...

So excited to hear more about your trip! Can't wait!

Already reliving our trip earlier this year!! You were warned it was beautiful -- and though you haven't gotten to the Montenegro report yet, can just tell you loved it!!! Hope your next installment is coming up soon-

Thanks for the encouragement! We had looked into going to Croatia first in September of 2005 but decided on Turkey instead, then even that fell thru after hubby had to go teach a class in Germany and I met him at the end for 10 days. Poof! went the needed vacation time. My vacation is planned out to the last minute (we already had tickets for two weeks in France in April of 2006) so something had to give.

Typing this report is a wee bit time consuming but fun too, it really lets me relive the way I felt meeting Croatia ( and Montenegro too, LOL) for the first time.

We find our way to our lodging for the week, Apartments Antonela, http://www.dubrovnik-online.com/apartments_antonela/ pretty easily from the directions the owner provided. Ljubica, our hostess, is a lovely woman (living with her young family on the floor below us) and she shows us upstairs. She throws open the terrace curtains and we cannot believe how pretty the view of the old harbor, Ploce Gate and Dubrovnik is from our vantage point .

This is the first time we have ever tried an apartment rental and I loved it. It was not fancy at all, but it was clean and we had plenty of room to spread out. We had a little kitchen that I did not use, except to make some sandwiches and snacks. I have to admit, even though we had a kitchen table and chairs and comfy living room furniture, I never even sat my fanny on them. If we were home we were on the terrace. I loved the terrace in the morning with my coffee. I loved the terrace in the afternoon with a snack. I loved my terrace at night gazing contently over the lights of the city and illuminated walls.

After we got settled we headed out to the bigger grocery store Ljubica recommended over on the Pile Gate side of town, Tommy?. Compared with the Ploce side, the Pile side of town seemed built up and busy to me. Lots of big apartments and businesses and heavy traffic. The big harbor is over here. The Ploce side is very much smaller and has a neighborhood/residential feeling with the million dollar views.


We got lost trying to get to the store and drove in circles a bit before we spied the store. Well, no wonder we did not find it, it almost looks like it is built in the upper floors of an office building and I couldn’t even see a parking lot. What the heck?? There is parking, but it is a paid parking ramp and you have to take a ticket to go in. You get one hour free I think and then 10 k an hour or so?

I love to visit grocery stores in other countries and we spent a good two hours there. Of course I had my camera and I wandered the aisles taking pictures of the shelves filled with the unfamiliar products and packaging. I loved the jars of picked veggies and jams, the pates (I think) the cookies, the vacuum packed calamari on the hoof in the freezer. Did you know Mr Clean is Mr. Proper in Croatia? DH was trying his best not to appear to be with me and still keep the shopping cart near. I noticed beer entered the cart as my back was turned. We went over to the deli kiosk and the cheeses and sausages looked fabulous and unpronounceable. What to pick??? We have been burned before. I will never forget the cheese that ended up in the Danube outside Durnstein in Austria. Behind glass it was an intrigue. In the car it reeked. We had to give it a chance, but it was just awful, into the river it went. A man standing next to me appeared to know what he was doing and I tried to ask for a recommendation. Language was a barrier in this conversation but he got my drift. He spent a couple of minutes finding the paski sir – the cheese from Pag – for us and directed the clerk to cut a chuck about .25 kilo for us. I would like to find that man and give him a big cheesehead smootch because that cheese was just awesome!

Back to the apartment to drop off the groceries, it is about 9ish now and off we head to get our first close up look at Dubrovnik. We head straight down the steps and to the Ploce Gate and are there in 5 min. We walked through the passages, excitement growing, until we got to the Stradun. Yes, it was dramatic and beautiful and gave us that “just pinch me” feeling. Have you ever walked out of the train station in Venice to find the Grand Canal at your feet and the palaces of Venice before you? Like you just stepped back in time? We strolled the Stradun, peering into the little alleyway passages heading up the hill to the east and the shops lining the street. Hungry, but not wanting a heavy meal, we head for Mea Culpa and it hit the spot perfectly. The wood fired oven pizzas over there are sooo tasty.

