Summer gone by
Iced coffee, sandy bums and Easy Jet flights sum up the majority of my summer. Yes, there was a little work sprinkled in there (even a promotion for my B!) but most our days were spent traveling with loved ones to new and old places. Long nights were spent in Seattle, Montana, and Atlanta sat across from family as they poured love and life all over our weary traveling souls. We opened our home to old friends passing through London and laughed long into the night over wine and fish whipped up in our tiny kitchen. New friends became dear friends, family facetimes were our favorite and our British summer overflowed with goodness.
In an effort to document the whirl wind that was our summer I'm sharing our thoughts on each place we went in a separate post. To kick things off I'm taking us to King's Landing, where dragons, Lannisters, and Mad Kings (and queens) really do exist. Only they take the shape of crazy tourists loading on and off the cruise ships each day and the locals preying on their oblivion. So for those of you who are out of touch with pop culture, Dubrovnik is the film location for a fictional HBO series that's taken the world by storm. Be warned if you're planning a trip to the Adriatic during the months of July or August- things can get a little cray.
Croatia is a country I knew almost nothing about before booking our flights. But by the time I left I was already planning my trip back to the islands with my future kids. So here are my tips for making the most of your trip to this gorgeous country.
Old town
If you're doing Croatia, you must check out the Old Town but don't plan to spend more than a day there, especially if visiting during the height of tourist season. We only spent a day and two nights in the old town and it was plenty.
What's so interesting about the city is its pristinely kept beauty. You walk in through the city gates, the cars disappear, and you step back in time, oh, 400-500 years. I couldn't get over how clean the city was. If you plan on visiting I recommend avoiding the walled city between 10am and 5pm, when the cruise ships dock and thousands cram the narrow streets. But after 6pm the temps drop, sea-fairing strangers return home, and the magic of the city sparkles in the fountain water.
The one thing you must do while visiting is walk the city wall. It's much bigger than I anticipated and took about two hours to get around even though you don't cover much distance. Keep in mind it's crowded with tourists so get up early and go right when the wall opens. You won't regret it. Also bring water because once you're on the wall there aren't many places to purchase it along the way.
Pro tip- use Airbnb. Maybe I'm bias because we use it just about every time we travel but that's because it rarely disappoints. Our host was hilarious and welcomed us with shots of Croatian moonshine, a bowl of local fruits and a 30 minute walking tour of the city, including recommendations on food and markets. Thanks again, Stjepan!
It's also worth noting that food in the Old Town are pricey, especially for Croatia. Drinks were comparable to London prices so locate those markets and enjoy some local wine on the balcony of your Airbnb to save a load of Kuna (Croatian currency).
Island living on lopud
Ah, sweet island living. I never met an island I didn't like. As a country mouse, I rarely visit a place and wish there was more going on. Much the contrary. And since moving to London, where the pace seems to increases daily, indulging in rural island living with no cars, a handful of restaurants, and a schedule that revolves around hiking, swimming, and eating, then hey, I'm in my element.
Okay, so my two must dos for Dubrovnik are 1) walk the wall and 2) visit and island. We landed on Lopud, an hour ferry ride from the port of Dubrovnik and already can't wait to get back there one day with our kids. Filled with Croatians on holiday, this place is the opposite of Dubrovnik, with no American accents within ear shot and space to run and hike all day long. One morning we did a little hike to the peak of the mountain where there was an abandoned fort. The scenery was gorgeous, we ate figs along the trail while we hiked, and the best part? We literally saw no one the entire time. Not a single person. And it was not that early...
So aside from having the solitude factor down pat, Lopud also had that whole farm to table thing in the bag. So, real talk here, Blake and I travel for food. We spend hours researching before each trip and plan our days around the resaurants we want to try. And we've had some fab food during our travels. But on Lopud we had two of the best meals we've ever had. And I say two because we liked it so much the first night we went back the next night. I have no shame going back to a place I like, but Blake? Mr. find the next best place and never eat the same thing twice? He liked it so much we went back. Thank you Restaurant Obala for an exquisite meal. Local Croatian wine, Pošip Intrada, was sweet and aromatic with nodes of fig and flowers, and paired perfectly with a few oysters pulled straight out of the ocean. Dinner was simple; veggies grown on the island and fish pulled from the water that day. When we asked for the daily fish option our waiter brought out a tray with his catch and we selected our own sea bass right there. It was a dream. And if the wine wasn't enough, to wrap things up they brought out shots of iced lemon vodka for and evening digestive (a trick I'm tempted to adopt in London...). The food was light and fresh and filling but the location made it that much better. We sat right on the water, with a hot wind and rolling wave combo that contrasted the sweet wine impeccably well. The sun set while we sipped and slurped and savored every moment. We celebrated five years of beautiful, challenging, exhausting, stretching, fulfilling marriage on that island and it will always have a special place in our hearts.
If Croatia hasn't been on your radar, I hope it is now. Have any of you been to Croatia? Or planning a trip there soon? If so, add your recommendations in the comments below and help me plan my next trip back!
