Ahoy Matey!

We knew on our final day in Croatia that we were going island hopping along the coast of Dubrovnik, but we had no idea what kind of boat or ferry we would be taking.

Much to our hilarious surprise, we realized that the ship docked at the pier was totally ours for the day.

Although the boat could have accommodated well over a hundred people, we had more than a little elbow room with our group of 26, which included our own crew with a bar and refreshments on board for our pleasure.

We headed out early that warm October day to visit three of the fourteen Elafiti Islands off the scenic Dubrovnik coast.

Each of the three peaceful islands had their own treasures with idyllic views,

romantic villas, little chapels tucked away up a hillside path,

and the richest vibrant colors:

the greens of the shallow waters,

 the blues of the deeper seas,

and the yellows and oranges of ripening pomegranates.

The grapes were almost ready for harvest at the 15th century Gothic rector's palace we toured on the island of Sipan,

and the fishermen were busy bringing in their catch of the day,

which turned into lunch for us.

The final island we visited was Lopud, which draws the most tourists, but has less than 100 families calling it their home.

The sandy beaches there were a draw for a few swimmers in our group, but 

our little foursome decided to relax and take in the view after viewing the fishing ports, shady hillsides, and abandoned "escape" mansions of the old Dubrovnik aristocracy. We didn't run into too many people along the way--the islands in October were very quiet and tranquil, but we did spot two little gals

who had experienced just a little too much fun in the sun,  for one day anyway.

 A great trip: wonderful memories and vivid photos are what we now hold in our hands and hearts that capture the soul of Dubrovnik. Who knows if I'll ever make it back there--there's a big world out there to still explore, but if you, my friends, have the opportunity to see Croatia someday, grab the chance and take it! You'll be so glad you did.

Where in the world is Montenegro?

Our second day in Croatia found us taking a day trip to the neighboring country of Montenegro, where the picturesque coastline did not disappoint us.

We first took a quick boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks

where during the 17th century, locals built a Baroque church on this island and filled it with symbols of thanks for answered prayers.

A jewel of a chapel, it is a popular wedding site, and through the years, brides have left behind a huge collection 

of wedding bouquets.

Also fascinating to us was an amazing embroidery made by a local woman who worked on it for more than 25 years, using her own hair for the hair of the angels, and when you look carefully, you can see the subtle change of her hair color through the years.

Sailing back from Our Lady of the Rocks, we headed next to Kotor, an historic

and lovely town oozing with charm. The Cathedral of St. Tryphon, built in 1166 is situated up against the limestone cliffs behind it.

The cliffs are fortified with ancient walls which stretch for 4 and a half kilometers above the city.

The Old Town is about wandering,

taking in the churches, and seeing the sights of the Old Town which was built between the 12th and 14th century.

We strolled through alleys and passageways,

we posed

and we treated ourselves to a "pick-me-up" of Italian ice cream in the town square.

As the day drew to a close, we headed back towards Dubrovnik, stopping for dinner first in the small resort town of  Cavtat.

Much calmer than bustling Dubrovnik,

the sunset inspired us as

we enjoyed strolling the seafront promenade,

catching our breath after a busy day.

The boats anchored on the shore were of all shapes and sizes, but nothing compared to the boat which took us island hopping on our final day in Croatia. More about that in my next post--hope you'll  stop back by for a visit!

Exploring Croatia

A few weeks ago, our traveling group of gals from the American Women's Club in London headed out for another adventure: this time to the lovely town of Dubrovnik in the country of Croatia.

When I told friends in the US, I was headed to Croatia, I saw some puzzled looks on faces, and since I had to do a bit of homework myself to see exactly where we were headed, I decided to include this map, so you could spot our destination. Croatia is one of the 6 countries that resulted from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the early 90's. The other 5 countries are Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Dubrovnik is located along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, and is known most distinctly for its fabulous coastline.

Our hotel looked over this small bay with crystal blue-green water,

and as we walked to town, we had peeks of the beautiful Dalmatian coastline we were to enjoy for the following 3 days.

We entered Dubrovnik through the medieval town gate

and we immediately climbed the stairs to walk along the most popular feature of the Old Town: the 2 kilometers of walls

that circle the town. Originally built between the 14th-15th century for protection,

today they offer beautiful views of the sea

and it's easy to understand why George Bernard Shaw called it the "Pearl of the Adriatic."

From the walls, you can observe the patchwork of roofs and spy the beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture from days gone by.

Its early prosperity is thanks to its significance as a Medieval sea power from the 13th century on, rivaling even Venice for a spell. 

As we made our way along the walls, we spied a look-out below us that we planned to investigate later.

Sunset found us at our destination, one of the "hole in the wall" bars, where we ended the day with refreshments

and looked forward to more adventures to come in the days yet to unfold.

Stay tuned for more in my next blog.