Dubrovnik: Thursday 18th May

Today we took the ferry over to Lokrum Island, which is a nature reserve on an island about 15 mins from Dubrovnik. We first walked over to the derelict monastery which was huge but in quite bad repair. In part of the monestary there was a Game of Thrones museum and it had a replica of the Iron Throne.

We then decided to walk to the fort which was in the middle of the island on top of a hill - it was probably not one of our best ideas to do this walk in the mid day sun with no water but it was thankfully worth it for the views when we got to the top.

The island did seem to be over run by huge rabbits - I have never seen such big bunnies! And there were also lots of peacocks and peahens making quite a lot of noise!

In the evening after dinner we went for one last stroll around the old city - it is very surprising how busy it still is at 10pm but it had a nice atmosphere and the weather was still nice and warm.

We have really enjoyed our time in Dubrovnik - it is a lovely city and the holiday has been a good mixture of things to do and relaxing time. There is also lots to do in the the evening with lots of restaurants, bars and pubs.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Dubrovnik: Wednesday 17th May

Today was quite eventful but not in the way we had planned! We had booked a boat tour of the Elaphite Islands and we were told to go to a certain place to get picked up - we waited and when no one showed up 10 mins after the pick up time we called and they said that the bus was stuck in traffic....we waited a bit longer and then got another call from them to check that we were on the coach.....eh no we are still waiting! Peter said there was major panic at the other end of the phone and it turned out that our booking never reached them! The manager came to pick us up in his car, apologising profusely and in a bit of a state, and took us down to the harbour so that we could get a ferry to the first of the 3 islands to meet our boat! I asked them to give us a discount due to the shambles and they gave us a 50% discount!

Because of this, we missed the first of the 3 islands but we enjoyed our time on the other two which were very pretty.

Island of Sapan

Island of Lopud

We were very lucky with the weather - it started out a bit cloudy first thing but the sun came out once we had reached the 2nd island and was lovely and warm for the rest of the day.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Dubrovnik: Tuesday 16th May

Today we spent time wandering around the streets of the old City - we had a look around the old buildings and churches in the town, as well as another Monastery.

In the afternoon we did a self guided walk of the quieter part of the old town, away from the hubbub of the other tourists and where many locals live. It was lovely and peaceful and we saw very few tourists!

It was a hot day so we had a well deserved ice cream at the end of the day!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Dubrovnik: Monday 15th May

Today we got up early so we could do the Old City walls walk - it is best to do it first thing as it is both quieter and cooler, although the sun was still beating down on us even though it was early! It is a 2km walk along the top of the walls but it is a lot of steps to climb! We really enjoyed the walk and it gives you a great view all around the city.

We then stopped by the Franciscan Monastery to have a look round.

In the afternoon we did a Game of Thrones Walking Tour - Peter is more of a fan than I am but it was very interesting to see the different places where they filmed in Dubrovnik but it was a lot of walking and a lot of steps!

In the evening we went to a restaurant the serves Bosnian food - we shared a dish called the Genesis Khan which is lots of different meats - it was very nice but we were stuffed at the end of the dinner.

We felt like a nightcap after dinner so we went to a square that had a number of bars that we had spotted during our walking tour - we sat down at one of the tables to order a drink but soon changed our minds when we saw the prices - it was over £15 for a cocktail! We have found Dubrovnik to be one of the most expensive places we have been too but we were not paying that! We found another bar that had cocktails for half the price.

We have done a lot of walking today - according to my Fitbit we have done over 16,000 steps and it feels like it!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Dubrovnik: Sunday 14th May

After a leisurely morning, we left the apartment and walked through the old town to get to the cable car to take us Mount Srdj. On the way there we stopped at one of the squares where they were doing traditional dancing.

The scenery on our walk to the cable car was lovely, especially as we walked past the old port.

We had to walk up a number of steps to get to the cable car and we were knackered when we got there! The journey up was only about 4 minutes but it was definitely worth it for the view!

We walked around at the top of the mountain taking in all the views, and the decided to have lunch at the restaurant there - after a short wait we were taken to our table and couldn't believe our luck that we managed to get one of the tables right on the edge!

It was a lovely lunch but quite breezy so I was glad I had brought my fleece with me!

After lunch we walked over to the Museum of the Croatian war - it was very interesting to learn more about the war, which only happened 25 years ago, and to see the many photos of war-torn Dubrovnik.

In the evening we went out for a drink at the harbour, and then on to a little restaurant down one of the sidestreets where I had a delicous fish stew (Peter had a bit of food envy!).

 

Posted with Blogsy

Dubrovnik: Saturday 13th May

Today we flew in to Dubrovnik - it is our first time in Croatia! We are staying in an apartment in the old city. Bizarrely to get in to the apartment we have to walk through a jewellery shop where there are a set of stairs at the back leading to a number of apartments.

The apartment is very stylish with a lovely big balcony - it is two flights up but you can still hear some street noise, especially as there is a pub close by!

Once we had unpacked, we went out to look around the town. We first stopped at the little harbour which is really pretty and sat on a bench eating ice cream whilst taking in the views!

We then walked round to a little bar which is right on the cliffs looking out to sea. It was a really lovely spot and was very popular but they knew they had a captive audience because it was very expensive!

In the evening we went out for a dinner and sat outside - it was a lovely restaurant just outside a church. The food was pretty good but I think we enjoyed the atmosphere more!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Thursday 23rd February 2017

Today is our last full day in Cambodia as we are flying back to London tomorrow afternoon. We visited the Royal Palace which is a complex of buildings which serves as the royal residence of the king of Cambodia. It was very nice to see all the different buildings but it was very busy!

After our visit we went for a walk around the streets of Phnom Penh, along the waterfront (which was a bit run down), stopping st Pagodas and looking in the shops. The streets were really busy and bustley and we were asked if we wanted a tuk tuk constantly!

Very busy street!

It has been very humid today, and as I was still feeling unwell from my cold, we decided to go back to the hotel to relax after lunch.

 

Posted with Blogsy