Monday 2 October 2017

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Excursion: "Charming Cavtat & Dubrovnik"

Forecast: Perfect, cloudless skies

Max: 24°

This morning we were awake around 7am, and from our balcony we watched QV sail into the new port of Dubrovnik. We were to leave at 9:45am for our day tour the "Charming Cavtat and Dubrovnik". That meant we had time for a leisurely breakfast.

We were asked to gather in Queen Ball Room 9:45am and it seems all those going ashore were there early, pleasing the two young English organisers.

We handed in our booking tickets and were assigned a "tour number". I suppose there would have been 45 or us in tour sticker "20"….this little red sticker to be worn on front of our clothing. This would signify the coach we were to board and the tour leader assigned to us.

This would become the procedure for each excursion ashore, colour of sticker changed with each tour.

From the Ball Room we were directed to lowest deck "A" where our id's were scanned as we left the ship to awaiting coach for the short trip past the "old city", stopping briefly to the side of a very winding road at panorama view point. Those who wanted could leave coach for a five minute photo-shoot.

The view was looking back down onto the "old wall city", which we would be given time to explore toward lunchtime.

Aboard the coach for the 30 minute drive to Cavtat, a delightful seaside tourist town. Crystal clear water and lots of eateries and ice-creameries and fruit markets lined the street.

In season at the moment are pomegranates, mandarines and olives. Our guide gave us a tutorial and her love for her homeland was obvious. Her name was Ivana (she said, like, first wife of Trump!!), everyone laughed!

She gave us the Croatian side of the 90's war of course, and as with almost all wars, she couldn't see what was achieved, other than loss of lives. She was 10 years old and vividly remembers the bombing. In the end, no territory was gained from any side, the treaty signed, the borders remained as they were before. The three leaders are all now dead, she tells us, so we can't even ask what was it for?

Cavtat is the holiday destination for rich Russians in high season, you can't move, says Ivana. It is truly a beautiful spot, reminded Phil and I of Portafino in Italian Riviera and even similar to Amalfi coast, although the water wasn't a "turquoise" in colour.

Here in Cavtat at a hotel a pre-arranged "refreshments", a shortbread & jam biscuit and glass of orange juice awaited us. Very welcomed and the staff were so friendly. Then came the "line-up" for the one and only bathroom in this restaurant. What is it about visitations, there never are sufficient toilets to meet the needs of us females? The "mens" toilet, no problem, a walk-up start!

I returned to waiting Phillip some 20 minutes later and we wandered along the sea front, stopping to have a macchiato…..and great coffee it was too!

Old City

We boarded the coach to travel back toward QV, stopping for a walk around the "old city". This is a walled city, similar to our Panicale, only walls much thicker and the traders inside are many and varied. Inside these walls is very large space.

Phil and I found this fantastic seafood restaurant named "Pronto" and although we couldn't get a "street table", the English speaking waitress invited us to the upper terrace where we had a wonderful lunch, ever mindful of the time and our rendezvous with the waiting coach.

Sufficient time for glass of local white wine, I had octopus salad, Phillip fish tartar. Complimentary starter of course, local olive oil (superb) and balsamic vinegar and bread. So good, a wonderful lunch.

When we were on board the coach, the lady in front of us (NZ) said she was starving, having grabbed a slice of pizza, then tried to enter shoe shop only to be asked to leave with food. (Who wouldn't know you are not welcome to bring food into shops?)

She parcelled the pizza up in a serviette and threw it away having had only one bite…..we didn't dare tell her our wonderful lunch for fear of re-igniting the tensions between our two countries!!!! We beat the All-Blacks, didn't we?

We were back on board QV by 3pm, after first going through security check and bag scanning, id's re-scanned. This will ensure all who left the ship, do return.

We will depart 5:30pm.

Tonight is a informal attire for dinner. This means, for Phillip, jacket is required, tie optional, for the lady, Cocktail dress, stylish separates or equivalent, I think I can manage that!

We will sail through the night, docking tomorrow in Corfu (Greece).

QV has twelve decks, our stateroom is on deck 8.