My go-go-go pace over the last couple of weeks had begun to take a toll on my 44 year old frame – blisters on my toes, sore knees and back and other assorted ailments. With that in mind, I decided before I tried to tackle the climb to the Acropolis, I needed some time off. Alex had told me the beach was fairly accessible via Syngmata Square so I hopped on the quick metro ride over there and made my way to the tram line.

The tram went directly to a seaside restaurant called Edem, which shared the name with the tram stop for it – easy enough. Thanks to the way that Athens allows 90 minutes on any of the public transportation options, I was able to use the same ticket with the tram. It was a relatively new system, built for the 2004 Olympics and the ride was pleasant although I can imagine not so much in a few weeks. One interesting aspect is that since it’s essentially a straight line to the beach, with a few curves, the tram line hits all kinds of neighborhoods, including one where a lot of the Syrian refugees have landed.

As the tram pulled up to the Edem stop, I could see the Edem Restaurant sign across from it. The wind had really picked up, and I could hear various flags loudly flapping. Still, it was a nice natural A/C so I didn’t mind it so much. I picked the last available table that directly faced the Mediterranean, which made for a very nice view.

Given the location, it only seemed natural to order seafood so I decided to see how the Greek version of grilled octopus stacked up against the Croatian (or Montenegran for that matter) The octopus was nicely cooked and seasoned but I wasn’t crazy about the pickled vegetables that accompanied it. So, probably my least favorite meal thus far but with that view, I let it slide.

After lunch, I walked a bit on the beach, admiring the greenish blue water and some of the would-be Adonises sunning themselves. It was now a bit before 4PM so I made my way back to the tram and once again to Syngmata Square, this time taking the metro over to the Acropolis station, only one stop away. I had read that approaching the Acropolis would save me about 80 steps, which sounded very appealing.

I walked past the New Acropolis Museum and headed up a nice wooded path to the entrance of the Acropolis. Alex had told me a good time to go up is right after the 5PM tour groups. I actually made it up to the entrance faster than anticipated so I picked a spot in the shade and watched various groups show up with guides speaking multiple languages – everything from what seemed to be a high school field trip to some kind of team building exercise for a company based on their matching shirts.

I waited until I could no longer see them in my immediate view and headed up to the entrance, handing over the last of my rapid deteriorating multi pass. The first part was fairly easy, a series of newer concrete steps that switchbacked up to a pretty nice view along with the Theatre of Dioynsus below, which was in the process of being set up for its summer series there. After that more steps, this time a bit steeper that once again ended in a nice view – this time a higher perspective of the theatre and the surrounding area.

The final set of stairs were actually the ancient steps leading up to the top of the Acropolis. These were a bit challenging but made easier due to a sidewinder style of entrance, required given all of the people trying to go up at once. My knees were killing me by now but I had made it… almost. About 2 steps from the first flat surface, I all of the sudden went completely sideways up in the air. The 2000 year old marble had been refined to a very smooth surface and as I lost my grip, I let out a strange guttural noise while I heard gasps from the tourists around me. I called this a tie with The Fates as they clearly caused me to slip but also decided to give me only a minor injury. The litre bottle of water I had with me acted as a crutch to soften the blow so while I landed on my right knee and wrist, I somehow only had a minor bruise/scrape. I also served as a live visual aid for watching for the slick marble stone as various guides pointed over to me and cautioned their respective groups.

Once the shock wore off, I hobbled my way over to the real vista from the top of the rock. It was clear why this spot was so coveted and holy to various entities that occupied it. Even this cat knew that this was the place to be.

Typical of national monuments there was scaffolding covering large sections of it but as I made my way around to the side, I could see at least some of what it used to look like in its glory days.

A fort had also been established on the site, which jutted out over one of the sides of the hill with the Greek flag waving.

The tip turned out to be a good one because while there were a lot of tour groups, there were very few individual explorers like myself so I was able to get away from the throngs and get some relatively clean shots. There was no shade at all but thankfully the weather had cooled a bit. I can’t imagine being up there when it’s super hot in the middle of the day with what I’m sure is also wall to wall people based on the various rope lines I noticed – nooo thanks.

As cliched as it sounds, it’s really something better seen in person than in any photos like these. It truly is a Wonder of the World. Built in only 9 years, it’s still considered to be an architectural marvel with its interlocking marble frame.

