"In Croatian army, I sleep in bed with 5 men" and other Dubrovnik pick-up lines

After probably the most relaxing week of my life, Nicola and I hoisted our bags on our very suntanned backs and made our slow way back to Dubrovnik.  Our mini-bus ride yielded two British guys to chat with, and we decided to join forces to find places to stay.  After all, we were arriving in town at 6 on a Friday night without reservations.  The tourist agency we stopped at found a 2 bedroom apartment that we looked at first.  While it was nice enough, the guys started freaking out about sharing a bed, as men tend to do.  Once the young guy showing us the place grasped this, he looked at them like they were crazy and muttered that they had clearly never been in the Croatian Army.  In his next breath, he asked Nicola and I to meet him for drinks later.  I don't think his statement had the intended effect as we successfully dodged answering that request.

We ended up finding a beautiful room in a family home just up from the main gate into the Old Town with beautiful ocean views, and the guys found their own apartment up the road.  Nicola and I quickly changed and headed into the old town for a glass of wine overlooking the ramparts.  After a long twilight wander through the walled city, we ended up at a side street restaurant.  While the menu looked good, we have to admit the selling point was the manager with gorgeous amber eyes who told us that "pretty waiters" worked there.  He kept bringing us free drinks throughout our splurge meal of steaks.  A quick gelato stop for our walk back up the hundreds of stairs to our place, and we slept well that night.

We woke up late the next morning to thunder and rain.  With Saturday our only day in Dubrovnik, staying in wasn't an option.  Swathed in rain coats, we picked our way across the slippery stone streets, takeaway coffees in hand and wandered until the rain picked up another notch.  Right across from the farmers market we found a small cafe with omelettes for breakfast - perfect.  No sooner had our coffee arrived, than so did a local character who proceeded to sit at our table and regale us with stories.  He was lovely - very funny and convinced he looks like a Croatian Kevin Costner.  I'll let you be the judge...

The rain let up shortly after our lazy breakfast, and so we continued to explore the town.  After a quick nap back at our place, we returned to walk the city walls.  The hour long walk was unbelievable, and definitely a highlight of the trip.  Nicola spotted a little grill place from the wall, and so we bee-lined there after finishing the 2km walk.  It was hands-down the best meal of Croatia: perfectly grilled meats and vegetables, and a quiet, grapevine shaded view of the entire city.  It was the perfect ending to a truly wonderful trip.

The next morning, Nicola and I went to the airport and said our goodbyes - she off to Ibiza, and me to Prague to meet up with two other girls from my program.  While it was really difficult to say goodbye as I know it will be at least a year before we see each other again, I feel so blessed to have had 2 such memorable weeks together.  Onward and northward!