We did not want to go back yet and spend the next hour walking the back streets on the western side of town.. Besides a few strollers like us, some sleeping cats and three boys playing soccer in a small square we saw almost no one. We headed back out to the center areas and there was live music piano playing near St Blaise Church. I was really surprised at the number of people relaxing in the cafes that late on a Monday night. I was really surprised I thought it was that late, LOL, not quite midnight, when did I get this old? But who could blame them? The days have been warm and the nights are perfection. A stroll around the old harbor, looking at the moon on the water, and we head back up to the apartment. Time for the terrace and we sit and listen to the last of the piano player’s tunes as we absorb the atmosphere and the view.

More to come!

Hi.. Glad you are posting your trip.. Your writing is FINE.. very descriptive, and inviting! I'm really enjoying it. You are right on about the difference between the Ploce Gate and Pile Gate areas.. and points inbetween. Definitely bringing back the memories.. Looking forward to your next part.

and thank you again for the photos you sent me! you are so thoughtful to do that for me.

Glad you finally made it to Croatia. enjoying your report. I knew you were a cheesehead, but didn't recall that you are from Madison. did you see that Gourmet just names Etoile one of the 50 best restaurants in the US? I can relate to your Wisconsin love of cheese and sausage. My son went to U of W in Madison his first two years and tells of the guys sitting around with their beers and pulling blocks of cheese out of their back pockets to carve off slices.

I felt as you about Ploce vs. Pile but may have somewhat kinder feelings toward Zagreb. We did a night there on our way out of the country and I very much enjoyed the place. Would love to see the market in full swing. It's mammoth.

Excited to hear more. Keep on keeping on.

Hi Julie:

In the 6 plus years we have lived here I have never made it to L'Etoile! We really hardly ever eat out here in Madison, even though there are many, many interesting restaurants. Hubby is on the road a lot and is happy with simple home cooking when he is around, lucky me!

That said - I will have to get myself over there to see what a top 50 resto is like! I am on the mailing list for all the cooking classes they offer and they always look delish.

Hiya Callalilli- you are so welcome - it was a pleasure to share.

Not to put any pressure on you happy, but do you think you can finish your report in, oh, about 50 min. before I leave my computer and go home to pack?? Just kidding, of course. Loving your report!!!

This trip is going to have to move along a little bit faster – 2000 words for two days in Croatia, I am going to be writing until Halloween!

Since we didn’t hit the hay until 1:30 last night we are moving a little more slowly today. We drink a pot of coffee in the balcony and are in no hurry to go anywhere. I hardly ever do this on vacation – we go, go, go. I like it. I am happy for the beautiful day and start noticing all the fruit producing plants around us. Ljubica’s FIL is growing grapes as a roof over his terrace, Ljubica says enjoy some off the vine, but don’t drink the homemade wine if offered! The terrace next door has a roof of kiwi fruits on the vine. I am pretty sure she said they made wine out of them too, I cannot quite wrap myself around that, LOL. There is a lime tree full of fruit hanging its branches over the little second balcony and I invite one inside. It is orangey on the inside and quite tasty. There are pomegranates growing everywhere and figs, figs, figs. They make quite a mess when they fall.

Really, we need to get going so we drive to Cavtat and look around the harbor and town. We walk all along the pathway around the coast and darn this place smells good. It is a warm, dry, soft, fresh piney smell, and it is cooler in the shade of the pathway. Grannies are sitting on each bench tatting and cross stitching and selling. I take about 20 pictures of just the water. How is it possible it looks like this? People have been living on these shores for a couple thousand years and it is just so clean and clear! We take time for a gelato (double) and my favorite is quickly becoming the arancia – orange. DH focuses like a laser beam on the chocolate. The nut flavors come in second for him, but I am definitely fruity. Hey – I heard that.

We drive back to the apartment for a sandwich from our Tommy supply. I am already kind of tired of eating out.

We had decided to take the city wall tour so walked down the hill to the town. When Tcreath decides to say howdy on this thread I will give her the stair count going back up- she is staying at the same apartment in November. It is a plus she is young and fit! We decided the wall tour should be done in the evening as the day was cooling down, but there was a definite downside to this. I dawdled. I took pictures every where. I listened to the audio guide and then just stood and gazed around me. I got kind of misty eyed and tried to get a grip on the history of the town in front of me. I needed to get a grip on myself! We were walking the wall counter clock-wise from the Pile Gate entrance and we walked the entire Adriatic side and got over to the old harbor section and found they had LOCKED OFF THE REST OF THE WALLS! It was only 7pm! RATS!