After about an hour, I made the climb down, making damn sure to avoid the slick marble this time! I made it to the bottom of the hill and by this time, my knee was starting to really hurt so I decided to take a taxi. There was a stand nearby but when I told them where I was going, the cabbie said it would be 18 Euros, which was absurd. So as I matter of principle, I continued walking down the hill until I arrived at the metro station, where I found a very friendly cabbie who told me about how the economy had been rough on him, especially with the “you know, the black, these Syrians” coming there every day. Oh and it was 5 Euros.

After assessing the damage on my knee, which again was nominal, I had to make a decision how far I could go for dinner. I really wanted to get that amazing chicken dish again at Melilotos but that was only accessible via the pedestrian walkway. However, I did also need to get some Euros for my taxi to the airport tomorrow so I figured I would walk until I found an ATM and then stop for dinner somewhere around there.

I walked past the beer place I had been to and asked where the closest ATM was, apparently close to the metro station. As I got to the station, I realized that Melilotos wasn’t that much farther, from what I recalled. The catch was I didn’t have Internet access so I couldn’t look it up in Google Maps. Still, I was pretty sure I remembered where it was – or so I thought. Not entirely sure where I was, I stopped someone walking with what seemed to locals heading home except it was actually a group of tourists from Buenos Aires. So much for that idea. I hobbled up another street that looked familiar but I was starting to doubt I was in the right area.

The last thing I needed was to waste a lot of time walking down the wrong streets so I called uncle and walked over to a nearby hotel to ask. It turned out my initial instinct was correct, and I was only 2 blocks away. Huzzah!

The difference between Sunday night and now Wednesday was palpable as the adjoining bars were now packed with people enjoying the nice night. My server recognized me and gave me the last table outside, which faced out right onto the action of the square. I told her my final meal had to be the chicken leg and she promised to take care of me. Shortly after the chef came out to say hello and I said how excited I was to have the dish again. They were still out of the beer I wanted to try so this time I opted for their house red, which wasn’t bad at all.

Finally, the dish arrived, with a bit more flair than last time and the different marmalade, pumpkin. It was still fantastic although I slightly preferred the tomato marmalade. Sated and very happy, I said my goodbyes and hobbled down the street. I wanted something sweet and found it with a delicious pistachio ice cream. My taxi would arrive at 7:30 AM so as much as I wanted to join in the reveries all around me, I knew that I had to be practical about it.

As I made one final walk through Psrri, I reflected on what an amazing trip this had been. I had dubbed it my ancient Europe trip, and that’s really what it was. I had seen so many incredible monuments of fascinating historical value and just sheer awesome in scope/size. The people had been amazing, the food outstanding and the sights breathtaking. Pretty much can’t get better than that.

Today would be my main exploration of the various ruins except for the Acropolis, which I was saving for its own day. First though I needed some fuel so I walked up my street and onto a large avenue that also acted as a flea market.

As I’ve taken longer trips like this one, I’ve learned that it’s a marathon not a sprint and built in rest days are crucial to being able to get the most out of it.  Today was going to be one of those days, or so I had planned.  After doing some work in the morning, I ventured forth through Psrri to head to a place that Alex had said was like his Greek grandmother cooking for him.  First up though was some more exploring, which became easy as the path to the restaurant was full of sights like these.

The restaurant turned out to be a bit tougher to find than I thought and by the time I finally found it, I was very hungry.  Tzitzikas and Mermigkas (Cicada and Ant) was named after the Aesop fable of the cicada, who sang throughout the summer and the ant, who concentrated on building things to prepare for the winter.  The restaurant was a mix of the two – artistic yet industrious.  They are most known for their tasting menus for 2 but despite my best attempts, I couldn’t get them to budge on making it just for one – oh well.  The restaurant was full of homey touches like the fact that my table had a drawer for the silverware.

I was first given a welcome shot of tsipouro aka raki, which is a Greek version of grappa.  It packed a serious punch but helped temporarily stave off my hunger pangs.  Like most Mediterranean cities, service was like another one of the Aesop fables, the tortoise, definitely not the hare.  Eventually, I flagged down my waiter and ordered the baby goat which had been braised in the same tsipouro and rosemary, along with some roasted potatoes and zucchini.

The baby goat was fall off the bone tender and rich with flavor from the broth.  The potatoes and zucchini were perfectly seasoned.  Just a great hardy plate of food and another great recommendation from Alex.

