Croatia - Dubrovnik Day 1

This is perhaps our last big family vacation before Lily heads to college in August at the University of Notre Dame. Lily has often said that our family trip to Greece a few years back was one of her favorites, so in honor of her love of that region of the world, we decided to head to the Adriatic Sea and spend some time in Croatia and Montenegro. This also marks our shortest family vacation, spending just over 2-weeks enjoying these beautiful countries and soaking up some family time.

We arrived in Dubrovnik last weekend and spent our first night inside the walls of the "Old Town". We broke our own self-imposed rules and began our stay with a 3-hour rest period. With 4/5 of us seated in middle seats, we were tired!

The street/alley of our apartment

The view from my window

My and Corey's apartment - the kids were in their own

After resting, and the difficult struggle against the time zone, we headed to one of the restaurants recommended by our taxi driver Anna. It did not disappoint! The food was great, especially the tuna tartare. But what will mark this meal in my mind as one of the best on the trips was the conversation and laughter, helped by sharing a bottle of wine. Oh - and Lily's gelato business idea that combines a Hooter's concept with a gelataria. While names are still being workshopped, some of the favorites include "Double-Ds" (double dips)... 

Strolling to our late lunch

After eating what was meant to be a "light lunch" so that we'd be hungry for dinner, we were stuffed! Yet being Angst's, we sought out gelato :) And strolled around the beautiful Old Town marveling at the beautiful churches and quaint alleys. 

Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is referred to as the "Pearl of the Adriatic". The medieval city began in 614 by a group of refugees from Epidaurus (present day Cavtat). The city contains beautiful churches, monasteries and palaces in the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. The city has survived despite a devastating earthquake in 1667 which reportedly claimed over 4,000 lives, and the armed conflict in the 1990's in the former Yugoslavia during the Croatian War of Independence where the city was heavily shelled. 

The city held one of the world's first pharmacies (1319 by the Franciscan Monastery), abolished slavery in 1416, making it the first in the world to do so, and was a regular filming site for Game of Thrones, serving as King's Landing, Cersei's Walk of Shame, and the Battle of Blackwater Bay.  

This one is not my photo, but gives a great sense of how the city is perched on the cliffside (source: https://www.completelycroatia.co.uk/blog/fascinating-facts-about-dubrovnik)

The Church of St. Joseph, built on the site of the St. James Church one year after it was destroyed in the earthquake in 1667.

Saint Blaise Church in 1715

Church of St. Nicholas, built in 1727

Cathedral of the Assumption was built between 1672 and 1713

Onofrio's Large Fountain, built in 1438

This gargoyle is on the front of the Franciscan Monastery, where according to legend, if you can stand on top of it facing the wall long enough to remove your shirt you will forever be lucky in love. Oh well.

Later in the evening, again keeping with Angst tradition, we had our second gelato in place of dinner :)

Written by WA