Morning Walk
Our final day before flying out in the morning. Since we weren’t meeting Ella and Dražen until 11:15am, we made an early morning trek into Old Town. We were able to get good photos of the Jesuit Steps (which were very packed when we were on our walking tour). We also found a street market, got some pastries and coffee, and bought some Nutella and strawberry jam to go with some toaster waffles (evidently they don’t do maple syrup here…)
Mount Srd
All of us except dad and Hugh took the cable car to the top of Mt. Srd. The views were amazing! It was very windy at the top, so we ducked into the (very busy) restaurant for more coffee while we waited for the van to arrive. Ella and Dražen picked up dad and Hugh before driving to the top of the mountain.
The drive back down was harrowing! It’s a one-lane road with two-way traffic. Several times we passed (slowly) about 2cm from cars heading up. At one point there was a logjam. Nobody moved for several minutes (although there was plenty of shouting amongst the drivers). Finally, Ella got out and took charge. She yelled at the Volkswagen that was causing the jam, and they finally moved a couple feet to the side so that those of us going down could get by.
Here are a couple short videos of the ride up the cable car:
Traditional Peka Meal
We then drove to the small village of Gromača for a home-cooked traditional peka meal at Agroturizam Laptalo. Peka is a traditional Croatian dish slow cooked for several hours. Meat (in this case, veal and lamb), potatoes, and carrots are placed in a pan in a wood-fired oven. A bell-shaped lid is placed on top then covered with hot coals.
When we arrived, the hostess showed us around the property. They have a large garden and grow everything they use, not only for peka, but for the various liqueurs they make. She showed us the peka cooking away on the stove, then took us to the cellar to taste several liqueurs: plain brandy (grappa), pomegranate, walnut, lemoncello, cherry, and rose. The grappa was the base for all the liqueurs, and is made from the grape skins used to make wine. We bought a bottle of cherry liqueur.
We then headed outside where a small fire was going and given bay branches with bacon skewered on the branches, which we cooked over the fire. They gave us warm fresh bread to eat with the bacon.
We then headed into the dining room where they brought out more warm bread, prosciutto (which they made themselves), cheese, and olives (from their trees). They also gave us a bottle of homemade wine. Finally, it was time for the peka! Wow, it was so good! The meat just fell off the bones, and the potatoes and carrots were soaked in the meat juices. We were so stuffed by the time we finished.
Here’s a short video of the chef checking on the peka:
Trsteno Arboretum
We somehow waddled back to the van and headed for the Trsteno Arboretum, which has been around since the 1400’s. It’s a beautiful place with great views and a koi pond that features a Neptune fountain.
The Arboretum was used as the Red Keep gardens in Game of Thrones, and several scenes were filmed in various locations. (More to come in a separate Game of Thrones post.)
We also saw a 500 year old sycamore tree before heading back to Dubrovnik.
Final Evening in Dubrovnik – and TWO Traditional Croatian Weddings
Bonus: Star Wars
Old Town Dubrovnik was used for Canto Bight in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Here’s an example of how they turned the shops on the main street into parts of Canto Bight.
After we returned to the apartment and rested a bit, we made a final trek into Old Town. The sunset was amazing. We got gelato at a different spot: Peppino’s Gelato Garden. They have a sign outside that claims “Best Gelato in Dubrovnik”, so we had steered clear until now because such signs are usually the sign of a tourist trap. Turns out that wasn’t the case! It really was the best gelato.
As we wandered around Old Town, we saw two traditional Croatian weddings. The entire wedding, guests and all, parade through the town, accompanied by musicians, and lots of singing and dancing. It’s quite the spectacle.
Here’s the first wedding we encountered:
And here’s the second wedding:
This was quite a trip. Croatia was wonderful, and we can’t wait to go back!
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