Dazzling Dubrovnik (Croatia)

"King's Landing"

        The word dazzle is defined as "to greatly impress or surprise (someone) by being very exciting," which describes my Dubrovnik experience to a T. I knew very little going into this trip, so my small expectations were met and exceeded 10-fold. I had been hearing the buzz about the television series "Game Of Thrones," which is filmed in Dubrovnik, but I didn't watch it religiously or even regularly. I assumed that exploring this city would only be meaningful for the avid GOT fans I went with, but boy was I wrong!
        The old city of Dubrovnik is a city in and of itself. It was originally built as an all-encompassing fortress, complete with drawbridges and towers. It's surrounded by white stone blocks, which are strategically placed on top of each other to create the city walls. Even the pathways underfoot are made of the same pristine stone(all of which are for pedestrians only!) The walls run a little over a mile around the perimeter of the city. Strolling around here will make you feel like you've traveled back to medieval times and all their splendid glory.

       If you're looking to dance the night away to the sights and sounds of well-known DJs and their light shows, look no further than Revelin Culture Club. This venue is just outside the city walls. It also used to be a fortress, so the acoustics inside are very impressive. 
        If you want a quieter nighttime experience, head to the pier just outside the eastern entrance to the old city. Bring a bottle of wine or beer, some cups and a bag for your trash(it gets windy out there and you don't want to be that American who litters in such a well-kept city). The pier is a pre-game/night-cap spot that seemingly no tourists know about. The ripples in the water sparkled under the full moon. The breeze gently brushed my skin as I conversed with the best company I could ask for. And, to top it all off, I was lucky enough to see a shooting star! It was a magical night, to say the least.
        There are some beaches outside the city walls; the ones to the west are pebble beaches and the ones to the east were too crowded for my liking. Walk a little farther either way to see the luxury hotels and their oceanfront pools and lounge areas. A girl can dream, right? :)

        There's a mysterious island visible from the shore called Lokrum. We originally planned on checking it out because we heard it was overflowing with peacocks, bunny rabbits and plant life(sounds awesome). However, we later heard it was cursed, so we decided not to risk it. Instead, we went down to the area right outside the city wall entrance on the way to the pier and we asked at a booth about renting a boat. We were told it would be expensive, but split between 7 people it was only $40-$50 per person for the entire day(with a driver)! Get there in the morning for the most bang for your buck! We went to the island of Lopud, which took an hour to get to. There, we found a beach and rock caves to snorkel over, under and through! Warning: If you get sea-sick easily, if you are hungover or both, this might not be the right day trip for you. 
        If you happen to be a daredevil like myself, put Buza on your list of places to go. Buza is a bar that is literally perched on the edge of a rock cliff. You can either be a spectator(nervously sipping on your drink as you watch people jump from ridiculous heights), or you can join the fun and give it a go! You can watch my cliff jump at Buza here: Leap Of Faith (Change to HD for the best quality)!
        If you do happen to be a big Game Of Thrones fan, there's a tour you can sign up for. If you want to save some money, a pocket map will do the trick. There are symbols that mark the locations throughout the city where notable scenes were filmed(For example: the SHAME stairs!) 

        The last thing I'll leave you with is....THE FOOD! Besides a few seafood dishes, we had pizza, salad and wine for almost every meal. The feta cheese was to die for and every dish was fresh and homemade, which was a revitalizing change from the processed and frozen American food I'm used to when dining out.
        I'm always happy to answer any and all questions about this trip or others I've been on, so don't hesitate to ask. Thank you for joining me on my journey!