Walls and Fjords

Our ferry left Hvar for Dubrovnik on the Saturday morning at 10.30. We jumped on a bus to the main port of Stari Grad, a 15 minute bus ride from Hvar Town, where we were a bit miffed by the rudeness of an American traveller on the bus with us. The ferry to Dubrovnik, the Marco Polo, was massive. We made a beeline for the top deck and managed to bag ourselves a shady table, where we enjoyed fantastic scenery the 6 hours it took to get to Dubrovnik, via the island of Korcula. Upon arrival, it took a while to find where we were staying; a private room in the home of a lovely Croatian family. Once there, checked in and sans bags, we went down to the Old Town for a look around and a drink, before returning to our neighbourhood for some dinner.
The second day we explored the Old Town properly. Our first task was to walk the city walls for some great views over the town and out to sea. We were amused by one older American tourist, who apparently thought I looked like a tour guide and kept asking me which way she should walk 'to get over there' (even though you are walking a wall - there is only one way.) Afterwards, we couldn't resist stopping for a drink at a charming bar built into the cliff wall, with some more amazing views. A couple of pizza slices for lunch and we made our way back to our rooms, emerging a little later bound for Lapad Bay, where we wandered the beach and had a lovely seafood pasta meal and an ice cream.
The following day we spent discovering that one of Europe's youngest nations is also one of its most visually stunning. Early in the morning, we picked up our hire car (Dave's first time driving in about two years) and made our leisurely way across the Croatian border and down the coast of Montenegro. First stop was the walled town of Kotor, nestled inside a stunning fjord. We slogged up to the fortress, high above the town almost at the top of the fjord. AMAZING is all I can say. The two and a half hours to get up and down were definately worth it - we were probably slowed a little though because one of us only had her thongs to climb in!
After a refresing drink and another ice cream, we hopped back in the car and followed the coast around to Budva, where we found another charming walled town and a big beach with...sand, not rocks! The water was absolutely beautiful. I do think I have been living in Britain too long though - Dubrovnik was around 28 degrees and I didn't think it was possible for it to get any hotter until we hit Montenegro. After a few hours - and a delicious late lunch - in Budva and exhausted after a big day, we drove back to Dubrovnik, where we witnessed a gorgeous sunset heading back down the Croatian coast.
The following morning was spent doing some laundry and chilling out at the Living Room cafe, before boarding our bus for Mostar in Bosnia & Hercegovina.

'You Maybe Want Boat?'

So back to our first day in Croatia. We arrived in Split off an overnight train from Ljubljana, via Zagreb. The first thing we wanted to do was get some breakfast, so we grabbed some rolls, which we ate by the harbour, watching the ferries come in. The next order of business was finding the hostel, which turned out to be run by a lovely Croatian lady. Most of the accommodation in Croatia is run privately by locals, some of whom will meet every bus and ferry to solicit business. After checking in and dumping the bags, we bought ourselves hats at the markets (in anticipation of hot, sunny days – we were not disappointed as the weather has been gorgeous) and went to find out about ferries, before heading back to the hostel for a catnap (having not had a sleeper on the train, we each got about 2 hours sleep.)
Suitably refreshed, we headed out to check out the Old Town and the Diocletian’s Palace, before making a beeline for one of Split’s beaches, where we spent a while relaxing in the sun. Next up was lunch in the Old Town at a restaurant with a lovely little courtyard. The cuisine on the coast of Croatia is heavily influenced by Italy, so there is a lot of pizza and fresh pasta. Add to that fresh seafood and lots of gelati and we are not complaining!
In the afternoon, we climbed the hill at the far end of the city for some fantastic views, before heading back to the hostel for a cheap dinner of salami and cheese rolls and a few beers. Later we headed out for a drink in the beautifully lit Old Town with a couple of guys from the hostel.
The following day there were celebrations for the patron saint of Split. We had a quick breakfast, and watched a bit of the parade and other celebrations around town. Our passenger ferry departed for Hvar Island at 2, and passing through the produce markets on the way we couldn’t resist buying some local honey and fresh strawberries.
Upon arrival in Hvar Town, we were picked up and driven to the hostel/guesthouse we had booked. For 8 quid each per night we had a private room with ensuite, a kitchen we shared with two other rooms, our own fridge, and a balcony with amazing views over the island. The two days we spent on the island paradise of Hvar were extremely relaxing. We wandered the town, ate a fantastic meal (seafood pasta, wine, and a complimentary shot of grappa), had great homemade meals of bread, cheese, cold meats and our honey, and had a swim in the wonderfully clear and inviting (if a little chilly) Adriatic Sea.
Next stop was (sweltering) Dubrovnik for three nights...