My flight to Dubrovnik was a direct 8 hour journey, where I miraculously managed to sleep most of the time. My AirBnb organized a driver to pick me up from the airport, so getting to my accommodations was super easy. I got my first introduction to Croatian hospitality from my host who was super friendly and spoke perfect English (like most Croatians I encountered!). Here’s where I stayed; it was about a 10 minute walk to the Old Town- not bad going down, but it was hundreds of steps to get back up! The amazing view made up for the effort though:

After quickly cleaning myself up, I set out to explore the old town. According to all the locals I talked to, the Old Town is usually extremely crowded, with lines to even get in, and literal shoulder to shoulder crowds. However, due to COVID, tourism is way down (one data point: they used to get 5-6 cruise ships PER DAY, now they get 1 a week). So, I had a really enjoyable experience wandering the streets without too many people around.

I had a tasty lunch and a much-needed espresso at Taj Mahal, a Bosnian restaurant (not Indian food, as the name might suggest). After some aimless wandering, I decided to walk around the walls of the town, despite the afternoon heat. In drafting this blog post, I made a note to myself here to “look up some info” about the old town walls, but I never followed up on that, so I guess just take my word for it that they are a great way to catch some views in Dubrovnik!

Sweaty and tired, it was obviously now time for ice cream from Peppino’s…and then a nap. Feeling adequately refreshed, I signed up for an evening walking tour via AirBnb experiences with the enthusiastic and knowledgeable Barbara. We learned a bit more about the history of the city, and ended at a wine bar for some Croatian wine and what would be the first of many cheese/charcuterie plates. The wine provided the social lubrication needed for the group to socialize a bit, and I ended up meeting some folks who I would hang out with the next day: a group of American army officers stationed in Germany, and the memorably-named Pookie, who was also traveling alone from Oregon.

Day 2:

I met up with my new friends for breakfast at a place on the main square called Snek (I wouldn’t necessarily give it top marks, but I was starving and its as the first place we passed!). From there, the guys wanted to kill some time before going to Lokrum in the afternoon. We visited the Cloisters Museum, which was recommended to us by Barbara; it usually includes the oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe, but since it was a Sunday, that part was closed. The museum was…okay. For $4 it was a decent way to spend 20 minutes, but not a must-see.

Next we headed over to the famous stairs where they filmed the “Shame” scene in Game of Thrones. According to multiple sources, a few years ago, tourists would strip down to re-enact the famous scene, so they had to impose a hefty fine to keep people from doing that! Don’t worry, I kept my clothes on for a photo….

Next we checked out the views from “Buža bar” which translates to “hole in the wall;” it’s a rustic place with seats overlooking the water, where you can jump in if you’re braver than I am!

We boarded a boat to Lokrum, which is the closest island to Dubrovnik and easily reached by a boat that leaves every 30 minutes. I’m sure in non-COVID times, Lokrum is filled with annoying tourists, but when we visited, it actually seemed more like a place where locals go to picnic, play soccer, and relax near the beach. Naturally, they also filmed some of Game of Thrones on this island, so we checked out those locations, and got our photo on the Iron Throne (one of many I saw on my trip).

We spent a couple of hours exploring the island, then it was back to the mainland for my new afternoon tradition of ice cream (this time from newcomer The Boca Pena) and a nap.

My AirBnb was conveniently located near the cable car, where you can take a quick ride to enjoy views over the city and a meal or drink at Panorama Bar at the top.

After enjoying some local wine and the sunset, I headed down and met my new friend Pookie for dinner at the NYT-recommended spot Pantarul which is in a less touristy area of Dubrovnik.

The next day its was time to enjoy one last view from my terrace before a 6 AM ferry to the island of Korcula!

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