My initial plan was to walk over to the massive Syngtama Square but I noticed I was fairly close to the Temple of Zeus so I figured I would check that out.  It was noticeably hotter than earlier and not that much shade so I picked up my pace a bit to get down to the ruins where there appeared to be some shelter.  This was one of the ruins that were part of the Acropolis combination ticket, which I needed to buy anyway so might as well do it now.

As I started to walk the grounds, it became apparent just how massive this temple was.

Also around the outer rim of the grounds were some other excavated sites.

After awhile, I left the Temple and walked over to the adjoining Hadrian’s Arch, which had a cool view of the looking Acropolis in the background.

Next I walked up the hill to finally check out the Syngtama Square, which is a massive public square that also houses the Greek Parliament.

As luck would have it, I happened to be there right during the changing of the guards, which was quite the show.

After the ceremony was done, I started to head to the nearby metro station as I needed to give my feet a rest.  As I went to look for some money for a ticket, I realized in horror that my 30 Euro Acropolis ticket had fallen out of my pocket.  I had a vague idea where it might have happened and raced out of the station to retrace myself.  Knowing this was probably a lost cause, I wondered if perhaps I could go back to the Temple of Zeus and see if I could get a replacement since I was just there. As Fates must have been smiling down upon as I was about half way there when I looked down and in stunned disbelief lay my ticket.  Whew!  Not wanting to tempt the Fates any more, I hailed a cab and headed back to my place.

Alex had suggested a favorite local spot for Greek wine and good food called By the Glass, which I had stumbled upon earlier in the day and had made a reservation.  That turned out to be a good move as the outside courtyard was already full with well-heeled Athenians.

After conferring with the very knowledgeable and friendly sommelier, I decided to try a tasting of 2 different Greek varietal white wines.  I ended up much preferring the Assyrtiko from Santorini, which was crisp and refreshing.  I next switched to 2 Greek red varietals, which I told him to surprise me.  The younger of the two, Avgoustiatis from the island of Zakinthos, was much preferable to the other one selected, so much so I ended up asking to have it swapped out for another, which was much better.

To eat, I had these fantastic jumbo prawns which had been wrapped in angel hair pasta and then quickly fried.  The first bite was a bit messy with the friend shoestring pasta going everywhere but the plump crispy shrimp were elevated by a truly outstanding sweet and sour dipping sauce.  I continued to be blown away by the level of cooking in Athens.

I continued to sample more Greek wine, this times some blends and by the end had a pretty impressive lineup.  I thanked the sommelier for his great Greek wine lesson and made my way back toward Psrri. Along the way, oh hey, more ruins.

As I walked back to my place, I passed a bar where a guy with long hair motioned me over. Curious to find out what he wanted, he insisted that I join him and the rest of his group in a shot of tsipouro – when in Athens I guess.  Since I was there, I figured I might as well also order a cocktail favored by Athenians.  This turned out to be tsipouro and vodka, with lemon and peppers floating on top – a pretty interesting and quite tasty concoction.  Eventually I said my goodbyes and completed my journey home.  On the docket tomorrow were a whole bunch of ruins and museums so it was time to get some sleep.

My flight to Athens was 2:30 and given the travel time to get to the Dubrovnik airport, I knew I had to get out of the Old City by noon at the latest.  I grabbed a quick lunch at Barba – this time a shrimp burger, which was excellent, and then headed out of the Plie Gate and into an awaiting taxi.  My taxi driver turned out to be a real Croatian history buff and excitedly told me various tales as we zoomed along the coast.  It turned out he was one of the soldiers who help protect Fort Srdj and proudly said his picture was in the museum there.

The airport was surprisingly modern and the check-in process was smooth except for the fact that I had to pay for my luggage, which turned out to be about $40 USD – ouch.  On the plus side, they were able to give me the exit row, which was huge as the plane wasn’t exactly big – oh and it was also a prop plane, something I hadn’t been on in a long, long time.

One of the advantages of being a prop plane is that for a large chunk of the flight we were a lot lower than if it had been a jet airliner so that meant I was able to get some great views of the Adriatic Coast.

Upon descent I was also able to get some great views of Greece, including the insane number of boats cruising around the area.

My initial plan of taking the metro to where I was staying was thwarted due to a strike so I had no choice but to take a taxi to the apartment.  My cabbie spoke no English and kept tossing his rosary beads whenever he was stuck in traffic or when we had to go around a different way due to a protest going on at the Parliament.  After about an hour, we arrived (sort of) at the destination, which he couldn’t find so he told me to walk from here.  Fortunately, it turned out not to be too much farther.

