Old town Dubrovnik. It’s small! It’s very white. And in late
September, it’s still packed with tourists—mostly from the many cruise ships
that dock there daily. Some of the greatest photos and views can be seen by
walking on the city walls. There are little nooks that offer great views of Lokrum Island, the city roofs (you can
tell the old tiled roofs from the newer ones) If there are three things you can
count on in Old Town it’s hanging laundry, cats, tourists...oh and gelato. Yes,
that’s four things.
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| View of Lokrum Island from the City Walls |
After walking around the city walls in 89+ degrees in gray
sweatpants and a peach colored tank that Anja bought for me at the Zurich
airport, I needed a beer…and was craving pizza. (I know, I don’t eat cheese.
But I was craving cheeseless pizza) Wi-Fi is everywhere, but you need to ask for
a password and Pizzeria Mirkul was
no exception. This was the first and only time I was successfully able to order
pizza with no cheese…on the first try.
The previous night we chatted up a local—an ex-footballer. When asked for recommendations, he suggested a bar called “Buza.” Apparently, it means “hole.” It’s a bar (literally a long table), accessible through a narrow passage way outside the city walls, amongst the rocks. Mario—the waiter back at the castle (Hotel Kazbek is indeed a castle) told us to stay clear of this “Buza”. He informed us, it’s over-priced, and there are no toilets. He was correct—on both accounts. But the scene was picturesque and straight out of a Hollywood movie.
Always hoping for a “local moment”—we stumbled upon a winery on the way back to the castle. Lekri Winery (a play on the winemakers last name: Krile) was just bringing in their white grapes for their first year of production. The wine-maker, who spoke nearly perfect English (side note—everyone here speaks great English. It’s uncanny) invited us in to his shop. Now, his shop was a garage-like atmosphere, with a bar, a few shelves of local liquors (yes, inclusing the carob liquor). In the back they were unloading a cart of whote grapes into a large tub. We sampled his wine, and became FaceBook Friends #28. Apparently, his wine is quite similar to Grgh Hills wine. Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in Puglia (the "heel" of Italy), where it was introduced in the 18th century. The grape found its way to the United States in the mid-19th century, and became known by variations of the name "Zinfandel", a name of uncertain origin.
My luggage arrived! I am so excited to shower and put on fresh clothes! I’m equally sure Erik and Anja are happy to not hear about my suitcase. Continuing with a “local evening”, we walked down the street to the marina to the Mario recommended, Orsan restaurant. The fish dishes here are amazing, and paired with the local wines and an amazing setting…it was the perfect way to end the evening. Every table is waterfront, and the quite marina is a pleasant escape from the craziness of the Old Town.
