Blogs from Croatia, Europe

Dubrovnik!! Got here at last!! One of the places I had always wanted to visit, but never quite got round to it!! Flight from Bristol was only 2 ½ hours and we were treated to views of snow, the Alps (I think!) before all the islands along the Croatian coast. We had arranged for a taxi to collect us and drop us at the Amoret Apartments in the Old Town! What we didn’t realize is that Dubrovnic is pedestrianised, and no cars can enter therefore we were dropped, by the taxi, at gate no 2, which according to google, meant we had a 7 minute walk! That would have been ok under normal circumstances, but wifi signal was periodically bad and the map was upside down! Then Chris fell over, ( he tripped over my suitcase ... read more

Dubrovnik to Pag Today Drea and I made the journey from Dubrovnik to Pag. Pag is an island in the northern Adriatic Sea. There are two towns on the island, Pag and Novalja. We will be staying in the town of Novalja. Pag is known for its moon-like landscape, and cheese and as the party capital of the Adriatic. However, Drea and I were not going to Pag for any of those reasons. We were going to Pag as we had dinner reservations at Boškinac Restaurant and Winery, where we’ll be trying their Michelin Star tasting menu. This restaurant was a Bourdainškinac Restaurant and Winery at their Grill which was delicious as well. Tomorrow, we head back to Zagreb to spend a couple of days before I head back to Canada.... read more

Today after breakfast at the hotel, I headed into Dubrovnik’s old town to determine if I was able to join the Game of Thrones tourthat morning. Luckily, I was able to join the morning tour. Some of the Game of Thrones filming locations on the tour included: 1. The Jesuit Stairs – The location of Cersei’s Walk of Shame 2. Fort Lovrijenac: Various scenes including where Sansa almost gets raped in Kings Landing and the Hound saves her, the “Knowledge is Power, Power is Power scene”, and the kings’ tournament for Joffrey’s name day 3. Minceta Tower: The House of the Undying 4. Gradac Park: The Purple Wedding Celebration 5. West Harbour: used in various scenes including Blackwater Bay and the wildfire scene, and where Sansa and Shae are talking on the dock before Littlefinger shows ... read more

Split to Dubrovnik Today we departed Split and headed to Dubrovnik. I woke up early to take pictures of Diocletian’s Palace while it was quiet and check out the view from Marjan Hill. Then, it was about a 3-hour drive from Split to Dubrovnik where we stayed at the Ariston Hotel at the Royal Resort. I had my first cliff-jumping experience which was terrifying but worthwhile. Then we had dinner in Dubrovnik's old town. We went to Dubravka Restaurant which provided a great view overlooking the old city walls and the food was great as well. After dinner, we walked around the old town a bit and I had my first Affogato while watching people climb the Jesuit stairs. Tomorrow, I will get a chance to climb the wall and get a panoramic view of the ... read more

I was greeted at the airport in Zagreb by my friend Andrea. Andrea usually spends a couple of weeks in Croatia in June every year. We stopped by her apartment in Zagreb to drop off my luggage and headed into downtown Zagreb. Trg Bana Josipa Jelacica The first stop was Ban Jelačić Square, the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, named after Ban Josip Jelačić. The square has a statue of Ban Josip Jelacic, a Croatian lieutenant field marshal known for his military campaigns during the Revolutions of 1848 and for his abolitions of serfdom in Croatia. The square is also a place that Drea’s family visited a lot where her parent would sit down and people-watch. Her brother also got drunk one time and swam in the fountain in the square with his ... read more