My Airbnb host, Alex, was there to greet me and show me around the apartment, which was a lot more traditional than I typically have but had a great balcony looking up at the Acropolis.  He had given me detailed maps and instructions on both the place and the surrounding area – including sights, restaurants and bars.  He said his favorite place was Meliltoso, which wasn’t too far from the place.  That sounded good enough for me so after orientating myself a bit, I headed up a graffiti filled alley to the neighborhood Psrri.

Psrri was a former ghetto that was now a hub for the hip and cool.  It reminded me a lot of Palermo Hollywood in Buenos Aires in terms of the mix of the old crumbling buildings and the new modern ones taking their places.  As I continued up the road, it suddenly opened up into a long pedestrian walkway lined with shops, bars and restaurants.

After about 15 minutes through this path, I arrived at the restaurant, which had a nice outdoor patio that was quickly filling up but I was lucky enough to secure a table.  It was a bit cooler than I thought it would be but still very pleasant to sit outside, albeit having to deal with near-by smokers.  There was a bar across the street playing some great soul and funk tunes, which added to the low key vibe of the place.  I decided instead of wine to do beer for a change and after being denied yet again for my first choice, I settled on a simple local pilsner that was quite refreshing.

I’m a huge fan of Greek food and was very excited to try some from the source, and the menu had all kinds of enticing options.  I wanted to give my mercury levels a break, so I narrowed in on a couple of meat dishes.  I asked the server which she preferred and without skipping a beat suggested the chicken leg stuffed with cave aged Gruyere cheese from Crete and basil, tomato marmalade along with an “aromatic basmatti rice.”  Sold.

Now I’ve been all around the world and had many, many, many chicken dishes.  This was easily a top 5 of all time.  The leg had been deboned and the chicken was incredibly moist.  The basil and the cave aged Gruyere were perfect complements to each other, and the tomato marmalade, though sweet, worked wonderfully with it all.  And the crispy skin, oh the skin!  It was perfectly seasoned with The rice had leeks and green onions and tasted almost like fried rice even though it wasn’t.  Just amazing.

I walked back through the brisk night air and collapsed as it had been a very long day.  Tomorrow I would begin exploring the center of the city and perhaps see a ruin or three.

Today would be my final full day in Dubrovnik but with the crowds continuing to swell, I decided or retreat to the nearby island of Lokrum. I walked to the marina, hopped on the ferry and made the quick 15 cruise over to the island.

Not wanting anything too heavy, I opted for the spaghetti with Adriatic prawns. It was a simple but very tasty dish. A piano/cello duo was playing a mix of classics and new pop music as well as at one point the theme song to Game of Thrones. I was surprised it had taken that long to hear.

After a pretty non-stop pace since I started the trip, it was beyond time to ease up on a throttle a bit.  This was made easier given the lousy weather.  I hadn’t had a true high end meal yet and after being told Stara Loza had a great tasting menu, I thought a nice, long, leisurely lunch was just what I needed.

The decor was eclectic at best and I was the only one in the small dining room, which I didn’t mind at all.  Usually the tasting menu dining room is a few floors up overlooking the Old City but it was closed due to the bad weather.  I ordered a glass of Plavic Mali and soon after my first course arrived – Stracciatella di bufala with tomatoes.

The smooth slightly salty cheese was nicely complemented with the brightness of the tomatoes.  The accompanying homemade bread was a nice touch as well.

Next up was a huge seared scallop with salmon caviar and a parsnip foam.  The scallop was perfectly seasoned and very tender. The salty bites of the salmon caviar worked well with the slightly sweet parsnip foam.  Delicious.

The third course was a real stunner – octopus gnocchi with Arabiata sauce, bone marrow (!) and a local cow’s cheese.  The pieces of octopus were incredibly tender and the gnocchi were light and soft.  But it was the Arabiata sauce with the bone marrow that made the dish – the spicy tomato base made much richer with the addition of the marrow.  And the cheese helped mellow some of the spicier bites.

The last savory course was fantastic as well – olive oil poached turbot with potatoes and fava beans in a clam sauce.  The fish was perfectly cooked as were the vegetables.  However, the real star was the amazing clam sauce, which made me finally actually enjoy fava beans for a change.  A home run.

