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SandraT

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  1. Croatia Trip Report - 2006 We recently returned from a great trip to Croatia (June 30 – July 10). Our goal for this trip was to relax, and to enjoy some good food. We weren’t so concerned with seeing all of the sights, and we didn’t try to stick to a budget. We certainly could have seen more and spent less…but we’re very happy with the way things worked out. June 30 – Depart London Gatwick on Croatia Airlines 6:30 PM Depart – Arrived late - 11 PM We arranged for a car from the hotel to pick us up (20 Euros). I know this was much more expensive than taking a taxi, which would have been just as easy, but it was nice to have someone meet us and whisk us away in air conditioning (it was hot that day). I think we’d take a taxi the next time. Villa Dubrovnik was fantastic! Our room wasn’t very large, but it was clean and comfortable. The common rooms screamed ‘lounge here’, and the views of Dubrovnik and the sea were beautiful. The staff was always ready to assist. Oh, and the Air Conditioning was a gift! I like that this is a small hotel (40 rooms). As a side note, we heard that there will be a major renovation this year (Oct.), so I expect the hotel will only get better. July 1 – Dubrovnik Explored, relaxed – it was a super hot day. There were two cruise ships in the harbor, so the town was a bit crowded. We tried to schedule our time in Dubrovnik either early or later in the day so that we would miss the crowds. Lunch - Buffet Kamenice on Gunduliceva poljana – 178 kuna Mixed green salad and Seafood Risotto Good solid food, in a convenient location. Dinner – Konoba Pjatanca – Kobcepska 2 - 200 kuna Mixed green salad Grilled Squid Scampi We didn’t feel like venturing too far from the hotel, and this place was right down the road. The scampi was fantastic, sweet and tasty. The grilled squid was also nicely done. The owner poured us some of his homemade brandy, which almost left me without a throat. J I know, I’m just not an experienced brandy drinker. July 2 – Dubrovnik Walked the city walls, relaxed, swam. Two smaller cruise ships in the harbor. Dinner – Ekvinocijo – 321 kuna Mixed Salad Stuffed Squid (with prust and cheese) – great, unusual taste Dalmatian fish three ways – huge platter of fish – Orada, Dentist, Scorpion fish This was a really nice meal. The restaurant was off the main drag, so it had a bit of an exclusive feel (not fancy though). The owners / people who worked there seemed very proud of their offerings. The fish platter was good, but it was a bit much – fish, fish, and more fish. July 3 – Dubrovnik Walked, drank espresso, ate gelato (a daily occurrence), swam, bought a painting. Dinner – Sesame – 203 kuna I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this place. The food was just OK, and the prices were higher than other places. Oh, and this was the first place to give us the tear-open hand towels, as opposed to the dish with warm water and lemon. J Mixed Salad with cheese and prust Shrimp soup Sesame risotto (shellfish and fish) Mussels grandmother’s style (cold with white wine sauce) July 4 – Dubrovnik – Mali Ston - Brela Gulliver rent a car (our hotel arranged for the rental the night before) delivered a car to our hotel at noon. 460 Kuna + 200 K for dropping off in Split. Drove to Mali Ston. We almost decided to keep driving by, but changed our mind and stopped. I am so glad we did. This is a cute little town. Kapetoanova Kuca – 232 kuna Oyster soup Mixed salad Mixed Shellfish platter Espresso x 2 We really enjoyed this meal. Continued our drive up the coast. Stopped in Bratus, which is a small beach town. There were lots of vacationing families. No hotels, but there were Sobes and apartments. Decided to keep driving to Brela. This is a neat little town. Stopped at the Hotel Soline and found a room. The hotel was recently remodeled and we got a huge, very modern room for 918 Kuna. Dinner - Feral – 192 Kuna – One of the best meals we ate in Croatia! Tomato and young cheese Pasta with clam strips – the pasta was homemade and unlike anything I have ever eaten!! Grilled squid Pancakes with chocolate I think we’d go back to Croatia just to eat here! July 5 – Brela – Split – Vis/Komiza We took a morning swim in Brela before checking out and making our way to Split. Returning the car was a nightmare, as we couldn’t find the drop-off point. Thankfully we gave ourselves plenty of time before the ferry departure. Bought tickets for the ferry to Vis – 82 Kuna each. The ferry was about 2 ½ hours and a nice ride. We spent part of the time upstairs on the deck, and the other part drinking espresso below. When we arrived in Vis the bus was waiting to transport people to Komiza. It was a very easy transition. Tickets were 20 kuna and the ride was about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, I made reservations at Hotel Bisevo – 572 Kuna. We’re easy-going travelers, but I have to say that we were not happy with this hotel. It was clean, but the rooms were hot, and the hotel seemed to be full of kids attending a summer camp at the hotel? The restaurant/bar below the hotel was also active all night. Anyway, we checked in to the hotel, and promptly went to a