Dubrovnik Days – 1

Oh the joy of arriving at an airport, finding no queue at check in etc only to find yourself then herded into the cattle throng where you shuffle along having orders barked at you . I sometimes wonder why they don’t resort to electric prongs to keep people alert and brand us with the name of our destination why they’re at it. Meanwhile someone shouts continuously ,’it’ll be quicker if you take off your coat, belt, shoes … ‘Sod it’ just take everything off and tip the contents of your suitcase onto the belt ‘. They didn’t say the last bit but I find it remarkable that they seriously think you can do everything they suggest while moving along and hold everything too. No. It’s actually quicker to move along as the crowd moves, whip off everything once you have your tray and get your clear plastic bag, computer etc from the top of your case where you have sensibly put it for easy access . Problem is quite a few people still don’t seem to understand what they are allowed to take and that it has to fit in a certain type of bag. I am like the rest of the self righteous well travelled who frown and look incredulously on while someone’s entire toiletry collection are taken off them.

I am then suitably contrite when I arrive at my destination only to find I have a small flick knife in my bag and security didn’t spot it. No I’m not joking.

This time I set off the alarm and it was the metal strip on my trousers!

You couldn’t get Croatian currency in Manchester airport and all the guidebooks tell you you get a better exchange on arrival… although not particularly in Dubrovnik airport you don’t. Much better in the town itself.

We easily got our transfer to the hotel, check in was smooth ,despite the fact I’d mislaid the hotel voucher, and pretty much called it a night.

Breakfast at the hotel really made me laugh. The accent here sounds very Russian to us and this middle aged woman waitress with a severe face and bright red lipstick said, with no hint of a smile, “tea, coffee darlink” . It sounded like an order rather than a question but we asked for both hopefully and they did materialise . We swore that we would break her resolve and smiled at her every morning since. There was definitely some twitching at the corners of her mouth by the third morning.

We’re not really people who like guided tours or being part of a crowd. We’d far rather explore somewhere on our own, get our bearings and then decide what we’d like to do later. So the first morning we marched off into the old town and up and down and round about etc. We then felt ready for a spot of lunch.

Bad choice. Not the having lunch bit but where we chose to have it. It was quite a big full restaurant and not good quality.

Neither of us are Telegraph readers but we have discovered that the travel logs from that paper are brilliant and particularly the bits about food . We go on line and check it out and go to the ones recommended – usually. I had some squid and my companion prawns in their shells. The prawns had that aweful meally quality you get when they’ve already been over cooked and then reheated. Uncharactersitically we told them and they took the whole dish off the bill. Wow, I might complain more often if that’s the result. Noramlly to be frank, we can’t be bothered. After that bad lunch we went back to seeking out the online recommendations .

After lunch we went on the cable car ride and had fantastic views across the walled town of Dubrovnik, the sea and the urrounding mountains. Should you want to you could eat up there too. After all that it’s a fairly typical routine for us to go back, rest, swim and get ready for the evening.

That evening I never expected to be eating really good Sushi in Dubrovnik but we did. It was the ‘Oyster and Sushi Bar Bota’ . We had these lovely things called tiger roles and some tempura king prawns whihc were heavenly. The white wine was lovely and comes from a variety of grape called Pošip. Most places if you describe what you like, were excellent at providing the right one. I don’t like and can’t drink really zesty wines and we both like dry white wine. Pošip was delicioius. We also tried Malvazija which was also lovely. This restaurant pleased us so much that went back there for a further two lunches where we also ate their beaf teriyaki . Yum.

Day two consisted of going round the city walls. Dubrovnik is packed full of tourists , of which, I am one but I wouldn’t come here in the height of summer. I can only imagine it would be hell.

There is ever nationality here and a high proportion of Japanese many of whom have sensibly covered up every inch of skin as if it’s mid winter but actually to protect themselves against the sun. I think the Japanses tourists are the easist to identify as they seemed to be the ones in the largest guided groups. They also seemed to take more selfies in every spot with a view and many of them have their phones on those special extended rods. But the streets are full of English, German, Dutch, French, Russians, Scots, Irish, Canadians and Americans and if you like guided tours there will be someone doing it in your language. If the main harbour area and main street are too crowded and horific for you it’s not difficult to go up into the little back streets and find quiet places and small restaurants.

The walls are not for the faint hearted as there are quite a lot of steps up and down . In parts they are narrow so you are only allowed to go round them one way and that can be a little frustrating if you’re held up by someone’s photo opportunity . But it’s well organised with little cafe’s and toilet stops along the way. Your ticket only allows you on it oonce so you can’t secide to come bak down half way round if you want to go bac up again. It is lovely and the views across the roof tops and the tiny streets are lovely. We had alot of sunshine and it wa only April. Thoughtfully the powers that be had provided a cooling sea breeze to make it bearable but again, I don’t think I’d want to be doing this in the height of summer.

That night we were booked into the only Michelin stared restaurant in Dubrovnik. I promise you a description and full photo blog of that one.