The final course, for dessert, was a basil semifreddo with rock candy.  The semifreddo was bursting with basil and the rock candy helped add some needed sweetness.  A great way to finish a world-class meal.  And all of that plus the wine for $70 – not too shabby.

After lunch I went on what proved to be a fruitless search for a wine store, which turned out to be just a small store for some winery that didn’t seem to be very good.  The rain started up again so I headed back to my apartment for a bit.  Since I had enjoyed my time away from the crush of tourists, for dinner, I decided to leave the Walled City and go somewhere I had spotted when I had picked up my rental car.

Gusta Me was just on the other side of the walls and across from the marina, which provided a nice view for dinner.

Since I been pretty much all seafood, all the time, the idea of a nice steak dinner sounded very appealing, especially one with a Plavac Mali based sauce.  It wasn’t fantastic but a nice comfort food kind of meal.

I walked back into the Old City, which was relatively quiet for a change, walls illuminated along the path.

For a night cap, I decided to go back to D’Vino Wine Bar for some more Croatian wine goodness.  This time I tried a Dingac reserve, a regular Dignac and the same Posip I had in Split that I loved.  I chatted with the owner for awhile as well as Vanessa, a very colorful recent college graduate who gave me great perspective of how her Serbian/Croatian background conflicted with each other.  We also commiserated over the awful cruise shippers who invade on a daily basis “some of them I swear to God don’t know where they are.”

After just before 2AM, I said my goodbyes, promising to come back one more time before I left.  The Straudn was almost completely empty and I relished walking back in the cool night air in such a picturesque setting.  Tomorrow would be my final full day in Dubrovnik, and I looked forward to once again escaping the mob for some island fun.

I had been dreading the inevitable hangover due to going a bit overboard on the wine but awoke without even a slight headache.  My original plan was to take the short ferry ride to the island of Lokrum but as I approached the harbor with gusts of wind blasting me in the face, it wasn’t exactly a shock to find that the ferry had been canceled for the day as the water looked very choppy.  That also made me smile as I’m sure the day cruise shippers didn’t have a very fun time on the rough seas.

Since it was lunch time, I walked over to the nearby classic seafood restaurant Lokanda Peskarija, home of the famous black risotto with cuttlefish.  The bad weather made sitting outside not an option and the main dining room was full.  However, they were able to set up a spot at the bar, which was fine.

I ordered the black risotto, which is cooked in the ink of the cuttlefish, and a few minutes later, a large pot was placed in front of me.

While the risotto was a bit undercooked, the flavor was so rich and compelling that didn’t really matter.  The chunks of cuttlefish were super tender and the fresh chopped parsley was a nice touch as well.  I can see why it’s such a popular dish.  The portion was massive so after about 2/3s of it, I decided it would be wise to stop.  However, I did carve out enough room to finally try the ubiquitous Croatian version of creme caramel, which was very tasty with a surprising amount of orange flavor to it.

I walked back to my apartment to let my food digest and do some work while waiting for the rain to stop.  At around 4PM (or 16:00 as they say here), the rain had given way to a fairly clear and sunny skies although it was still windy.  I thought that this then would be the perfect time to finally take the tour around the walls of the Old City.

I had read there were 3 entrances to the walls but that the one closest to me was usually the least crowded.  I paid for my ticket, which I was told to hold onto as I’d need to show it a couple of times along the path and started the climb up the walls.

At the part of the wall, it was a pretty steep climb almost straight up to get to the top of the wall, which overlooked the main entrance to the Old City.  The rain had clearly scared away a lot of the tourists as there were only a few people on the path and thankfully no effin tour groups.

As i continued to ascend the wall, the views got more and more spectacular.

At the top of this portion of the wall was a tower, from which I could see now across the entire Old City.

The next part of the wall would take me closer to the old fortress across the bay.

After a brief rest to take it all in, I hit the next part of the wall, which was once again a steep climb upwards.

This was the highest point of the wall and the vistas from there were stunning.

The winds were pretty severe at this point, with the waves crashing against the rocks below but I didn’t mind it as it added to the ancient feel of it all.

The final section of the wall snaked around the marina, which also housed a maritime museum that featured some antique anchors outside of it.

I finally reached the end of the path, tired but elated.  I’ve been to a lot of places around the world and very few can top this experience.  For shits and giggles I check out my iPhone health app to see what that walk had done exercise-wise.  Suffice it to say I had successfully walked off my heavy lunch.

