Dubrovnik

Arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia around 7am. Dubrovnik is on the Dalmation coast in southern Croatia. A warm, sunny day with temperatures reaching 19C. Todays tour was north, out to the Neretva river delta. A small group of only 13 and our guide was Sanja, a local woman. Boarded our bus and headed along the coast with the Elaphiti islands stretching out on our left side. A very scenic, winding road with great views over the ocean and mountains. This area is known for growing tangerines and figs. There are many wild boars here which can be a nuisance. Further up we passed an area where oysters and mussels are farmed. After about 1 hour we came to the village of Ston on the Pelješac peninsula, where we had a break of about 45 minutes. It is known for its salt pans and production which still continue today. A scenic village with a small castle, church and a 14th century stone wall high up on the hillside. With a length of 5.5 km and a height between five and ten meters, the Ston walls are among the longest walls in Europe and the world. Back to the bus we proceeded further north for 30 minutes to the river delta. Here we boarded our small boat on the riverside. This was a covered skiff powered by an outboard just a good size for our group. To fortify us we started with a glass of grappa and some dried figs. We then proceeded along the narrow, shallow channels, initially surrounded by tall beds of bamboo and lily pads. It became more open as we went along and we started to pass tangerine groves as well as some pomegranate trees at one stage. Unfortunately the birds we saw were in the distance as they were frightened off by our approach. There were at least 2 other tour boats we followed at times. Around 1 hour later we returned to the start and debarked. A short 5 minute bus ride took us to the Villa Neretva restaurant for lunch. A large open room where we were entertained by a singer and served soup, salad, veal and potatoes and chocolate cake. After lunch it was another 1 hour scenic bus ride back and arrived around 2:30pm.