In Athens we awake and go down for the free breakfast. Returning to the room, we reassembled our bags like we have done many times before. Down the elevator and out the front door. The door man hails us a taxi - the airport is about 45 minutes away - we know how to take the Metro but the train only comes every half hour so waking up early would be necessary to insure we have additional time if something goes wrong. We decide to pay the money for the extra sleep time and peace of mind.
In the airport we are again forced to check our carry-on bags due to the small size of the plane. Traveling like we have we are quick to locate the airport lounge that accepts us and we enter. This one is the worst I have seen and really doesn't have much to offer. We have a few snacks, pee in the nice bathrooms and decide to exit early. We locate our gate and find a seat. A couple from Australia is behind us and we pass the time talking about our travels. It switches from travel to the usual Trump question - so do you think he will get elected? It is a fear expressed from everyone we have talked to in Europe and other countries. The people we meet are fearful that he would have his finger on the nuclear button and also what else he would do - our president’s actions do have an effect on the rest of the world. The plane is delayed slightly but eventually we board the bus that drives us out to the tarmac. We exit the bus, enter the hot plane and find our seats. We both will miss Greece and agree with that someday we will return.
A quick two hour flight and we land in the Jewel of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik, Croatia. Croatia is out of the Schengen zone and we need five more days out. We are limited to 90 days in the Schengen countries within a six month period - otherwise you need to get a visa. We had 7 days in England, plus this 5 gives us a one day buffer. We hope their numbers match ours and we don't have any trouble toward the end of our trip. At the Dubrovnik airport, they stamp our passports and we are in. We get our bags and follow everyone out the exit looking for our name on a piece of paper. The B&B apartment we rented in Dubrovnik arranged for a car to pick us up - it is a 30 minute drive to Old Town and unless you rent a car, you need to take a taxi or arrange for a driver - the latter being less expensive. Most people disappear and we have not yet found our ride. Monique notices a woman still looking to pick-up someone. She asks her and yes, she is here to pick us up. Her sign said “The Heart of Dubrovnik“ so of course we don't make the connection. It is important to look at what is happening around you. If Monique was not paying attention, we might have missed her. She takes us to her car and ride through the very pretty countryside. They get rain here often, which is apparent because of all the green trees - unlike Greece where everything is dry. She takes us to an Old Town entrance and hands us over to Sara (her mother owns the apartment we are staying in). She takes us through Buza Gate and walks us down many, many flights of stairs which we know we will have to climb back up in 5 days - there are no cars allowed within the walls of Old Town. We negotiate our bags around all the people walking up and down and cross the main street "Plaça (Stradun) - Sara points out the two main gates, Pile and Ploce. We turn left, turn right and walk up another narrow street where it opens up into small square full of people sitting at cafe’s or taking pictures. We duck in through a green door and up a flight of steps. The stairs are dark but Sara turns on a light which creates just enough light to see the final flight of steps. She opens a door and we enter a small studio apartment. It has a small refrigerator and a two burner electric stove. It’s nice enough - not super clean, but not dirty enough to reject - plus it’s right in the thick of things. We like it - we think. She hands us the key and leaves. Unlike staying at a hotel, we feel like are on our own.
Our bags are unpacked slightly but we realize we are hungry. We walk out, see the four restaurants right outside our door, review menus, scan people's plates then pick one. While waiting for our food, we talk to a couple and their son who happen to be from Chicago - it really is a small world. Our food comes and it is pretty good - we will find better with more time to explore but it does the job. We are told there is a grocery store close-by, it is in the same square so we find it right away. We now have a small kitchen so we buy food to make an American style breakfast - no more ham and cheese sandwiches for a while - yes! When we cross the square, rain drops begin to fall. The woman who drove us said it may rain a little tonight - she was right. We don't care because we are taking the night off of site-seeing. We want to post two more days on the blog and Monique has some work to do for one of her clients. Our plan is to do laundry in the morning - we are starting to stink - not really, but we want clean clothes again. With five days here we can slow down a bit.
Our plane from Athens to Dubrovnik. It’s about a two hour flight and the weather looks great for flying.
There are no cars allowed inside Dubrovnik’s Old Town. It is a walled city that has been frozen in time. This is Buza Gate where we entered the city.
As you get closer to the wall, you get a peek at the orange tiled roofs of the old city.
It’s a long way down carrying your bags. Going back up will be even longer I think.
The door to our apartment. Our door opens up to a square, many restaurants and a busy pedestrian walkway. We are right in the thick of it - awesome!