After a well-deserved nap, I headed out into the cool windy night and after Google Maps got hopelessly confused trying to find my destination, I eventually arrived at the very popular Bosian restaurant Taj Mahal.  I had made a reservation the previous night which was a good thing as they were fully booked.  I was given a table upstairs, which I gladly took as it was away from the maddening crowd.  I had brought my bottle of Bibich R6 Riserva and after some negotiation “sir, this is a restaurant!” I got them to allow me to have it.

Although primarily known for various meats on stick, I was drawn to the special of the house, called, natch the Taj Mahal – which was a pastry stuffed with turkey, veal, mushrooms and 2 different Bosnian cheeses, basically a fancy calzone.  The philo-based pastry was super light and crispy, and the filling was rich with flavor.  It was just what this windy, cool evening required.

As a nightcap, I walked over to Matusko for another glass of their great wine.  This time I opted for their Gingac Reserve, which was by far the most expensive I had so far.  Surprisingly though, I think I preferred their regular Gingac, which was a good thing for my pocketbook.

Violetta was there and soon Danny arrived as well so I had a nice time chatting with them and also getting them on camera.

Violetta also let me have a taste of their white blend of Posip and Chardonnay, which was very refreshing, and also the Posip by itself, also good.  I was tempted to have another full glass but knew that I would pay for it the next day so instead I walked around the corner for bed time.  Tomorrow would be a relatively quiet day due to the rainy forecast, not necessarily a bad thing as I had a feeling I might be pretty sore.

I woke up fairly early because I had a very full day planned.  First up, I had to go rent a noble steed for my trip over the border into Montenegro.  The previous day I had scouted out a few different car rental places and chose one that was relatively close to me.  The woman behind the counter took one look at me and gave me a free upgrade to a mid-tier versus the economy I had initially booked.  Score!

It had been years since I last drove a stick but as soon as I got in, I felt comfortable with it.  Less comfortable was trying to find my way out of town but thankfully it’s basically one road.  About 30 minutes later, after winding my way through the mountain pass, I came to the Dubrovnik Airport, which made me realize I would need more time than I thought to get there on Sunday.  A little while later I saw one of the greatest road crossing signs ever. Sadly, both coming and going, I did not need to heed that sign.

After about an hour, I was finally along the Croatian coastline, which shimmered due to the sunny day.  Unfortunately, there were no real turnoffs and after a couple of failed attempts, pictures just weren’t going to be possible while also trying to drive.  This was the best I could do.

After another quick slant inland, I finally arrived at the Croatian border.  I handed over my passport and the green card that came with the rental car, which is required for crossing into Montenegro.  It was a quick and easy process.  I thought wow, that was painless, given what a pain border crossings can be.

This victory was short lived however as I had forgotten about the fact now I had to cross into Montenegro’s border.  And this time there was a massive line of cars that didn’t seem to be moving very quickly.  At least it wasn’t too shabby of a background so I rolled down my windows and took in the fresh mountain air.

30 slow minutes later, I finally got to the booth where a grumpy agent slowly looked through my passport and then eventually handed it back.  Then for some reason, I had to repeat the process with another agent about a mile down the road.  At this time, however, it was just a quick look and I continued my drive into Montenegro.

The drive along the switchback road was pretty breathtaking, particularly once it hit right along the seaside.  There was still only just the one road to final destination, Kotor, so the initial stress of driving started to melt away.  Plus, I mean c’mon look at those pics!

As I pulled into Kotor, there was a massive traffic jam as tourists were flooding into the medieval town.  I was eventually able to navigate around it and started the equally fun task of finding parking.  After being shooed away from what I thought was an open spot, I decided to head over to the other side of the town, where I had read there was a cheap lot.  As luck would have it, this was also the side for the consensus best restaurant in town, Galelion.  Although I had read it was pricey, when I walked up and a) saw the amazing view and b) the blissful lack of tourists, it was a done deal to eat there.

By this point, I was starved and quickly ordered the grilled octopus with vegetables and for the heck of it, a small bottle of Montenegro white wine.  Even though Montenegro isn’t part of the EU, they use the Euro as their currency.  It was strange seeing a menu where I didn’t have to do any major calculations.

I was kind of puzzled by the lack of suckers on the octopus but the pieces were very tender, if a bit bland.  The wine however was…not good.  Montenegro has a ways to go to catch up to their neighbor.  I enjoyed a bit more of the peaceful setting and then made the quick walk across the bridge into the Old Town, which was kept under the watchful eye to a fortress that snaked up the mountainside.

