This morning brought more beautiful sunshine, combined with a fresh pastry and coffee on the terrace, it was a great way to start the day. We relaxed, got caught up on what went on in the world while we were asleep and were a bit slow to decide what the day would bring.   Our flight was at 820p, so we had all day to do whatever we wanted to do before leaving.  

We finally got motivated enough to get dressed and go down the stairs to the water and find a place for more coffee. We ended up at the café overlooking the marina, where we had lunch two days ago. The same waiter welcomed us and brought us two cappuccinos, while we found a nice table under the trees with a wonderful view.  

After a bit more coffee, it was time to head back up and get packed.   We went back through the old town and stopped in an art gallery, which had some great paintings by a local artist. We couldn't resist one, which was quite vibrant and had the same view we just had while drinking our coffee.   It will be a wonderful way to remember the trip!

Since we had all day and still had the car, we decided we had to do a pilgrimage to the Grgic winery about 1.5 hours north of Dubrovnik.   Anyone reading this is probably aware that we are avowed wino's, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that we couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit the hometown vineyard of Mike Grgic one of the most famous winemakers of our era.

We settled our bill with Kristof and Angela, who gave us a wonderful Dubrovnik Christmas ornament as a going away gift.   Their hospitality was amazing and we recommend their apartment for anyone visiting Dubrovnik.   Then it was back on the crazy winding roads that we have come to expect from Croatia.   My clutch/shifting skills have certainly gotten in a workout this trip.

After about 1.5 hours, we easily found the turnoff for the little town where the Grgic winery was located. And within a few kilometers, we turned into the small parking lot, where we found it was CLOSED. HUH? I had checked and it was supposed to be open! We both got out and just stood there, looking at the sign.   So, we took a couple of pictures, which we figured was as close as we were going to get.  

While we were taking the pictures a van pulled up and a guy got out and called someone on the phone. A women then appeared in the window above the tasting room, and soon she opened the door.   I told her we had driven from Dubrovnik to visit and she welcomed us into the small tasting room. We enjoyed a white made from the grapes ext to the winery. And, a red, where the grapes come from Korcula, the last island we biked on.   It was fun to learn more about the local wines and meet part of the Grgic family.

After tasting, we went into the little town for a wonderful lunch overlooking the little inlet. It was the most leisurely lunch we have had, which is not a bad thing. For $25, the food, the service and scenery were a steal.  We headed back to Dubrovnik, but did one more wine tasting stop at Milos Vineyards, which was recommended by Grgic. We had a nice tasting in a cool cave and was impressed by the natural process used for the wines. It didn’t hurt that they tasted great too!  

The drive back had more fabulous views, which we have yet to tire of. Vibrant blue water, soaring cliffs, white sailboats and green mountains.   Not a bad sight no matter which way you look.

This ends this trips blog, as we are now on our way to Berlin and then on to Houston tomorrow. Croatia has definitely grabbed our attention and our hearts.   We had excellent food, sincere hospitality, spectacular scenery and experiences that we won’t forget. Even with Ken’s busted elbow, it was an awesome trip. Thanks for coming along!