Dubrovnik Day 1

Well this was the trip from hell. I won't into every detail, but apparently the merger with American and US Air isn't quite as seamless as I would have hoped, and their codeshare with British air as well. I have a wedding to go to in August in Copenhagen and will definitely reconsider..

1. I was booked flying into Heathrow airport in London and out of Gatwick (a fatal car accident and weather *tried* to stop me from reaching my destination, but thankfully didn't. I did book a driver to take me at some cost, but was unsure if the three hour time allotment was enough.)
2. I had to change terminals and check into a new airline in Boston, with a one-hour layover. I ran a good bit, jumped more than 20 people in the line and JUST made it.
3. I bought a seat reservation on the trans-atlantic flight, and didn't get what I booked

There were some other minor things too-- I'm just grateful I made it and that I have all of my dark brown locks mostly intact.

Michael arrived just before I did, but it didn't take long for me to get through this tiny airport. We took a shuttle to the Pile Gate (pronounced Pih-leh) part of the wall surrounding Dubrovnik, and called Alberto, whom we rented the apartment from. He met us promptly and walked us through the maze of Dubrovnik. It was a good thing! We walked down the Stradun, or the main road and wove our way through the maze to the apartment.

There are no/few hotels in Dubrovnik, and most people rent apartments when they are here. This apartment is GREAT! It's a two bedroom , has a lovely little private balcony with a view, a full kitchen and is newly renovated. He did a nice job of it too.

Alberto got us settled then showed us around the city. He gave us some suggestions of restaurants and places to go see while we're in town. We walked by the Cathedral, meandered to a place on the cliff just next to the outside of the wall where a bar is located with the best views of the city. We then stopped at an outside bar and Alberto bought us some drinks and we got to know each other. He is married with two young kids and seems like a really nice man.

We then decided to go to dinner where Alberto recommended at Kopun, minutes from our apartment. It was really good and we got seafood dishes that we really enjoyed. The weather is nicer than expected-- no rain while we were here, and crisp but beautiful.

Tomorrow we'll explore Dubrovnik as I'll be working through my jet lag. :) After 1 hour of sleep in over 24 hours, a light day will be nice. Alberto is going to help us set up some activities which will be great.

This city is stunning. The buildings and wall are of a very similar light tan stone. There is a high wall surrounding the city that can be walked and a place on the hills outside the city that you can go to for gorgeous views. I'm looking forward to exploring. It almost feels italian-- a mix of Venice with the windy mazy of streets and the italian countryside where the cyprus trees line the area. Lots of tile roofs.. gorgeous city!

Have a great day!! Time for bed on the other side of the world!
s