We comforted me with gelato (um, second double of the day), went for a walk and spoke with an art supply shop man about the local architecture and what winter is like in Dubrovnik. Rarely is there snow, but the wind is fierce. It has different names depending on the direction it comes from. It can be rainy and depressing and not a soul on the Stradun. Hard to imagine.

It had been a hot day and I suggested a cab back up to the apartment ( the only time we did this) and got a nice cool ride in a Mercedes for 40 kuna. DH has never looked at me so lovingly!

Back to the terrace to listen to the piano coming from the old town again, watch the night, and wait for the church bells to send us off to bed.

More to come!

Sounds like a perfect vacation to me. Enjoying this report.

bookmark

Wow, H.C.! This is beautiful!

I know it is a lot of work, but isn't it fun re-living the experience. And we certainly enjoy reading it! Keep it coming . . .

Linda

(P.S. my daughter is considering grad school at UW. Can you believe it! I may get back to Wisc. after all!)

Hi Happy -- I'm absolutely loving this, but please hurry! We leave for Croatia on Tuesday and I wanna hear your version of the White Knuckle Drive of Death!

Oh sure, ckwald, and do you read the last chapter of your novels first too?? :) I am building the drama!!!

Actually, don't mind sharing that part a bit,LOL. There has been discussion on the board about that crazy drive from the eastern end of Hvar to the western end, some thought it horrible, some not so bad, I even remember one brave soul called it a "complete doddle".

I have to say, with utmost respect to those who did find it a bit frightening, that we didn't have any trouble with it AT ALL. I think that is for a few reasons. 1. We had a full tank of gas (just teasing janaturner here a little bit) 2. My hubby loves to drive, does a lot of driving, and is a very skilled and confident driver 3. We were EXPECTING what was in front of us and 4. We got off the ferry in a pack of cars and we stayed #2 in a line of three. There was a point man in front of us all the way to Jelsa. I think that made a big difference right there.

I was never too worried because I was way too busy trying to snap pictures of the scenery. There were a few spots where there were steep drop offs and hair pin turns (kind of a thrill, but I was never scared), but not nearly as many as I thought there would be and everyone slowed way down at those points. When we got to the Jelsa turn off we thought, was that all there was???

DH thought the Connor Pass drive in Ireland was worse, but that was partly because we were also drive on the other side of the car than is normal for us. Funny thing, when we were waiting in the car ferry line we met a couple from Ireland who had done the drive the year before. Obviously they were back for more but they were telling DH how it was way worse than the Connor Pass.

By the way, our Hvar hostess told us the accidents on that road are very rare as everyone is very careful when they drive it.

Just our two cents on the matter!

Are you planning on driving it?

Thanks Cobbie, and LCBoniti - Hope your daughter decides to wait til spring to come, LOL! Colors are just starting here though, and they remind me of why I do love my home state.

HC:'

Welcome Home!

Great report.

So glad youhad a good time; Croatia is special isn't it.

you are so right about Pile vs Ploce. We were so glad we stayed on the Ploce side.

Continue, continue.....

and you are doing a great job. you should always write a trip report when you come home, your style is easy to read and is enjoyable.

Carry on...

Happy -- Bless you! I won't tell anybody else the ending! LOL. We want to have a car and browse while we're on Hvar (for a week) but lately we've been diddling back and forth over it because, truth to tell, I am the driver (I adore DH, but he really s---- at driving) and at age 68 I am just a tad less intrepid than I used to be. Which is to say that I am no longer a lunatic at the wheel, just a regular person. So I am a little uncertain yet about what we will do. I guess we don't even have to go to that part of the island, since we're planning on taking a catamaran beyween Hvar & Split, and that takes us directly to Hvar town. Any thoughts?

Hello HappyCheesehead! I'm very much enjoying your report. I know it's intimidating writing your first with so many witty writers on this board - it's great! I know very little about Croatia and, honestly, have never considered a vacation there. Your descriptions paint quite a picture!

Hi Tripgirl - thanks for reading! I learned so much for this trip from your Croatian and Amalfi Coast reports!

Dorkforcemom ( and by the way, I can't even write that without giggling, I think it is a great Fodors name and would LOVE to know the story behind it) as I recall you like to travel to the little more off the beaten path places (like Central and Eastern Europe) so I think you would really like Croatia. Seems right up your alley.

