Busch Gardens Europe

C and I got up early this morning to take a run. We ran up to the top of the cable car mountain, then down the back of the mountain and along the highway (like, in the shoulder) for a bit until we were able to get back onto regular surface streets. The run took us about 1:10 and lasted just under 6 miles, only perhaps 1/4 mile of which was flat surface.

Our first stop as a fearsome foursome was to walk the ancient walls of Dubrovnik. The old town is surrounded by a huge wall, which has been in place for hundreds of years but has only been used in combat once (in the early 1990's). The walls are a major tourist attraction, so we had lots of company on our journey in the hot hot sun.

Good views from the wall.

Sports facilities adjust to the walls, not vice-versa.

Apres-walk, we were hot, tired, dehydrated, and hungry, so we sat down for some pizza at a place that the apartment owner Dino recommended.  C & E had a margarita pie; S & I ate mushroom. Then, fortified, we wandered in search of an art gallery and a music shop that S found in her guidebook.  Both shops were closed, but we did find some other jewelry shops that were quite lovely. Both ladies got a little something.

Then, ice cream and a siesta!

An observation: Dubrovnik is the most Busch-Gardens-Williamsburg-like place I've ever been. The Old Town is manicured and pristine. There are well-marked (in English) places to meet tours, buy food, buy gifts. The attractions are clearly labeled, the main part of town is ADA-compliant... There is an exceptional amount of effort put into making this town tourist-friendly.  There's even a cable car!

After the siesta, C, E, and I went to a beach half a block away for a swim.  'Beach' is a generous term, as it was really a rocky ramp with cement and a ladder. Still, it was a beautiful swim. The water was clear and comfortable. It was sunny when we swam, but I snapped this later.

Before dinner, we had a drink at Buza bar, a bar sitting on the edge of a cliff, literally through a hole in the fortifications. We sat at a table drinking our drinks, staring at the Adriatic, watching people jump off of rocks into the water below. Awesome.

Then, a dinner of gnocchi (for the ladies) and stuffed squid (for the guys). The food was tolerable, but the venue, a terrace covered with vines, was exceptional. Then, a walk home down the main street with some ice cream.

Tomorrow we leave Dubrovnik for Split. Five hours on a bus, passing through Bosnia on the way. Whee!