Day of Thrones

We’ve just had an exceptional day.
We both slept for 10 hours which is always a good start. Breakfast at the hotel is good. We pigged out. Also had champagne for breakfast the second day running. Again, it’s the rules.

We set off to old town on the bus again, to joint the Game of Thrones walking I booked last minute. There was only us and another couple from New Jersey - they were proper fans with T-shirt’s and everything. The hardest bit of the walking tour is first - all uphill. It was already 28 degrees. However we went fairly slowly and got excited quite quickly as the first stop was the scene of Joffreys wedding and death - the guide Dorothea was exceptionally friendly and energetic and had a book with pictures of various Thrones scenes that helped us place where we were. In some cases we instantly recognised the scenes - others were needed a hint. We were enjoying the two hour tour a lot, and also perspiring so much we didn’t even need the loo. Dorothea informed us that the other couple were actually on a full day tour, which involved a boat trip to Lokrum island and also the top of Mount Srd - both of these were things we wanted to do anyway, so we jumped at the chance to pay the extra and join. It made for an expensive day, but it was fitting in everything we wanted to do and with the added benefit of GOT locations and a tour guide. It was so nice being in a small group as well, as we negotiated around massive tour groups of fed up looking tourists.

I could go on for ages at all the things we saw today. We got some proper history as well. All of which I will probably forget in favour of remembering that I’ve seen the spot where The Mountain crushes Oberyn’s face in...(which was actually on the site of an abandoned hotel - in 1985 it was built as the biggest hotel in Dubrovnik, a full five stars. And then it got the crap bombed out of it by the Serbs and abandoned it. Apparently someone has now bought it and will knock it all down to build posh new things. But at present it is a giant ruined playground l. How the location scouts found the beauty in the spot and transformed it I’ll never know.

We really got a sense of the beauty and peace of Croatia today - especially on Lokrum Island, an island where no one can stay overnight which is covered with wild rabbits and peacocks and is also apparently cursed by Benedictine monks.

Anyway, today’s photo shows a number of things. 1) A stunning harbour 2) a demonstration of the crystal clear quality of the water 3) where the Lannister’s waved off Marcella ie Kings landing harbour

Back at the hotel after a seriously long and spontaneous day we are back in the hotel bar terrace, drinking beer and contemplating snacks. Life is good...