Ckwald, well, if you won't have a car to bring over (it is a lot cheaper that way, and you have way more options for the cat) I would maybe just rent a car for a day or so. I really wouldn't see any need for you to go all the way to the eastern end of the island, there is not much down there, it was just the fastest way to get to Hvar from Dubrovnik.

BUT, we really loved the drive we took along the southern edge of the island and with 7 days you could make way more of a day of it than we did. You go throught the tunnel at Pitve, easy - the light is working - and drive down to Zavala and then to the end of the road at Sveta Nedjelja and back. Trust me, you will get a taste of the hair pin turns and some of the drop offs, but nothing too horrible. I really wished we had had more time when we made that trip. Lucky YOU!

Report, continued.....

Today is Wednesday, September 6th and it is our day to visit Montenegro. After a 3 coffee breakfast on the terrace, we head on out.

Pre-trip, I was weighing the DIY version of Montenegro vs the Atlas Montenegro Blue Tour. The DYI won out since A. we already had a car and B. the Blue tour did not operate on a convenient day for us and C. we like to have our own timetable. D. I am kind of cheap.

Downside to DIY – hubby cannot enjoy the scenery quite as much as I did and we did not get all the interesting info regarding what we were seeing. We tried to find info on Montenegro at our local chain bookstore, but found nothing there. We did some brief internet searches for info but did not find what we were looking for besides some Wikipedia entries. We decided to just enjoy at face value what we were going to see.

Drive to Montenegro was easy-peasy and the wait at the border about 30 minutes. I was surprised by the number of full busses waiting in line the other direction to go into Croatia.

Alrighty then, here we are in Montengro. Here is a town, here is some pretty water. We must be at the bay of Kotor, so we get out of the car at Herceg-Novi. There are signs to an old town and a fortress so we park and off we go. Now I might mention at this point that my husband gets warm and sweats easily – he says he is full of the juices of life- and it is very warm day. We just start meandering around, no plan in mind, and we see some signs for what might be waterfront, and beachy looking folks heading that way. We go down lots of steps and never really end up anywhere, but then look – signs to the fortress again and it is says it is a scenic overlook too! Yippee! Now, the rest of you are probably already way ahead of me on this, but sea level to scenic overlook is code for steps, lots of steps. We start climbing through some narrow steps and passages, we are twisting and turning around and there is hardly anyone around us anywhere. We are passing behind stone houses and walled back yards, quite interesting in an everyday life way. At times we are traipsing up steps cut from the rock and the rock forms the wall beside us. We pass some buildings with collapsed roofs and I think they are abandoned homes. I want one, the views from some of them are just stunning. How is it possible no one has fixed them up?

Finally – the fortress. DH has been a pretty good sport but his shirt is just wet and I have seen him glance back at me (dawdling as usual) and bite his tongue and not say anything. My Hero!

The fortress has a beautiful view of the town and water and a breeze is blowing up here, nice. There are no signs, or ticket area and we just walk in. It is basically a ruin, but must be used for concerts as there is a stage of sorts and an amphitheater with wooden benches. We are the only ones up there, except a couple sitting on a bench in the shade. DH and are wandering around separate parts of the fortress and I see the man walk up to DH asking if he speaks English. Oh oh. DH is not addicted to Fodors to know about all the scams that are out there – have I warned him not to talk to strangers??? The man tries to get him to pay an entrance fee for the fortress , and DH is willing, (better to lose a few euro than cause an international incident), but doesn’t have anything smaller than a 20 euro, which the man says he has no change for and just waves DH away. Anyone else think that whole exchange was bizarre?

We leave the fortress and are walking around some of the old town streets that are a little more lively with shops, restaurants, cafes, churches. I see that many of the signs are in Cyrillic. Oh COOL! A church we stop in is very small and Eastern Mediterranean looking. There is incense burning and music playing inside, taper candles are flickering in what appears to be a built in book case, they are stuck in sand, but the sand is covered in a few inches of water (good idea!), and there are bottles of wine and vegetable oil on the alter. The alter fills one wall of the room and is white stone with inlaid paintings, and mosaics and there are gold filigree gates in front of what might be more alters. We think it might have been Greek Orthodox?

We decide it is time to move on and DH thinks it would be a good idea to at least have a map. We stop at a travel agency and she is able to provide a nice little map on heavy stock (2 e) of the coastline down to Ulcinj and including the Bay of Kotor, which we are apparently no where near.

