Having checked in at Miranda’s guesthouse in Lapad, we decided to take Chris to A&E as we were worried he would be getting dehydrated. After several hours, I was taken to see the doctor and he told us Chris’s symptoms had been caused by a mini stroke and that he would be staying in hospital for several days. Having ensured he had all he needed, Joanna and I returned to Miranda’s to scrambled eggs for supper and made a plan.
With hospital visiting limited to just 3-4pm each day, Joanna and I decided to make the most of the last few days of our trip together. Next day, we bought our Dubrovnik Pass and set off first thing to the old town by bus. We entered through the Pile Gate …
… which gave us our first glimpse of the Stradun or long limestone pavement that runs between the two gates of the city.
Here is the Great Onofrio Fountain, built in the C15. I wondered about the dog sitting on top and apparently the original toppled off a couple of centuries ago and this replica was added during a recent restoration, a faithful guardian once more.
We walked all the way round the walls taking loads of pictures as every angle looked better than the last!
Here is Minceta Tower which is the tallest …
… a view of Lovrjenac Fort …
… and the small island of Lokrum beyond the sea of tile roofs.
Next we ducked into the side streets in search of a cold drink then sat on the Jesuit Steps to drink it, one of the few GofT locations I remember, with Cercei doing her walk of shame …
… and the church above.
Our ticket gave us free entry to the Rectors Palace, with another lovely staircase …
… then we walked past the Sponza Palace …
… to Luca Square with the clock tower and St Blaise’s Church.
Returning to Pile Gate we went out and were astonished by the number of people getting on and off tour buses.
From one panorama to another, here is the view from Lovrjenac Fort …
… and on that note it is time for lunch! We shared an amazing fish platter in the heart of the old town …
… before heading back on the bus for visiting time. Being the weekend, the hospital was really quiet and Chris was still very tired, not quite himself but no doubt in the best place.
Later, we squeezed in a little beach time Croatian style, sitting on a concrete platform and having a paddle …
… then took the bus back in the evening to see the old town at night …
… and had Caesar salads and Prosecco and icecream.
It was the night of a lunar eclipse which should have shown a red moon, but all we saw was the moon increase in size as the eclipse passed.
As much as we loved looking round and walking the walls, it was just so busy, with tour groups everywhere. We had a great view from the fort so didn’t fancy the cable car and Lokrum island is full of Australian plants so we chose not to return the next day. Instead, we took the car north out of the city early and visited Trsteno Villa and arboretum which Joanna had found, wandered the gardens …
… and snapped the fountain with Neptune …
… then spent several hours at Veliki žal beach …
… but were still back in time to visit Chris who was looking much rested and with an appetite once more. The doctor had gone home, but it was confirmed he would be staying several more days. Joanna and I ate over the road at Bellevue restaurant, where the menu came as a message in a bottle, watching the twinkly lights of the port and eating fish.
Our stay at Miranda’s was over and we had one night in Cavtat before our flights home. We decided to continue our trip as planned, return the car and Joanna to the airport so she could fly home and luckily found a nice guesthouse close to the hospital at short notice for me. We went early to see the doctor who confirmed Chris was making a good recovery, but needed to stay and rest.
Having checked out beaches, we spent the day relaxing in Plat. Amazing that I think this was the place we stayed for a family holiday in 1975, but I didn’t recognise anything!
In Cavtat, we walked round the harbour, then sat for cocktails and watched the sun go down before our final meal together. Later we sat watching the harbour drinking a very nice local wine called Posip, putting the world to rights.
Somehow, despite everything, Joanna and I have really made the most of our last few days together and we have great memories of all of us in Krka. Everything went smoothly in the morning and having waved her off, I got the airport shuttle back to Dubrovnik.
Off Travelling Together 