BL #19: Find the Most Beautiful Place On Earth

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Geo: 42.5857, 18.2152

This past winter, we learned that Tokyo is the coolest place on Earth, but where is the most beautiful place on Earth? Perhaps we should have realized this on previous trips to Croatia, but today it dawned on us that Croatia might very well be that place. Those are bold words - having been to more than 70 countries, I have a huge database of travel memories to draw from, yet at every turn in Croatia, I struggle to remember anything more beautiful than what we see everywhere in this country.

Croatia isn't perfect - any place as gorgeous as this attracts scores of tourists, and more and more cruise ships, especially to Dubrovnik. I've seen the situation worsen as Croatia has grown in popularity with North Americans since the first time I was here, in 2006 - it's painfully obvious when the cruise ships are in, and the Pile Gate, the main entrance to Dubrovnik's Old Town, is so crowded that it looks more like a traffic jam in Mumbai than it does a Croatian paradise.

The key to avoiding the chaos is to descend upon the Old Town in the later afternoon or early evening, when the cruise ships have raised their anchors and are merrily on their away, leaving Dubrovnik's streets a little less crowded. It's best to avoid the Old Town altogether during the day, which is what we did, heading for the sanctuary of Cavtat, a sleepy little town just a short cruise or bus ride from Dubrovnik.

There isn't much to do in Cavtat, other than to take a stroll, browse the shops, have a bite to eat, or a coffee or beer at many of the great waterfront cafes that line the main oceanfront promenade. Cavtat can't compare to Dubrovnik in any way, but the beauty of Cavtat is escaping Dubrovnik's oppressive and annoying crowds, so coming here and not doing a hell of a lot is reward enough.

Even better is leaving Cavtat and returning to Dubrovnik - whether by boat or bus, it doesn't matter, because there is no feeling better than rounding a bend and seeing Dubrovnik majestically and magically appear, right in front of you, like an apparition from the most vivid and dazzling of dreams. That's precisely the moment you realize how fortunate you are, to have returned home to the most beautiful place on Earth ...

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Photos

Delicate and Graceful ...
... that's how I would describe Mestrovic's works. He designed this mausoleum for his friends, the Racic family, who sadly all died of the Spanish flu, including their two young children. In other parts of the mausoleum, there are angels taking the family up to Heaven.

Cha-Ching ...
... look past the boats in the foregound and you'll see a blinged-out yacht, with an even bigger one mostly hidden behind it. They were more mini cruise ships than yachts in Cavtat.

The Stradun ...
... the Main Street in Dubrovnik's Old Town.

Dopey-Looking Statue ...
we thought he was super cute!

Burek For Breakfast ...
... the cheap and filling pastry of the Balkans, made of phyllo pastry and stuffed with cheese, meat, potato, or cheese and spinach.

Tender Squid ...
... lunch was fantastic in Cavtat, for the most part - imparted with that delicious charcoal flavour, and so flavourful and crispy.

Cevapcici ...
... we've been eagerly awaiting eating these delicious little Balkan sausages again, but unfortunately they were a tad dry, and nowhere near as good as our grilled squid.

Lil Buddha Triple Fisting ...
... with a delicious lemon Karlovacko beer, and Ozujsko, a light and refreshing lager.

Mediocre Cake at Peco ...
... we thought it might have been mousse in between the layers of cake, but it turned out that it was whipped cream, making for an overly-rich dessert.

Dinner at Moskar ...
... another highly-rated place that is decent, but not too memorable. We went with the seafood platter for two, which had uncleaned mussels (again), tuna steaks, another type of fish, crayfish, squid, and mushy pasta. The squid we had at lunch were far superior, as these lacked the delicious charcoal aroma and seasoning.