It was hard for me to really put my finger on Herceg Novi, parts were busy with high rise apartments and a bit run down, (to my Midwest American eyes) and yet there was this charming, albeit small, core that seemed a little more eastern that I have ever been. There is an awful lot of coastline that seems destined for outsiders with big bucks to come in and take over. I can see it happening in the not so distant future.

Armed with our map we drive up the coast of the Tivatski Zal along the local roads. And I do mean local. We are on the one lane road that runs right along the water. On our right are the pebbly beaches and little bathing platforms and structures that pass for beaches, on our left are the homes and small villas/apartments where the people stay, and a few waterside restaurants. Clearly this is a resorty area, but very low key. Families are enjoying the day everywhere, swimming, fishing, napping under umbrellas or the pines here and there.

We finally hit the mouth of the bay and I just have to say it. OMG. OMG. I wrote in my journal that no matter how many pictures I took they would never be able to accurately express the beauty around me, so how can I possibly describe it with words to you?

The green and grey mountains just drop straight down into the stunningly blue waters. Little villages hug the shore at points, but so much of it is undeveloped. It must be protected??? I cannot believe the low population density in a place this beautiful. There are not even very many cars out here. There would be condo’s 10 deep in the US.

We drive along, but had to stop so many times for our photo opps that the driver did not feel he was missing out on anything. In Perast, a very small, very charming village we see another stone fixer upper with no roof. I want it. I will move here. There are a couple of nice looking restaurants and churches (including the one out on the island which we did not ride out to but should have – doh!) but not much else. A jet ski flies by (we find the source later) but it just makes us realize that it is the only one we have seen all day and how peaceful the bay is at almost all other times.

We stop at a tiny stand for an ice cream bar. It is now 32 degrees. Each time we get back in the Skoda it feels great to be back in the A/C.

We make our way to Kotor, a walled town like Dubrovnik in many ways, except the crowds. Very definitely worth a few hours to walk around, if not an over night stay. The inside of the town is stone everywhere, and protective walls run straight up the mountains (I spared DH) and we enjoyed looking around very much. It was here we discovered the source of the jet ski, There was a yacht with its hatch open and the run-about boat and a jet ski were nestled in there. We saw some gorgeous boats (visiting boats we think) lined up along the water here and DH was just drooling. It did make us realize however that for all the water there was, the boat population was also very low, not just here, but all over. There would be some little rowboats, but not the type of recreational boats we are used to seeing near water. I suspect that the annual wages around here do not really support that sort of lifestyle for the local folks.

We continue the drive, the road still runs at the very waters edge, and we take the ferry across the mouth of the bay and head back to the border. No border wait at all on the way back.
We have not eaten, besides a few car snacks and that ice cream bar so we are getting pretty hungry. We pass by a sign for the Konavoski Dvori and I recall hearing good things about it, so we decide to make a stop for dinner. We see a very small family run restaurant with about 5 tables set up on wooden planks over the river, next to and under a bridge. So we stop and get one of the 5 tables. What atmosphere, and it was too cute. We sit next to 2 couples from Linz, Austria and have fun sign language and garbled German/English conversation. DH’s mixed grill was mighty tasty and I had pork chops, good, but not as good. They brought complimentary shots of some sort of Croatian white lightning out at the end of the meal. DH took the bullet for me and had my share, what a guy, but his eyes did water a bit, LOL. It was only upon leaving we discovered we were NOT at the Konavoski Dvori at all, so we kept driving down the road to see what the real place looked like. It was a lot bigger, tins of empty tables (it was dark by now) and there were busses in the parking lot, so it also caters to the tour group crowd. We watched a little of the folk dancing show that was being staged and that looked fun. We ended up being quite happy with our little family joint down the road, and suspect you wouldn’t go wrong chosing either place.

Back home, you guessed it, a couple of hours out on the balcony. The moon is full and not a cloud in the sky. I can’t stand it. LUCKY us!

More to follow!

HC -- I'm SO enjoying THIS report! We didn't go to Montenegro or Kotor even tho they were on the list. The owner of our Sobe offered to drive us on a day trip but we were being cheap (too cheap). Now I have yet another reason to go back to Croatia! p.s. I would love to see some of those pics if you get a chance. (am I being greedy?)

