Dubrovnik was a great weekend getaway from Warsaw. Our daughter was visiting, so we took the opportunity to travel to Croatia. Our daughter has been planning for quite some time to visit Croatia, but due to her job and then the COVID pandemic everything was put on hold. She was lucky to work out travel details with the airlines she was using. They let her fly on a ticket that was purchased more than two years ago. My wife and daughter traveled from Warsaw, Poland to Zagreb, Croatia to visit some friends in Zagreb. Then they both took a bus trip from Zagreb to the coastal city of Split, traveling through one of my favorite parks – Plitvice Lakes National Park. This place is a photographer’s and hiker’s dream location. This area has some of the most unique rock structures that I have ever seen. These structures create natural dams and result with some spectacular waterfalls. Not to mention the incredible clarity of the water. I love the area. However, during peak season there are a lot of visitors, many of which are from other foreign countries. After Split they traveled to Hvar which is one of the many islands off the west coast of Croatia.
Unfortunately, I had to work and could not travel until the following weekend. I flew from Warsaw, Poland to Dubrovnik, Croatia on Whizz Air (budget airline) to meet them in Dubrovnik. My wife found a decent deal that allowed me to fly late in the afternoon on a Friday. Well with these budget airlines there are those surprises. When I checked in, I was already a bit stressed out due to being a bit behind my intended schedule, the lady at the kiosk said that I had “paid for my reservation, but not my seat.” Is not the seat part of the reservation, I was not asking for an upgrade. I was confused and questioned her thinking that there may have been a language barrier. She repeated the same thing. At that time, I really had no other option, but to pay for my seat. However, because Whizz Air a budget airline, they did not even have the means for me to pay for the seat. Instead, I had to walk halfway across the terminal to another completely different kiosk to pay for my ticket. I then had to return to get my boarding pass. They then politely told me that my flight was about ready to board and that I was late. Hinting at “you need to hurry, or you will miss your flight.” I was extremely fortunate to see that there was no one in the security line, which was the first time that I have ever seen this. WOW – I really moved my big fanny to get through the security check point, then proceed through customs. Croatia is part of the EU, but not the “Schengan.” I knew this, so I proceeded quickly. I finally arrived at my gate only to see a 45-minute delay. Great – sandwich and a beer.
I personally love to stay at the Marriott brand hotels. I have been collecting points and “nights” for many of years that I have been doing this work, which includes a lot of work-related travel. I had plenty of points, so stayed one night at the Sheraton using points. That saved me a “pretty penny.” The Sheraton is south of Dubrovnik in a much quieter area. There also are some “Airbnb” type places to stay in this area. I arrived late on a Friday night and many of the restaurants were staring to close. A nice little open-air restaurant and they had my favorite Mediterranean dish, “Calamari” and Octopus Salad, along with a couple of shots of scotch. It was very relaxing to just sit there and enjoy the breeze. It really felt good to relax and finally do nothing.
This area also has several good paths just to walk around the contours of the coast. Therefore, I headed down the path. Exploring the area, I took note of a restaurant called “Basilico” Pizza – Pasta. I took my wife and daughter there the next night, but the area was a lot busier than the previous night. They had a great menu. We easily got a seat that overlooked the bay area – view was awesome. I settled with pasta and mushroom dish, and a salad. The pasta was incredible, and I knew it would raise my glucose level just a tad bit!!! Oh well, it was good. Walk it off! However, I really think the best part about this restaurant was the location and view of the bay. Well worth the visit and I will return the next time we are in the area.
Dubrovnik in July and August is the peak season for tourists. Croatia has become one of the top tourist destinations in the world and Dubrovnik is on the top of that list. Many of these tourists were there to see not only the beautiful historical city of Dubrovnik, but also the areas where Star Wars and Game of Thrones were filmed. There are many souvenir shops dedicated just to this industry. However, my favorite is the view of the city is from the ridge above. The cable car is the best way to get there. I could have walked, but it would have really been a hike. The view from the top of the ridge is the best view in the area. It is breathtaking! The restaurant at the top had tables and was a wonderful place for us to sit and order drinks. Time for a beer because it was hot that day.
We visited a good museum that focuses on the defense of Dubrovnik during the Yugoslavian Civil War, which took place about 30 years ago. I can remember some of the images of Dubrovnik and the museum on the news that was broadcasted during that time. The museum itself was constructed as a fortress by Napoleon over 200 years ago. The “Museum Dubrovnik in Homeland War” is a dominant feature on the top of the ridge. I enjoyed the photographs and explanations about the actions that took place in the Dubrovnik area. Not to mention being able to just walk around where some significant fighting took place just 30 years prior. There were also a couple of films that covered the conflict in and around the city. It was extremely hard to believe that the city of Dubrovnik suffered so much damage due to the shelling. The citizens never capitulated. I did notice that there were a lot of other activities near the cable car, like buggy safari and zip line. Next time!
Before my flight, we went to my favorite fish restaurant, which is located at the northern pedestrian gate of Dubrovnik. Pasat has incredible service and awesome food. It was a bit pricy, but occasionally, I need to spoil my wife. The meal was great! It was a genuinely nice ending to a great weekend getaway.
Every time I travel my glucose levels do increase about 10-20 points in the mornings. However, this trip I was able to keep these levels a bit lower than my usual travel levels. It was partially due to all the fish and olive oil that I consumed. Homemade bread and olive oil with some sea salt, OMG!!!
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.
Thanks Mark! Enjoy