Yesterday was our last evening not only in Mostar but in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We were a little sorry to move on. This country has been pretty good to us. Interesting things to find out about; awesome scenery; excellent food, at affordable prices; and exceptionally friendly people -- what's not to like?

We decided to mark the last day with a late walk:








Today, Friday, was not only Day 27, but also the date of the Winter Solstice, and the day we were due to head for Dubrovnik.


This journey marked the first change we've made to our plans on account of the uncomfortable bus journey from Zagreb to Banja Luka.

One of the problems with that trip (aside from the absurd tininess of the vehicle) was the tedious business of queuing for the border. And a bit of research revealed that if you take the bus from Mostar to Dubrovnik (or, at least, if you take any of the buses you can book online), you end up doing the BiH-Croatia border crossing no fewer than THREE times... First into Croatia, then back into Bosnia-Herzegovina to cross the bit of land that connects it with the sea, and then into Croatia again. I don't know whether they have some abbreviated version of passport control for that route, but given today is the Friday before Christmas, we decided to opt for a private transfer.

We booked it via My Day Trip, and it cost us EUR 100 more than we would have paid for two bus tickets. Having done the journey, though, we thought it was money totally well spent.

We left bang on the dot of 1000; it was a really comfortable car; the young driver inspired confidence; the route was fantastic, taking us through wonderful mountain scenery and then along the coast; passport control involved no waiting whatsoever; and the whole transit took just 2 hours 20 minutes. No complaints at all.






Of course, you don't want to do too many transfers. They eat through your money faster, and they're worse for the environment than taking the bus (although they're still way better than short-hop flights). But we are definitely eyeing up another one, to get us from Bar to Tirana (a journey which would otherwise involve two buses, one with an inconvenient timing, plus a border crossing).

Anyway, there we were, at 1220, just outside the walls of old Dubrovnik. This city has an extraordinary topography. First, there's the old bit, with its massive walls (which went up between the 13th and 17th centuries). This complex rises steeply from the sea, and is a labyrinth of narrow alleys and vertiginous staircases. Then there's the newer bit, which claws its way up the precipitous slope to the north, and is accessed by another network of pathways and steps.

So it wouldn't have been possible for our driver to drop us at the door. In any case, our first requirement was an ATM, so that we could pay our new landlords. And ATMs live in the old bit, not in the hillside burbs. So, I guard the baggage while Nigel plummets down (and back up) a gazillion steps in order to arm us with some euros.





Money in pocket, you toil up those hillside pathways and steps I was talking about. And by now it's really quite warm (up around the 15/16 degree mark)...

But our new place, which is pleasantly spacious, includes a balcony, and you're rewarded for your climb by the most stupendous views:




So we're in. And we've paid. But now we need to shop... Down the hill again, via steps and narrow passages:


We were supposed to be going straight to the supermarket, but we found ourselves being sucked off once more into that amazing old town:





And finally we direct our steps to the shop. And... back up the hill.

This time the reward was a stonking sunset:




So... Another absolutely unique place.

Unfortunately, its overtourism problem is not unique, and as was the case with Venice, our appreciation of Dubrovnik's extraordinary qualities is tinged by guilt. It's true that our excursion into the old town today did not expose us to massive crowds. So if you want a quieter experience, December would seem to be a good option. Then again, you feel for the locals a bit. Do they want to see tourist traffic creeping into the off-months as well? Don't know...