As I approached the main gate, the silence that I had enjoyed earlier was soon shattered by the throngs of tourists cramming their way into the Old Town.  The town itself was very charming – dating back to the 12th century but more recently built around the 19th century.  I wandered around for awhile taking it all in.

I also popped in to a bar that my new wine friends from the other evening had insisted I check out called Astoria.

After about an hour, I had seen enough and walked back to my parking lot, which turned out to be only 1 Euro.  I drove out of town, now completely relaxed since I knew where I was going, which made me enjoy taking the twisty roads and quickly shifting gears.  Fun fun.

This time the border crossing took no time at all so as I was heading back to Dubrovnik, I made a quick detour to Cavtat, which was a lovely small seaside town on the other end of the coastline.  I drove into Dubrovnik and my stress level returned as I had to find somewhere to get gas, not an easy thing as it turned out.  I eventually found one and filled up the half tank needed for a mere $25 USD – ouch!

I nervously drove through the city looking for the entrance to the Old Town, which turned out to be a long way around.  Anxiously checking the fuel gauge, I pulled into the rental car place and thankfully was given the green light to leave.  I had been out and about for almost 9 hours so I walked back to my place for a quick nap.

By the time I re-emerged, it was almost 10 PM so I opted for something quick and easy.  The woman at the rental car agency had said one of her favorite places was Spaghettiteria Toni’s.  I initially blanched at that idea as it seemed to touristy but after looking at the menu online, I thought I’d give it a shot.

The restaurant was fairly dead by this point and I was so hungry that I immediately ordered what I had found online that intrigued me – fussili with 4 types of local mushrooms and truffle sauce.  The pasta was decent but oh those wondrous mushrooms – oyster, white, crimini and porcini – and the sauce was superb too.

Still trying to get the bad taste out of my mouth from that terrible Montenegro wine, I walked over to a wine bar I had heard rave things about – D’vino Wine Bar.  There were only a few people there but as soon as I saw the very impressive Croatian wine list, divided into regions, I knew I was in the right place.  After consultation with the bartender, I opted for the Poshup version of the same Matusko wine I had the previous evening.  He explained that it’s the same grape (Pivac Mali) but on the other side of the hill, which was much cooler and therefore a very different wine.  Sure enough, it tasted almost nothing like the Dingac version but was also superb.

After chatting a bit with a couple from Manchester, I noticed a chalkboard sign that looked interesting.

This was also a Plavic Mali, but from a local winemaker.  Cultivated in a much sunnier/warmer climate, the wine had a pretty high alcohol content – almost 16% ABV – and yes was indeed a monster.  By the end of the glass, I was done for the evening so I said my goodbyes and promised to return in the next day or so.  Tomorrow’s agenda was up in the air as there was rain in the forecast so I would have to see what the weather gods had in store for me.

I woke up to the sounds of foot traffic clomping by my place and knew that if I was to make to the cable car before the masses, I had to hurry. Of course, that first meant climbing those damn stairs, this time all the way to the top. It was quite the workout.

After I reached the entrance to the Old City, I had another hill to traverse and then finally made it to the entrance to the cable car which would take me up to the imposing Fort Srd high above the city.

After about an hour of exploring, I decided to head back to the Old City for some grub.  I took the short ride back down the mountain and once again descended the massive steps to the bottom.  I had read about an intriguing sounding place called Barba Seafood Street Food and their specialty, an octopus burger.

The tiny place was already full with lunchgoers but I had swung by earlier to ask about the octopus burger and the server recognized me, smiled and said “octopus burger coming right up!”  I made a mental note to follow up on her later since she was cute.

A few minutes later, my octopus burger arrived.  Basically ground up octopus with breading, grilled like a burger and on a really fantastic bun.  It was delicious.  I paid up and decided to walk around to a different part of the Old City I hadn’t seen yet, via the Ploce Gate, which ran along the other side of the marina.

As I left the Walled City, I heard some electronic music getting louder and louder, along with what sounded like a bunch of whistles.  Sure enough, across the street, there was a massive part going on, which turned out to be seniors from high school on their last day of class.  A nearby cop told me it’s an annual tradition and seemed to not be overly concerned with doing any enforcement work.

A bit further was Banje Beach, the only beach around the Old City where people jump off a cliff into the water.  The beach was similar to the one in Split, rocks and not very large, but I could tell must be quite the party spot during the summer.

