Days around Dubrovnik

Saturday had been a chill out (recovery) day after a lot of riding. We'd walked each way around the bay after a lazy breakfast lounging on the balcony of our room. We had a light lunch (delicious fried squid) by the waters edge, picked up something from the Prem mini market just underneath our apt building & returned to the room to laze the evening away. 

 

Feeling a little Ozujska!

Sunday. Woke to glorious weather and decided to bus it into Dubrovnik (about 7 km away). 

No probs getting there & finding our way to the Old Town. 

So, it's quite a small  medieval walled city. Very nicely restored after being smashed up a bit in the war 25 years ago & now a truly iconic tourist trap! It was rammed - people; gift shops; t shirt shops; restaurants (some seeming to have taken over whole streets). A total commercial machine designed to strip gullible tourists of their cash. 

 

We swallowed the £13 each cost to get the cable car up to the mountain view point as this was the best way to appreciate Dubrovnik & the coastline generally. 

 

We wanted to walk around the city walls (probably about a mile in total). £13 each FFS!! That just a tax 😡

Learned that the resident population of the old town has dropped 90% in 25 years as property has been sold to either retail or apt rental businesses. That's why a small beer is £4; compared with a large beer being £1.70 in much of the rest of Croatia. Some serious money-laundering going on I reckon. 

So, worth a visit, but only just! 

Bus back and a few beers & dinner on the balcony. 

Monday:

Out on the bike for a beach day at Prapanto. A 40km ride back up the coast towards Split, then a left turn making the peninsula for a few clicks. The bay is just beyond Ston, another interesting looking village adjacent to a pretty impressive medieval walked fortification.

Had a great afternoon chilling on the beach. Very hot & the sea was lovely. 

 

 

Tomorrow we're going on a boat trip.