tourist office (Darlic and Darlic) to find private accommodation for the next night. Dinner – Konoba Bako (www.konobabako.hr)– 300 Kuna Salads Octopus in red wine Grilled Orada The setting for this restaurant couldn’t be better, right on the water with fantastic views of the town. The fish was so fresh it wasn’t even cleaned yet. Once we picked our fish, we watched the ‘cleaner guy’ walk over to the cleaning podium right behind us. July 6 – Komiza (Island of Vis) Lazy, lazy, lazy…Checked in to our new accommodation. We got an efficiency apartment next door to the owner of Darlic and Darlic. The room was large and airy, with a balcony overlooking the harbor. We were close to the main old town street, but far away enough not to hear everyone walking at night. AC, SAT TV, kitchenette. Spent ½ the day in a café drinking espresso, and the other half swimming. We bought cheese and meat from a store for lunch, and had a slice of pizza for dinner. It was a great day. July 7 – Komiza More lounging. Lunch at one of the restaurants on the harbor (sorry, I can’t remember the name). Pan fried fish, scampi and truffle risotto. Good, solid meal. The truffle taste was amazing! 190 Kuna Dinner – Konoba Jasmina – 300 kuna Pag cheese and prust Grilled fish platter with everything you can imagine coming from the sea We really liked this place. It is on a roof terrace with a great view and food was great. The owner and waitress were also very friendly. July 8 – Komiza Dinner – Jastozera - 745 kuna!!! Salad Lobster with spaghetti This was a disappointing meal. The spaghetti sauce was a bit sweet, and eating the lobster was very messy (we should have known). There was nothing special about this meal, which was a shame, given the price. The atmosphere was nice though. Seating is over the water where the lobsters are kept in giant baskets, but the food just wasn’t that great. Maybe it was because we ordered lobster; perhaps we should have stayed with grilled fish. I think next time we would go back to Jasmina or Bako instead. July 9 – Komiza – Split – Trogir Checked out of our room and took the 10:45 bus to Vis. This gave us about 20 minutes to get our ferry tickets and board. The ride to split was uneventful and we enjoyed another sunny day on deck. Once in Split we walked to the bus depot and purchased a ticket to Trogir - 14 kuna. The next bus wasn’t leaving for 30 minutes, so we went to one of the food stands to buy something to eat. We got a huge sour cream, mushroom, cheese, and ham filled crepe. Yum! The bus to Trogir was a short ride. We had already booked an apartment through a reservation with Hotel Pasike. The hotel was booked, but they referred us to a newly renovated apartment right behind the Hotel Concordia. The apartment was fairly large and clean, the AC worked well, SAT TV, and kitchen. Breakfast was included at the Hotel Pasike. Oh, transport to the airport the next day was also included! 550 kuna. Apartmani Pomenic. Dinner – Hotel Pasike – 190 kuna This was the night of the final World Cup game, and the obligatory flat screen TV was mounted on the wall. We ate dinner and stayed for the game, which was fun. Salad Seafood Risotto Stuffed squid in black sauce with polenta This was a great meal. Menu items were standard, with a few interesting twists. July 10 – Trogir – Airport The hotel driver picked us up and delivered us to the airport. Quick ride. ----------------------------------------------------------------- So, we had a great trip. We came home well rested and about five pounds heavier. Here are some misc. notes: · Food prices listed above are approximate. We shared meals many times. Sometimes we had a glass of wine, sometimes not. We always had mineral water. · We used the Cadogan Croatia travel guide, and were very happy with it. · When staying at an apartment, it is best to ask if they provide towels – both for the bath and for the beach. We ended up buying beach towels. · Sand shoes would be nice since the beaches are so rocky. We did without, but it probably would have been nice to have. · We managed to find ATMs everywhere we went. · We didn’t really see anything that we felt compelled to buy. I think the best bet would be olive oil, and homemade wine or brandy. · We wanted to avoid the crowds, which is why we chose Vis as our island destination. Komiza was a great little village, and we would be very happy to go back!
  2. My husband and I will be spending 10 days in Croatia at the beginning of July. Our plan is to stay in Dubrovnik for 3 days and then head to one of the islands. We'd like to find a place that is more secluded, low-key. We would like to be near a beach / place to swim and have access to good restaurants. Other than that we don't care about nightlife...just relaxation. I tried Hotel Skalinda on Hvar, but it is booked. Just sent a message to Palmizana, so we'll see what they see. Any other suggestions? Also, I need a Dubrovnik hotel suggestion as well. Thanks.
  3. Recently returned from a Christmas trip to Hong Kong. A local we met while sharing a table at Yung Kee recommended Maxims in City Hall for dim sum. We really enjoyed it..huge selection, great view. Get there early though as there will be a wait (weekends only).
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