The day started way too early as I had to catch a 7:40 AM ferry to Dubrovnik.  I made my final trip down the main alleyway of the Old City being pretty much the only person around, which was a nice change of pace from the throngs of tourists that would soon descend.  Since I had already purchased my ticket in advance, I was able to board immediately, which was a good thing as the ferry was quickly filling up, allowing me to get a primo seat for my long arse legs.

The ferry would be making several stops to various islands but still get into Dubrovnik at noon, faster than if I had taken a bus directly there.

First up was the island of Brac, which is a big wine producer for Croatia.  Not too many takers for this one on board though.

Next up was Hvar, aka Party Island.  It’s often used as a hub for those island hopping so many people left and came on board with this one.  This would have been one of my destinations too if time had allowed.

The influx of passengers allowed me to get an even better seat at the front of the boat.  And I also took the opportunity to check out the rear once we had reach full cruising speed.

The next two islands before Dubrovnik, quite frankly, weren’t that interesting plus the rough seas made me less inclined to snap any photos.  Finally, we reached the port of Dubrovnik, which is a few miles away from the Walled City, so this was a more modern introduction to the city.

My Airbnb host had told me her father Ivo would meet me at the port to take me over to the Walled City.  Sure enough, a friendly older man greeted me, and we started the drive over the hill.  A few minutes later, I literally gasped when I saw the view and had him pull over to capture it.  Holy shit.

Since the apartment was actually within the Walled City, we had to park outside of it and then walk.  A selling point of the place was that there was no stairs to get to it and while this was true, getting there for the first time meant going down these.

I got the quick rundown of the apartment (small but comfy), dropped my bags and headed out to explore this wondrous city.

When I was in Split, I had seen an advertisement for a sushi place that also had a branch in Dubrovnik.  I was intrigued as to what exactly that entailed so I walked outside of the walls and down to the marina.

It turned out to be a bit more difficult to find than expected but eventually I found it tucked away in a corner.  The menu was simple but featured locally caught seafood in traditional sushi style. I decided to get an assortment of items including Amberjack (a common white fish found in the Adriatic) and a tempura fried local Oyster, which are some of the largest in the world.  I also had salmon, which wasn’t local but delivered fresh from Norway so close enough.  All of it was very fresh and quite delicious.

After lunch, I continued my exploration of the Walled City, eventually ending up at the famous Pile Gate.

With walls over 100 feet high and massive imposing fortifications, it was clear why the Old City had been such a key stronghold for various empires.  After a bit more wandering, I headed back to my place for a quick nap and recovery… which turned in a couple of hours so by the time I dragged myself out of bed, it was dinner time.

The weather had gotten quite chilly, and I was regretting not having an additional layer but assumed I would just sit inside.  My destination was only a couple of blocks away at a classic Croatian restaurant Ivo had recommended, Rozario.

Unfortunately, it turned out the entire inside room had been taken over by a high school tour group for their goodbye dinner so the only table was outside.  There was a heat lamp but of course that didn’t work.  Still, nothing a good class of Pivac Mali barrique couldn’t cure and soon I was fine.  It was also amusing to hear each one of the students being forced to stand up and say what they learned on the trip.  That brought back a lot of memories.

Although I initially thought of continuing my seafood odyssey, my server suggested I have the pork medallions with gnocchi and truffle sauce.  Sold.

The pork was a bit tough for my tastes but the truffle sauce, which was a mix of black and white truffles, was one of the best I’ve ever had.  It was so good I asked for a 2nd serving, using bread to sop up as much as I could.  I tried to decode the recipe with the server who got noticeably nervous as I listed off the ingredients so I stopped to preserve the mystery – not like I could replicate it anyway.

I initially wanted to try the Croatian creme caramel but of course it had all gone to the tour group.  My server suggested the flourless almond and orange cake “gluten free” he proudly announced.  Since I was once again cold, I paired this with a local (as in the owner makes it) walnut brandy, which is apparently a Dubrovnik tradition.  Both were quite good.

I left the restaurant and walked a couple of blocks over to check out the Stradun (the main drag) all lit up.

It had been a very long day so retreated back to my place, with the faint echoing of the guitar duo a couple of blocks away.  Thankfully my white noise machine made quick work of that.  Tomorrow I would continue my wandering in the Old City and experience a bit of high culture by catching a classic musical performance.  I was just getting started with my Dubrovnik adventures.