I hate the drive to the airport. Actually, I really just hate airports in general. So full of tearful goodbyes and germs and someone always has one of those suitcases with a squeaky wheel.
But a small part of me loves them for these moments.
Thanks to FaceTime, Owen had no problems recognizing my parents when they appeared through the customs gate. He was quick to give a hug and was more than happy to help them with their bags. We wasted no time having them in town. As soon as we got home, we celebrated Mother’s Day (yes, this post is that long overdue) and left Owen with grandma and grandpa while we planted the garden. Ahh, freedom. 🙂
The next day we hopped on a plane (my poor parents spent more time in the air than on the ground in that 48 hours) and were soon soaking up this stunning view.
With shades on, of course.
This is the beautiful Dubrovnik, Croatia. And my goodness, if it’s not the most peaceful gorgeous place on earth then I don’t know what is. We had a fantastic two bedroom apartment at the Radisson Blu with a huge sundeck and a great view. Many hours were spent relaxing there.
And we relaxed here a lot too with cold drinks and a good book (while grandma and grandpa played with Owen).
After a nice afternoon of relaxing, the next day we took a 1 hour boat ride to the Old Town.
Germany is quite nice this time of year, but can I please keep dreaming about this little gem?
This place is…just…wow. Enchanting.
They call it the Pearl of the Adriatic and I understand why. See how the history just oozes out of every nook and cranny? It’s fascinating and made for the kind of holiday that you never want to end.
As soon as we arrived, we grabbed an energizing snack of gelato. Once the sugar hit, it was time to go exploring. Cobblestone alleys sprawl, lined with cafes, souvenir shops, and people sipping coffee in the comfort of the shade. The laid-back way of life in this culture was certainly something I wanted to stuff in my suitcase and take home.
It is crazy to think that only 20 years ago, this gorgeous city was under siege during the break up of former Yugoslavia. Strolling the streets, you would have never guessed there had been a war. The city has picked itself back up and is more impressive than ever.
We climbed up the stairs to walk the City Walls. From the ramparts, you can see stunning views of the terracotta roofs with the glistening Adriatic in the background. The walls run almost 2 km around the city and are 4-6 meters thick. The intention was to protect the city. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you may recognize some of these sights as the city of King’s Landing (I’m not a fan and have no idea what this is).
Many of the terracotta roofs suffered war damage. In order to restore the city as close to its original look as possible, they would often replace the roof and put what was left of the old tiles on top of them for the pre-war appearance.
There were an insane amount of stairs in this little jaunt around the city walls, but the view was worth those buns of steel, let me tell you. I think I took a photo for every three steps I took. Everywhere you looked was breathtaking.
I love that my parents were able to experience this trip with us!
Owen didn’t have a nap the whole day (which is so typical Owen – he hates sleep with a passion and always has) but was such a good kid the whole time. He just didn’t want to miss a thing.
I wish I could say the boat ride back to the hotel was uneventful. If it weren’t for the gorgeous views, I would have crawled under the bench and curled up and cried. The waves were a bit too large for my liking. I don’t have what they call sea legs. We did see a sweet pirate ship, though.
Once back at the hotel, my parents took Owen to the park and we enjoyed the sunset on the beach.
Owen somehow had energy to climb the million (or at least it felt like a million) steps back to our room. I don’t believe he protested bedtime that evening. 🙂
I’d like to say I’ll be back soon with more of the Croatia trip but we all know that’s probably a stretch of the truth. So I’ll just say that I’ll do my best to get another post written soon. 🙂
xoxo!
Janelle Vannice says
Such great pictures!! We loved Dubrovnik last summer on our honeymoon! 🙂 We were only there for one day as a stop on our cruise, but it was beautiful. I'd love to go back!