Happy-- yes, I'm thinking we'll be renting a car on Hvar for a few days just to go at our leisure, and bypass the White Knuckle D o' D. Loved your Montenegro portion too . . . that's the only trip out of Dubrovnik we know for sure we'll do, but we plan to do it with a guide driving. Thanks for taking the time out to answer me . . . now no more distractions from me, so you can get back to your next chapter! :)))

HappyCheesehead - you had to bring up the the almost running out of gas incident didn't you? I almost came back from Croatia a single woman because of that! :)

Really enjoying your report and the Montenegro portion especially. Before we left I was trying to decide whether or not to do the bus tour and as soon as I told George it was 10 hours, he flat out refused. We should have gotten our car a day earlier and drove down like you did. I thought we'd miss out on the background and maybe it wouldn't be as impressive but it sounds like you guys had a great time. I have another reason to go back!

Jana

Happycheesehead,
I new you would be great at this. I look forward to the next page. We can't wait to see your pictures,YES all of them!

Laura

I'm really enjoying your report on Croatia Happy!! Thanks so much for writing it. I just love to read how much everyone loves Croatia! You give us new ideas for return trips.

I just HAVE to share my good news! Our newest grandchild was born very early this a.m. She came 3 weeks early and ended up being a surprise breech baby, so a quick emergency c-section was in order, but mother (our daughter)and baby daughter, her first child, are doing wonderfully!! We're off to Florida for a bit to welcome her into the world.

Keep writing, I'll catch up with your report when we return!

Images2 - what joyful news! So glad that your daughter and granddaughter are fine and you get to enjoy your newest addition earlier! Bonus time!

Hi Callalilli -I would love to send some Montenegro pictures your way - I will do it tonight. You will want to go back!

CK - Have a ball on your vacation - the countdown is in hours now - and let us know what you think.

Jana - I just had to tease you a little bit, although I KNOW it was not funny at the time. Isn't it crazy what makes the best travel story??

And you, Miss ABJS - you don't know what you are getting yourself into!!! Don't forget we have 1200 pictures from April in France! I can just see the glazed look that will be in your eyes at New Years - and it WON"T be from the wine :)

Can't wait to see what you think of Venice - what a magical spot to spend time with your sweetie - ALONE!

Happycheesehead! Welcome back!! I just now had time to read this, and I'm only halfway through! A lot has been going on....mainly we just found out we are relocating to Charlotte, NC 2 weeks before our trip to Croatia (and only 2.5 weeks from now!) so I've hardly had time to think about it! Luckily the company is great and offered to fly DH and I back here to St. Louis to catch our flights.

I am loving your report, and I can't wait to read the rest. Dubrovnik and Croatia sounds so lovely. Not sure if the weather is going to be quite as pleasing in November, but I'm certain we will have a great time anyhow!

Tracy

Tracy - OMG - I cannot imagine how crazy you must be feeling! Have you ever lived there or been there? I love NC and although I have never been to Charlotte I think it comes up in lots of "best of" lists.

At least you have had your whole trip planned for months (a Fodorite Tendency, LOL) so you can concentrate on other things.

Best wishes to you and your DH in your new place/life, and good luck to the one who has to find the new job!

By the way - it is 250 steps from the Ploce Gate to "our" front door!

Happycheesehead, thank you for the well wishes!

Nope, I have never been! I have never even been to North Carolina, and my husband was only in Charlotte long enough to do the interview so he knows virtually nothing of the area either. I have heard great things about it though, so hopefully we will love it. We make our first visit this weekend!

My co-worker thought it was hilarious that here I am going to Croatia (she doesn't get it, but I guess most don't!) and I've never been to Charlotte!

And your right...my trip has been planned for months! The only thing I have left to do is book our hotel in Slovenia. We are staying in Novo Mesto, a town that appears to be halfway between Ljubljana and Zagreb. They don't book reservations more than a month in advance so I will book in a few weeks. Other than that I'm just impatiently waiting!

The apartment sounds just gorgeous. 250 stairs...hmmm...well, at least I can burn off some vacation food calories!

