Relaxing in Dubrovnik

Having done excursions out of the city Thursday and Friday (me), we decided to spend our last days in Dubrovnik before we leave on Monday.  The weather Saturday morning still looked threatening - low clouds (or is that fog) which didn't seem to lift until nearly midday.  We took our bus just after noon to the terminus which is Pile Gate, the main entrance to the Old Town where there are no vehicles.  As an aside, the bus costs 15 HRK (Kunas) or about $1.50. 

By the time we arrived, the clouds had reappeared.  We bought a Dubrovnik Card which will give us entry to most of the museums as well as the City Walls.  We are saving the latter for either our last day here or a sunny day, whichever comes first.

The less than blue skies over the walls

I had read about the Buza Bar, the famous bar that has been "carved" into the rocks below the city walls.  We had to walk up a lot of stairs - someone told us 300 but even I who struggled up them didn't think it was that many!  When we arrived, we were rewarded with fabulous views of the sea even  if the sky wasn't blue.  We snagged a perfect table overlooking the water and, as it turned out, planted ourselves there for over 2 hours.  It was fun watching kayakers, tour boats and schooners sail by.  It was all quite idyllic.

Some of the stairs we climbed - and, at the bar, you have go down another set!

 

Tables at Buza Bar

 

 

 

 

Rose by the sea.  Perfection!

 

By 3 pm, we were getting hungry we returned to a little Italian and Mexican place called Bona Fide that we had found on a back street.  Aside for the waiters being fun which was reason enough to return, the restaurant has gluten-free pasta which works perfectly for Linda.  So, we relaxed there for a few hours and ended up chatting with a lovely couple from Essex.  In fact, we had sat there so long, it was happy hour by the time we paid our bill so our drinks were 50% off.  Good planning.

Back on the main street, now almost completely devoid of the crowds, the sun cast a lovely light on the marble and stone buildings and walkway.  There was a band playing in front of the St Blaise Church - I'd never heard a band play Living on a Prayer before - and, ironically, as we turned the corner there was some sort of religious procession which involved, no doubt, some more serious praying! 

 

 

 

 

We had made dinner reservations at one of the town's highest rated restaurant (of course, highly rated also means highly priced).  Our dinner at Restaurant Dubrovnik could not be faulted.  The staff were great and the food was delicious.  I had cauliflower soup, followed by lamb shanks and an amazing dessert of puff pastry stuffed with figs in a dessert wine sauce and flavoured with cinnamon.  Good thing I climbed all those stairs earlier in the day!  Linda's first course of prawns was plated at our table.  They arrived on a platter and were buried in salt.  Quite the performance!
 

 

Linda's prawns being prepared

Yummy!

 

 

What a lovely relaxing day compared to the previous two.  Tomorrow is our last chance to do the city walls and museums.  Let's hope we are greeted with clear skies in the morning!