Dubrovnik, and a little of Montenegro

Docking in Dubrovnik

We docked in Dubrovnik and left the boat, arriving in a throng of taxi drivers. Not knowing where we were going, but knowing we couldn’t afford luxuries such as taxi cabs, we marched out of the dock and along the main road. My hypothesis was that we would find a bus stop. Eventually. 

Why all the Game of Thrones merchandise

And we did. A short while later we were paying the 15 Kuna each for the ride to the Old Town. Stopping at Pile Gate, the entrance, we dug out the directions for our accommodation. Dominus Little Palace. As we negotiated the cobbled streets of the Old Town I couldn’t help noticing all the shops selling Game of Thrones merchandise. I wondered what it was all about. 

Dubrovnik has steps. Many of them. Over 5000 in the Old Town alone according to the receptionist at the hotel. We had just lugged our bags up almost a hundred of them to reach our room. Never did that first cold beer taste so good. 

Dubrovnik old town is a fortified town. And indeed it does resemble Korčula in its layout and how they both cling to the water. The fortified walls that encircle the old town are some of the best preserved in the world. The 250 kuna to climb, and walk the walls, is expensive, but we soon realised that everything is expensive in Dubrovnik. And so we found ourselves taking in the best views of the city.

Croatia and the cost of living

When looking at where we might travel when we left Australia, we envisaged that whilst Europe would undoubtably be expensive, we thought costs would drop significantly when we reached certain countries.  Croatia was one of these countries. And, boy, were we wrong. When we first arrived from Barcelona, into Split, we immediately saw our cost of living rise. When I say “cost of living”, the benchmark we have is, how much is a beer or wine. And how much is a main course for dinner. This tells us whether it will be a “one glass of wine night”, or two.

Beer with a view

There are some great places to grab that wine, or beer, whilst in Dubrovnik, and none more stunning than Bard Mala Buza. Reached through an unmarked door in the city walls, you descend down stone steps, literally on the edge of the water. The views are stunning. And the price of drinks eye watering. But, this is one experinece that you must have whilst in Dubrovnik. You will forget the price long before you forget the memory.

The Walk of Shame

Strolling around the old town, and being within earshot of the many, many tour guides, we soon discovered what all the fuss with Game of Thrones was about. And if you are a fan, you will already know. If you are like us, and not seen the TV show, it turns out that much of it was filmed right here, in Dubrovnik. This explained why the staircase we tried to get a picture of was so popular. Something to do with a walk of shame.

The steps of Dubrovnik

If you need to walk, Dubrovnik is your place. From a flat centre, the “fish bone” spikes off into the alleyways, each a steep set of stairs. This has the effect of the town being on multiple levels. Up a flight of stairs, you find a new set of streets, lined with shops and restaurants. By the end of three days the 5000 steps seemed a stroll in the park to the step count we had accumulated.

Dubrovnik Beer Company

All this exercise is a great excuse for a beer. And a reason to leave the old town for a bit, showing that there is more to Dubrovnik than the tourist filled centre. We walked the 40 minutes back towards the port where we had arrived a couple of days earlier. Our destination was the Dubrovnik Beer Company, an unassuming brewery crafting some great beers. Yes, we paid way more than we would for the local beers we had happily been drinking, but it was great to try a couple of real craft beers. And they were good, especially the pale ale. We did think about getting food but alas, the BBQ truck wasn’t open.

Crossing the border into Montenegro

A short drive down the coast from Croatia and you are in the country of Montenegro, a place we had never visited. So we took the opportunity of a day trip, starting out from Dubrovnik at 6.30am and crossing the border, visiting both Kotor and Budva, in Montenegro. I am always up to add a new country to my list, I just wish the formalities at the border didn’t take quite so long. 

You have to cross two borders, with two kilometers of no mans land in between. By design. Leaving Croatia, the customs officer wanted to see the passport of every single passenger on the bus. Long and laborious. Two kilometers down the road, the Montenegran officer just needed a list of the passengers. Common sense.

Montenegro and the Euro

Once we had our passports stamped, on the way in, we stopped for coffee and the chance to get some money. In a quirk that is hard to explain, whilst Montenegro is not in the EU, the national currency is the Euro. Back in 1999 the local currency became so devalued that the government started accepting the German Mark. And in 2002 this changed again when people started accepting the Euro. Whilst never really being offically adopted, it has become the national currency.

Perast

Caffeinated, and with cash, we continued our drive along to the little town of Perast. A drive that was nothing short of spectacular. The road winds through a large bay, encircled by mountains on all sides. In Perast we got up even closer to the scenery, taking a short boat trip to the Our Lady of the Rocks island. 

Cats in Kotor

Back on the bus, our next stop was in the old town of Kotor. Not as large, or as visually appealing as Dubrovnik, but impressive all the same. The first thing you notice, walking around the old town is the number of cats. Dozens and dozens of them. The reason, apparently, is that there was a plague of rats in the 15th century and cats came to the rescue. They have been revered ever since. Never have I seen so many cat influenced souvenirs.

With the Russians in Budva

We avoided the cats and had a beer and a snack, planning to get some lunch at our last stop of the day, Budva. However, Budva disappointed. Driving in it looked like a concrete jungle. The tour guide explained that the town has been “developed” by Russians, who have built concrete hotel after concrete hotel. It really does spoil the look and feel of the town. Even the old town looked a little sorry for itself. After a wander through the streets, and along the sea, we still had time before the bus back to Dubrovnik. Beer time, then.

Pushing the Boat Out

The day flew by, and as we had feared, we once again got stuck at the Croatian border for almost an hour. Checking those passports again. As it was, we were still back in good time for a final dinner. At times on this trip, we have decided to treat ourselves. “Push the boat out”. Our final night in Croatia was one of these nights and we had a sensational dinner at Bota Sare Oyster and Sushi Bar. The wine was delicious and we toasted to a really good three weeks touring Croatia. A country that we have enjoyed and would highly recommend.

Goodbye Croatia

At the hotel, our alarm was set, and taxi booked to Dubrovnik airport for 6.30am. Time to head on to country number 12 since leaving Perth, and bed number 43. But, where will it be?