Decidedly Delicious Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is beautiful. It may be the set for much of the 'Game of Thrones' but it is really the Throne of all games in real life. We had already sailed past the city, but we needed to rejuvenate Pavlov and had booked a berth for one night at the expensive ACI Marina just outside Dubrovnik on the river Dubrovačka. After installing 4 new batteries and re-gassing the fridge, we had a free afternoon before having to vacate the marina. We caught the bus into the old city and just wandered around.

Pavlov living the life of luxury in ACI Marina, Dubrovnik

Water cistern from above, on the city walls

Sculpture outside city gates

Sea kayaking around the city walls

Architectural flourish on the city gate

We are moving from the ancient world of Greece and Turkey, with their ruins from Greek and Roman times, to the mediaeval world. The cities and architecture show a new level of sophistication and detail that surpasses that of the classical world. Kotor and Momemvasia were previous examples that we had visited, but Dubrovnik surpassed these in terms of its architectural beauty and the sophistication of its social structure, revealed by the city details.

Vege garden Dubrovnik style

Small cove just outside the old town

Main street of Dubrovnik

Town hall 

Architectural detail

We visited the obligatory church, well at least I did. Megan is over churches, and her more militant atheism overwhelms her waning desire.

Dubrovnik cathederal

Cathedral interior

Church decoration

Baroque Organ

Marble sculpture

Time was running out, so we returned to Gruz where the marina is located. We found a lovely restaurant further up the river for a late lunch, then left the marina to find a near-by anchorage in Zaton.

Peaceful restaurant up the river from the marina

The Dubrovnik river

Swans serenaded our lunch

Leafy garden

The dock in Zaton

Pavlov braving the Bora

We were anchored in Zaton Veliki, or 'Large Zaton'.

We were at anchor in Zaton, but there was a Bora on the way. Given that we had dragged onto the beach during the last Bora we'd experienced in Montenegro, we decided to go onto the dock. Luckily, some hefty Polish lads helped tighten our laid mooring lines. It was just enough to hold us off the dock during the 30 + knots of wind during the Bora. The first day, we just stuck our heads between our legs and hoped, but the wind abated enough on the second day for another trip into Dubrovnik. Mady (of 'Ripple Effect' fame) had told us we'd missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by not walking the city walls of Dubrovnik. Of course, being Croatia, we had to pay for this privilege and the 100 Kuna (About AUD $20) had put us off.  This time, we hitch-hiked into Gruz and caught the bus into the old town.

Gun port framing the city walls 

Megan on the wall

Walls encircle the town of Dubrovnik

View from the wall

The walk around the walls is about 2 kilometres and is absolutely spectacular. The views over the terracotta roofs and the sea-glimpses were unforgettable. Even though Dubrovnik's only function now is tourism and the place swarms with them, the majesty and beauty of the city was not overwhelmed by grockle.

Dubrovnik's small boat harbour

Cafe's cling to the cliffs

Loved the texture of all the terracotta tiles 

Panorama shot looking south

View over the old town

Sea-side view of the walls.

Space is at a premium

Lone sentry box

We checked out the old port in Dubrovnik. We'd poked Pavlov's nose in on our sea-way fly-by,  but it was so busy and congested, we didn't dare enter.

A stylish vaporetto

The old port in Dubrovnik

The Admiral on the dock

Architectural features.

Croatia is famed for its islands, so it was time for us to leave the mainland behind, and head out to bluer pastures. Till then, cowboy!

Prelude to Dubrovnik

A prelude is a pre-cursor to the main fare, usually a fugue, but in this case, a visit to Dubrovnik. We entered Croatia in the small village of Cavtat. I think Cavtat is designed to condition new visitors to Croat ways - surliness and financial gouging! After tying up at the mandatory Q berth to check in, we were informed that we must pay 100 Kuna (about AUD $20) for the privilege, that's for about 15 minutes use of the dock. Nice little gig if you can get it.

Walk around Tiha bay next to Cavtat.

Smiles to all the officials we dealt with were met with fierce scowls. Welcome to Croatia! But the scenery was undeniably beautiful. Cavtat is really just a tourist stop, a blip on the map. But there was a lovely walk around Tiha bay where we anchored to the main bay of Cavtat. The pine and fir forests were fragrant and flowers blooming everywhere.

Beautiful forests around the foreshore

Small island just off the coast

Gracious stone villas.

We met up with some 'old' friends, Tony and Mady, that we'd originally met in Sarande, Albania. It was great to see some familiar faces and to share war stories. We've been 'companion cruising' with them since, with occasional get-togethers and information sharing.

T/T Ripple Effect and Spit get acquainted.

Mural on house

Lovely stone laneways

We left Cavtat after a few nights and sailed past Lokrum and Dubrovnik old town to the small island of Kolocep and anchored in Donje Celo. With the southerlies that were blowing, this was a lovely sheltered bay.

Republic of Dubrovnik

The inner harbour in Dubrovnik, don't try to sneak in there!

Town battlements from sea-side

Dubrovnik city walls

Kolocep was a lovely island and we had a fantastic walk fuelled by lots of free cherries stolen from laden trees overhanging the beautiful stone footpath that wound from Donje to Gornje Celo. The island is lush and fertile, with beautiful vegetable gardens and orchards in an idyllic setting.

Local dock in Donje Celo

Town of Donje Celo

We're enjoying the waterways of Croatia. There are islands everywhere and many more bays and anchorages than in Montenegro and Albania. However, the wind here is very changeable and can go from a zephyr to a full-blown gale in minutes. Our delightful anchorage in Donje became rapidly untenable when the wind came in from the north-west, so we beat back to the coast and into the protected bay of Zaton. We holed up here for the night, and headed in to the ACI marina in Dubrovnik early the next morning.

Bridge spanning the main river in Dubrovnik

Closeup of the suspension span as Pavlov slid under

Marinas are very expensive in Croatia, ACI Marina charged us 83 Euro (about AUD $115) for a single night. We generally try to stay out at anchor, and only occasionally pay to stay at a town dock if the weather is very threatening. However, Pavlov was ailing with a fridge that refused to cool, and some batteries that had lost their mojo. We'd ordered some new Trojan batteries to replace our failed units and had decided to pick them up in the marina. We also lined up a technician to re-gas our fridge.

Looking up the river to the marina

Pavlov on the dock of ACI Marina

We made use of all the amenities; luxuriating in long showers, filling our water, fuel and gas tanks and shopping for groceries. While wasting water unashamedly, I meditated on the changing value propositions since we'd been cruising. 

On Pavlov, showers are short and perfunctory: a burst of water (hot if you're lucky) to wet oneself, a quick lather and then another squirt of water to wash off the suds. The less water we consume, the longer we can stay out on anchor. Water is hard to come by in Croatia, there are no public taps and people charge to fill up tanks. So revelling in the wasteful luxury of a long long shower, feeling the water coruscating down my body, soaping with gay abandon, draining the lassitude with a short sharp stab of cold: all of this now represents an absolute indulgence, the equivalent of a week at a luxury resort. What we value is all relative!

Our larder had become impoverished, particularly with no fridge. Now, it was cold beer again. Wow, all mod cons! We are all tanked up and ready to go!