Last day in Croatia

We had the choice of a 5-mile hike to a spot 1000 ft. above Dubrovnik for a view or a couple of hours of kayaking. We went for variety. Our tandem watercraft experience hasn’t been good – Lake Dillon and the Snake River – so we were going to do singles. None were available, but the tandem worked out OK this time – no significant disagreement about paddling techniques or steering methods! The views of the fortified old town and the harbor were great. We even saw some crazy tourists jumping from cliffs.

Before dinner we had a guided tour of the old town. We learned that St. Nicholas is “father Christmas” because he once dropped gold balls down the chimney of a poor family so they would have dowry money for their daughters rather than having to put them into prostitution. St. Nicholas was also the saint of sailors. We were wondering if there could be any connection – sailors and prostitutes?

St, Nicholas Chapel (also dining spot)

The farewell dinner was at another restaurant with a great view – this time the view was of the old harbor. But reflecting on all the good food we have had both here and in Italy, the key seems to be local ingredients. It clear that to get good flavor, meals need to be based around freshness and the only way to get that is locally.

Here are the other clients on our hike – The Logan family. Ben, I discussed yesterday. His wife, Lucia, is a homemaker since her first child. Didi is a junior at University of Washington and a rower. Benjie is 26, living with his grad school girlfriend and thinking about finishing college.

Tomorrow we go to Rome overnight and catch a flight home in the morning.