With the rain, we had a few things still to wrap up before we officially called it a trip. Our goal on this particular trip was sightseeing and relaxing, so we planned our day today to hit the last of the big sights before checking the box and saying we’d been here.

First, breakfast. This is one of the things I’ll miss most – the huge tray of foods to pick from that is just brought out for us to enjoy. Not sure I’ve made it to the point yet where I can have that everyday; maybe that’s something aspirational.

After breakfast, the first stop was Fort Lovrenjac. Sitting atop the point of land just up the coast from the Old City, it affords a unique viewpoint and was also the location for a number of Game of Thrones scenes. I fact there was a tour going through as we arrived with specifically that intent: showing people filming locations.

The Fort goes back to the 1600s and was clearly built to spot ships coming from Italy and other parts of Europe. From its vantage point, it likely would’ve seen coming down the coastline sooner than the turrets on the city walls, and based on the number of places built it to hold cannons it seems they weren’t waving hello or inviting people to enter.

After touring the Fort, it made sense to take a few steps and visit the Museum of Love Stories. We are here for our 25th, so what better way to celebrate?

The museum is full of local stories of romance, quotes from movies, and even stories about people around the world falling in love. It seems a little hokey, but I’m adding this to the must visit list for Dubrovník. It was cute and creative and we had a lot of fun. We loved the 100 movie quotes and some of the local lore about romantic places in the city. A highlight was the room where you could add your story to a heart shaped paper and tack it to the wall. It was a cheap ticket and lots of smiles. That makes it a win.

The only thing we really had left to inside the walls was the Franciscan Monastery and Pharmacy. As we headed over we learned two things. First, admission is cash only and we are officially out of Euros. Second, the world’s oldest operating pharmacy is closed on Sunday’s and that was less appealing. All the reviews online said you only needed a few minutes and I didn’t want to spend the same amount of time getting cash as we did touring the building. So we skipped it.

That left only a couple small things.

We learned in the Love Story Museum that if you took your date out to Porporela it was meant to be. So I lead the way trying to secure another 25 years. While it was day time and there were people swimming and fishing. It was still a romantic spot to sit, put our feet in the water, and just be happy. Here’s to two crazy kids looking to keep things going as happily as they have to this point.

The last thing on our list was picking up the remainder of our bottle of wine. Which meant going back into the Old City, which was now completely overrun with cruise passengers on organized tours. Given that we’d become used to the city on days without tours this was rough. We wound our way along Stradun until we could cut uphill into the small streets and get to Bakus. Unlike the other day, it was busy so we grabbed a seat inside. We were immediately welcomed by our friend Jacob and he grabbed our bottle for us. We had the last couple glasses. Then maybe one more. And finally he poured us each a unique local liquor. The one he gave me smelled amazing and was quite smooth, but had a huge kick. He didn’t tell me the name, but I’m not sure I’d go looking for more. Unless they’re still open later tonight.

This meant it was time for lunch. About a block away we stopped at a tapas bar and grabbed a table in the shade. I ordered Balkan kebobs and fried small fish, my wife ordered zucchini burgers and friend potato wedges. I also ordered a Gin and Pepper, basically a gin and tonic with lemon, a splash of ginger beer, lemon and loaded with pink peppercorns.

All of it was fantastic. The fish were amazing, and the red pepper sauce that came with the kebobs was good enough to eat with a spoon. The drink was incredibly unique and the pink peppercorns added bite the longer they sat in the liquid. We also had a bottle of water, because in a few hours we had a reservation at a really nice wine bar. Not that this one wasn’t nice, but we figured that showing up sloshed might not be our best move.

After all of that, it was time for a break. We headed back to the hotel. Relaxed in the room for a bit, then settled the bill so we didn’t delay checkout tomorrow, before heading back out.

Next stop was m’arden. Happened upon it online and I can’t overstate how great of a place this was. We stayed for two hours. Learned a ton about Croatian wines, the grapes and their regions. Our server was amazing and after spending time learning about what we liked for wine, gave us some samples, asked more questions, and the. Built a progression of glasses for us. We sat in a very secluded garden area enjoying some of the best wines we’ve had. It was a great way to wind down the trip. It wasn’t cheap, but the experience was next level and I’d happily return tomorrow.

Fortunately for us our dinner reservation was just a few steps away, so we cut it pretty close. We chose a place called Soul Kitchen for dinner. They specialize in vegetarian and vegan food, which was great. We’d eaten a ton of heavy foods since arriving, so this was a nice break. We both had curry – mine with chicken because I didn’t want to be hungry later – and switched from wine to cocktails. I even ordered fries to dip in the curry (try it before you judge). This wasn’t a fancy place, but the reviews were nearly perfect, it had a ton of energy, food was awesome, and the servers were fantastic. We loved it. The server even brought us a Croatian after dinner liquor called “travarica” and pronounced “trav-ah-reach-ah.” Pretty sure that means “herbal jet fuel.” After drinking both glasses, I will be buying some to keep on hand at home. The waiter was so excited that I liked it he invited me to come back later. If only we didn’t have an early departure, I might have considered it.

After dinner we went back to the room, packed a little, and then decided to take one more walk through the Old City. The cruise ships are gone and it takes on a different feel. I needed to say good bye.

If I had to pick a way to wrap up this trip, this was about it. Amazing local wines. A final fun meal. Local liquor to celebrate our experiences. A quiet walk just for us with no destination.

Dubrovník is a fantastic town. Not because of the history, but because of the culture and the people. I don’t remember visiting anyplace where we felt as welcome everywhere we went as here. We didn’t have any bad meals. No service issues. Everything was perfect.

All that said, it’s a small place. Three days was plenty to see everything of note, and we lost half a day to rain, plus spent a total of another half day (or more) in wine bars. It was a great vacation, but if you’re looking to be on the go constantly, this may not be your place. Swing through. Check it out. Enjoy what it has to offer, you won’t be disappointed.

We may come back, but it will be brief and specifically because of the food, the people, and the feel of the place. We felt more welcome here than so many places, but I think that’s just how Dubrovník is. We try to fit and learn and be good visitors everyplace we go, but this was something more. It took no effort. It welcomed us. Other places should take note.