Dubrovnik

Next stop on our Croatian tour: Dubrovnik. It's hard not to be completely enchanted with the fortressed city, but first, we had to get there. After ferrying from Hvar to Split, we learned that most of the bus tickets for the day had already been sold. Cal and I spent five hours wandering around the city and planning out life, then finally boarded our bus for the four hour bus ride to Dubrovnik.

More Split

The bus ride was seriously stunning--the entire ride is either along the craggy coast or through idyllic farmland. I do wish we had kept the rental car for this part of our journey, because I would have loved to have stopped a few times (and I get bus sick). Cal and I experienced a travel scare when we got to the Bosnian border (you have to cross through Bosnia for about 20 miles to get to Dubrovnik) when Cal couldn't find his passport. Oddly enough, although border patrol boarded the bus and checked all passports, they didn't care that Cal had nothing. Thankfully, the passport was in Cal's luggage under the bus, so we did not have to make emergency plans to get to the embassy.

Typical Scene from the Bus

Now, Dubrovnik. I highly recommend staying in Dubrovnik for a few days. The town is flooded with cruise shippers during the day, but in the early morning, late afternoon and evening, the town is magical.

Highlights:
* Lokrum Island
* Buza Bar, a tiny bar carved into the outside wall of Dubrovnik
* Hiking around the city walls
* Fort Lovrijenac
* Lots of ice cream cones (the sun beats down on the white stone streets)

Lokrum Island (beware of the nude beaches)

Rampart Walk

Buza Bar

The Fort

We stayed at the Grand Villa Argentina.  Four stars, outstanding views of Dubrovnik, a five minute walk from the old city, cool swimming pool that leads into the ocean, reasonably priced. Highly recommend.

View from the Hotel

View from the Pool

We loved Croatia!

Hvar

Cal and I both loved Hvar, an island an hour or so from Split. From the ferry ride across the sapphire Adriatic Sea to dinners on the slanted, narrow cobblestone sidewalks, Hvar was my version of European perfection.

Favorite activities: 
* Cycling along clear aquamarine shores around the island
* Our half-day sail (I would have loved to have visited Vis, but it was a full-day sail away)
* Hiking to the monastery at the highest point on Hvar
* Seafood pastas under the twinkly restaurant courtyard lights
* Gelato(s) while we watched sunsets from the dock
* Checking out the many yachts in the harbor (apparently Hvar is an island for the rich and famous)
* Enjoying the very loud, very drunk Croatian folksong singing on the ferry deck

We stayed at the Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Hotel. It was very reasonably priced, clean, nice views, but a 7-minute walk along cobblestones to the main part of the town. 

Our arrival in Hvar

Overlooking Hvar from the monastery 

Best bike ride of 2013

The second-best sail of 2013

Sailing in Croatia is sublime

Scoping out sailboats and yachts

Beautiful Hvar