Above: Like a bright orange seastar, Old Town Dubrovnik, which (Fun Fact!) English poet Lord Byron described as the "Pearl of the Adriatic".
Let us Sleep. Hotel Korsal, Korčula (2 nights)
Let us Savor.
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FUN FACT! The waterfront of Croatia is known as the Dalmatian Coast. You may think it's named after the breed of dogs, Dalmatians, but actually, the reverse is true! The region has been known as Dalmatia since Imperial Roman times. The dog's origins are in fact Croatian, but much later. There are illustrations of the breed dating back to the 17th century. |
TOUR DAY 11: ISLAND RELAXATION (AKA: Vacation from our Vacation) |
Steps: 16,418
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TOUR DAY 12: RURAL DALMATIA AND THE PEARL OF THE ADRIATIC |
Steps: 11,855
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Let us Sleep. Hotel Lero, Dubrovnik (3 nights)
Let us Savor.
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Best Back2Back Travel Tips: More than once we have been overcharged by a taxi driver taking us to our hotel, so now we always arrange that transfer ahead of time. Rick Steves is good about recommending options like the GoOpti van we used in Ljubljana. We also always arrive a day or two early. That way, you get to catch up on the sleep lost during that cross-Atlantic flight, get your bearings around the area of the hotel (it’s nice to find a market for water and snacks, check out local restaurants for dinners before you eat there, and cafes for people watching), and maybe check out options for city tours. We are increasingly either adding two tours together or arranging our own add-on days to a tour. In Croatia after the tour, we spent 3 days on Sipan Island just walking, swimming, eating, and drinking the really good local Plavac Mali wine. In Croatia, the desk staff arranged our taxis to the ferry dock, both the day before we left to purchase ferry tickets and on the morning we ferried to Sipan, and the taxi drivers were both really helpful with suggestions for the trip to the island. Next Big Travel Adventure: We will do Best of Portugal in 12 Days next spring with Dave and Linda (who they met on this tour!) and add on Morocco. |
SAY "ZDRAVO" TO GARY AND MARGARET!
Gary and Margaret hail from Canada and are curious travelers who love to learn and have had good experiences with other tour operators. This was their first Rick Steves Tour! What we love about Rick Steves Tours: What we look for in a tour company is local flavor and experiences and Rick Steves certainly provided that and then some! The special meals, the winery visits, the museums, the local tours (Mostar and Dubrovnik stand out for me) and the orientation walks provided by Barbara were all better than I’ve experienced with other companies. I particularly liked the tour provided by Roberto in Dubrovnik when he showed us the ancient graffiti, the medieval hospital, and explained the arrangement of shop doors and windows dating back to Venetian times. Favorite Tour Moment: It is hard to choose just one! What sticks out for me was the morning Ross sat down at the piano in Plitvice, started playing and then Scott started to sing along, and really, well. How often does that happen on a tour? In truth, what I liked most were the people we travelled with. We always meet one or two people we get along with on a tour, but this whole group were wonderful. I don’t know if that was just luck or the result of some sort of Rick Steves secret ingredient, but we sure enjoyed the whole group. Margie says part of that is the buddy system, which at first seemed hokey but later became amusing and a way to increase interactions. A snippet of one of Gary's favorite tour moments - the
spontaneous magic that happens when great people travel together. Dr. Ross on the piano, Scott on vocals! Breakfast at Plitvice. |
TOUR DAY 13: DAZZLING DUBROVNIK |
Steps: 10,732
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BACK2BACK: DUBROVNIK INTERMEZZO
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BACK2BACK BONUS TIP!
Allow at least one day between tours to regroup, do laundry and rest up. We allotted two - an extra day in Dubrovnik and a travel day to get to Türkiye. |
Steps: 13,588
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