Vannah in Dubrovnik
On January 4th, we arrived in Dubrovnik, a jewel off the Dalmatian coast, about two and a half hours south of Split. The city’s Old Town, a fortress of stone perched between the mountains and the sea, is wrapped in thick medieval walls that have stood defiant since the 16th century. You might know it better as King’s Landing from Game of Thrones, but Dubrovnik doesn’t need Hollywood to be legendary. With its Renaissance churches, Baroque palaces, and maze of alleys paved with polished limestone, it feels like stepping back into medieval Europe. No wonder UNESCO slapped its seal on the place back in 1979… which seems to the the theme of our past year.
Our apartment has the best view yet. It has 2 patios, one off the living room and the other off the bedroom so we wake up to the sunrise over Old Town. Below is a shot of sunset, taken at 4:15pm from our bedroom patio. When night falls, the sky becomes a canvas of twinkling stars—a picture that’s harder to capture, but I’ll keep at it.
Unfortunately, the city is 99% closed for Winter. But the good news is, Vannah has all of Banje Beach to herself. Every morning, we walk 5 minutes down the mountain from our apartment, and then 250 stairs to the bottom. Not as fun on the way back up. Vannah chases the birds, and runs from the waves. So far, most days are a little overcast, windy, about 50 degrees F with dramatic clouds and waves. All the makings for a moody fashion shoot, so I’m trying to recruit models (or friends from Split) to participate.
Last weekend, we took a walk on the wall surrounding Old Town. These medieval walls date back to the 13th to 16th centuries, originally built to protect Dubrovnik from invaders. It takes an hour and a half to walk the perimeter (it’s a very small town) and the views are incredible. Vannah concurs.
We do walk through the alleys of Old Town several times a week, stopping for coffee (there are maybe 3 cafes still open), buying from the farmers stand, and naturally, take photos. As for restaurants, we found a small bar that sells burgers, salads, and tacos… except during the off-season. Burgers only. The taste is not for me. Mike says “It’s ok, but American is better.” We’ve come to the conclusion that there’s just something about an American burger, chock full of hormones and chemicals no doubt, a taste you cannot find here. HA! So, unless we go to a Konoba outside of the old town walls, which we haven’t done yet in Dubrovnik, I cook every meal. Pork reigns high here, so you eat a lot of it, whether you want to or not. Dubrovnik is much smaller than Split, and we miss the endless array of farmers, butchers, cheesemongers, and fish vendors we had there. But hey—no aperitivo in Italy, no Ćevapi, chips, and beers on a boat in Split. Instead, we’re racking up steps, climbing stairs, and eating light. Not a bad way to kick off January, and it’ll probably help prep us for the final leg: skiing the Swiss Alps.
Stay tuned for more on winter in Dubrovnik, and what lies ahead as Vannah continues to live her best life in Europe.
A fisherman throws out traps at sunset. Unlike cheeseburgers, you just don’t get these views back in the A.