Being Sequoia's 17th birthday the day that we arrived in Dubrovnik, I made a point to let the staff know at our final dinner in the ship's dining room that we would be leaving and that it was her birthday eve.
Of course, they had to sing her happy birthday right there in the busy dining room...
Such fun!!!
We spent our final night packing and getting ready for our final adventure. The cruise had been a fantastic way to see so many sites in such a short period of time. We met some really interesting people and truly enjoyed having everything taken care of such as all meals cooked, all the cleaning done and the beds made, and always something fun to do.
The median age of our fellow cruisers was a little more advanced than what we would probably choose next time, but we have had an incredible time!
Before we knew it, we were saying goodbye to our nautical home of the past 9 nights and lugging our considerable luggage across the cobblestones of Kings Landing.
What a gorgeous city. Photos and pictures don't do it justice. We made our way through Pile Gate, where our taxi from the ship had deposited us, as all vehicles except emergency services aren't allowed into the old city.
In attempt to avoid stairs, we wheeled our bags into the old port and somehow right around the walls to the edge of the sea before we worked out that if we wanted to get to our little apartment, we were going to have to do some heavy lifting. Fortunately, gentlemen abound throughout Europe and we were assisted up a particularly nasty set of stairs by a handsome young Croat.
As we walked up the cobblestones of our street, we were greeted by the sweetest little family smashing olives on the steps outside whilst they waited to meet us. We were quite early for check in and Ariana, the apartment's owner and the mother of the family's wife, wasn't quite ready preparing the rooms. We were invited to leave our luggage and go exploring.
I mentioned that it was Sequoia's birthday and she was treated to the little 3yo girl singing happy birthday in English.
Although Dubrovnik is no longer a well-kept secret with tourists bustling through the narrow streets, I was truly charmed everywhere I turned.
Sequoia and I soon found a little cafe to enjoy a cool drink and some FaceTime with family and friends for birthday wishes.
My gorgeous birthday girl:
We took a wander to familiarise ourselves with the town.
The Main Street:
Lots of secret little passages:
We found the secret bar located in the wall with incredible views of the sea:
Although the city was quite badly damaged during the early 1990s, they have done a fabulous job with the restoration.
When we headed back to apartment, we were wonderful pleased to find the most charming little place and meet the very warm and lovely Ariana.
She had even left some birthday treats:
A lovely pace to call home for a few nights.
Dubrovnik was instantly one of my new favourite places. I love the Medieval, cobblestone alleyways and stunning Mediterranean views. So much history!
When we first met our host, we got talking about the war and what it was like to live here during those times. Ariana told us how frightening it was but she had all her family here, who were refusing to flee, and couldn't bring herself to leave them here.
She told us that on the day day before the bombing, she decided that she had to get herself and her young son away. She packed up what she could carry and fled. When they were in safety, it was only then that she realised that she'd packed 12 shirts for her son and he only had the pants that he was wearing with him...
I can only imagine what that, as a mother, would have been like. Ariana stated quite definitely that if there was any hint of another war, she would leave her home immediately. Her older family members have now passed on and she would just go.
This is the view from the apartment we stayed in:
A constant reminder of what her people had a fired and survived.
Being Sequoia's birthday, it was time to find somewhere special to eat. Ariana recommended a restaurant just outside the Pile Gate. It would be pretty pricey, but the food was delicious and it was set looking over a gorgeous view.
We attempted to make reservations, but had to be content with a 'come back later and see if we can fit you in'. We took a decent walk over to the suburbs and did a bit of exploring.
Once we'd worked up a decent appetite, we headed back for a most exquisite birthday dinner. I can still taste that amazing Greek salad now!
Our dinner view:
Cocktails in hand, we soaked up the atmosphere and watched our ship (and all those damn day tourists hahaha) sail off into the sunset on it's way back to Barcelona...
Surprised that we could still walk with our bellies so full. of amazing food, we took an evening stroll back through the old town...
And now with my newly minted 17 year old, we made our way back to our apartment for a restful sleep.
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