“Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.”– Tyrion (Game of Thrones)

Now, I’ve never seen this show, but I do like this quote and it is relevant. Why is it relevant might you ask? Well, because as those of you who watch Game of Thrones might know, it’s filmed in Dubrovnik, which is our port city for Croatia.

This stop was absolutely magnificent. The Balkan region countries are beyond gorgeous and have amazing architecture throughout the city. There is so much history, although now it sometimes does get over looked by the hit tv show.

Anyway, here’s a brief synopsis about my time in Croatia.

Day 1- We got into port around 0630, which was about an hour early, so Early-Risers club didn’t happen because we missed pulling into port. I ended up going back to bed for a couple hours and I wasn’t getting off the ship with everyone right away because I had a field program I was leaving for around 1030.

For my field program we went to an olive farm and got to see how olive oil is made and then we got a fresh farm hosted lunch. It was some of the freshest food I’ve had the entire trip and everything was delicious. Plus we were outside the city, so the views of the ocean in the distance were incredible.

We got back to the ship around 1500 and I just relaxed while I waited for my group to get back before we went to dinner. We ended up going out around 2030 and found a restaurant with outside seating and I had an amazing chicken ciabatta sandwich.

I had to be back on the ship by 2359 because I had a field class the next day so I, along with my roommate, Haleigh, and two friends, Campbell and Fitz, separated from the rest of the group and went to an Irish pub, where luckily enough, the Packers game was on for a bit so I was able to watch. I was getting super into the game and a couple from the next table asked where we were from and guessed that one of us was from Wisconsin. They were from Calgary, Canada and we ended up talking to them for awhile before two British guys sat down across from us and started talking with us as well. One of the best parts of this experience is being able to talk to people from not only all over the country, but also all over the world.

We ended up staying there a little too late and only had about 15 minutes to get back to the ship so we ran to a taxi, hopped in quick, and from the port entrance, we ended up running and making it with only a few minutes to spare. After that, we were all super tired and ready to call it night.

Day 2- I had a field class for my International Relations course in Dubrovnik. We started off our day by going to a local university and listening to a lecture about the Balkan region for about 30 minutes. After that, since we were with the tourism class, we went to a talk by the mayor about how they’ve managed cruise ships and how they try to balance their city’s history and Game of Thrones, which had a lot of tour options.

Once we were done there, it was time for lunch, which was a buffet style meal at a restaurant on the water. We were there for a solid two hours at least before getting a bit of a short walking tour. After that, we went to the Yugoslavia War museum, which was really interesting, but we were only there for about 20 minutes so we weren’t actually able to look around. Then it was time to go back to the ship and that was the end of our course.

Now, like most field classes, we had to write a paper that related to the field class. Unfortunately, ours was on the war and we didn’t focus much on that during the the field class so writing that paper was insanely difficult.

Anyway, after getting back on the ship, I met up with my group again to go out for gelato and to hang out for a bit before our early morning the next day. What was supposed to be an early night, turned into getting back around 0300 because we ran into other people and just hung out. Eventually, we got back and went straight to bed.

Day 3- See Montenegro post.

Day 4- See Montenegro post for beginning of day. We got back in the late afternoon, early evening so we hung out for awhile before we headed out for our last night in Dubrovnik. We ran into a few different groups so that was fun. We hit up a few different places before calling it a night around 0400.

Day 5- After sleeping in, I had a relaxing day in port just walking around in a less tourist dominated area of Dubrovnik. I was with just one friend and we grabbed coffee at a small shop before heading closer to the water. On a small street of restaurants, we grabbed some quick food before we walked to the coast line. We just wandered along the water for awhile before stopping one more time for coffee and just relaxing taking in the last few minutes of the beauty which is Croatia. Once we were finished, we headed back to the ship so we would be on time.

This was a perfect way to enjoy the culture and the port for the last day. It was so laid back, kind of like the country itself, and we were truly able to soak up the reality we were in.

I thoroughly enjoyed this port. I found it to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I would definitely go back without hesitation. The people were very friendly, the food was excellent and everything about it was wonderful.

Now, I know I am really talking this up and it is not to say it is better than any other place; however I just happened to have a great experience there, which other people in different circumstances may not have. I would recommend everyone to at least go to this region of the world. I feel as though these countries are not as commonly visited as the typical Western European ones, but it is definitely worth the time! Coming up: Africa! Catch me in Morocco for my next post!

With Bated Breath, Abby Lynn

P.S. – If anyone is interested, a song I have constantly been listening to is Crazy Beautiful Life by Scott Chesak & Thomas Hien.