Tracy

Thursday dawns and as has become my custom I run out to the balcony in my p.j.s to see which cruise ships have appeared in the night. They park between Lokrum, ( the island just off the shore) and Dubrovnik and the tenders ferry the passengers in. There was at least one every day. Yesterday it was the QE 2 and day before we saw a beautiful ship with 5 masts that said it was the Club Med 2. As far as I know, this side of town is over - flow parking for the cruise ships. Ljubica told us that a few years ago two cruise ships were out there in a bad storm and one almost hit the Hotel Villa Argentina. They also broke the water line s that runs under the bay to Lokrum and no one could go out there all summer as there was no way to fight fires if necessary. I think the big gun cruise ships park over on the north side of town. We saw a MASSIVE cruise ship there on our way to Hvar , it truely looked like a floating skyscraper!



It is laundry day today as Ljubica offered to let us use her washer. It was sweet of her, but she had to fly to Zagreb today for a Dr consultation for a torn ACL and she did not tell us how to use it before she left. Well, DH and I can surely figure this sucker out and we stick all our whites in the machine. Not a chance – we have no idea what to push or pull or which of these laundry products to put where. What to do? I went downstairs to find the parents (who speak no English) and via pantomime the grandma comes up with me to set the machine. She was just a doll and even though we had no common language we managed to communicate pretty well. When it was time to put in the second load Ljubica’s cute young hubby, Nino, was home and admitted he did not know how it works either, he has never used it!



As soon as our loads were out of the washer and drying on the clothes rack that Nino brought up for us (I felt so local!) we headed off to see the Rectors Palace in Dubrovnik. Here is where I admit we never even did half the cultural things we planned to in Dubrovnik, no museums, no monesteries, I guess we will have to go back! We had the audio guide and it did a fair job but it was really warm there, there were WAYYYY too many tour groups (Dubrovnik was just SWARMING with them today – a great argument for day trips away from the walled city) and we had our minds on swimming.



We go out to the old port and hop on a ferry boat bound for Lokrum. They run out and back all until early evening and there is a small desk set up on the docks to buy the tix. It was a great choice for us that day. We had an island map so we walked the paths for a while. It was so much cooler and quieter out there than the city. There was an old monestery and olive groves and it had that great smell again. There are peacocks there too, begging treats fromthe tourists. We went around to the side of the island that was opposite the mainland and found ourselves a comfy spot on the rocks. OK, comfy is relative. These were big flat rocks and they felt like rocks. We did have the beach towels that Ljubica loaned to us and we spread them out to have a place to sit, but we actually spent most of our time in the water , it just felt so wonderful.



Note: – since we had no safe in the apartment we had our passports, CC, money etc here with us in our beach bag , obviously my super secret neck pouch (that can be seen in each of my pictures, LOL) can't go in the water with me. The first place we sat down we saw a young woman ostensibly sunbathing by herself, but to us it looked like she was scoping us and others out of the corners of her eyes and trying to hide it. We also thought she was making eye contact with other people elsewhere on the rocks – her cohorts in crime or were we being paranoid? We took no chance and moved down the rocks to be away from her.



We had planned on taking turns in the water but neither of us wanted to sit there and watch the other have a nice swim , so we put our bag pretty close to the water ladder and climbed in. My DH is a rather poor swimmer and is generally not that comfortable in the water but he was hot and was really glad to go in. The water was so smooth, the only ripples coming when a boat passed by farther out. The bottom was also rocks, of course, but we had our water shoes so it is all good and we avoid the few sea urchins we see. Now here is the wild part. DH has never actually swum in salt water. He normally sinks like a rock in our Midwest lake freshwater, but here he floated like a bobber. He loved it. We are going to Hawaii in April and now he wants to try the snorkeling there if the water is calm. Yippee!



We started to chat with the group sitting next to us, a travel group of age 20- something friends taking a vacation together . The ringleader was Eric - another Cheesehead and Badger Fan - Small world!



We head in about 6 pm and go back to our beloved balcony about 7 for a sandwich supper. You will notice I do not have a lot of restaurant reports here. I always intend on going out to fabulous meals nightly, but when it comes down to it I am happy with something simple and convenient. It has been a low key but fun day. The moon is supposed to be full tonight but rises with a weird piece missing, so it might have been a little eclipse ? So sad that it was our last night here, but Hvar beckons so life is not all that bad!

Happy: Great report. I was one of those touting the Konavoski Dvori....although I've only been there in spring and fall...summer, as you have seen, can be brutally hot and mobbed in that part of the former Yugoslavia.

The KD is a wonderful place for lunch or dinner, never that crowded off season, and the rushing waters make for a delightful ambience. Maybe next time.
Waiting for your pix!

Stu T.