Pete and Karen set off bright and early to meet up with our guide, Savren, from Dubrovnik Adventures. We were surprised to find out we were the only 2 guests on the tour, so it was wonderful to have a private tour.

We had a beautiful drive to the southernmost region of Croatia; the Konavle Valley. The valley borders on Bosnia-Herzegovina to the east and Montenegro to the south, and covers approximately 125 square miles. One third of the region is forest, mostly pines and cypress trees, which look a lot like our pyramidal cedars. The rest of the valley is vineyards and fruit orchards.

Once we reached the Brajkovic Winery, we hopped on the bikes and started our 2 hour ride. We drove to an old wheat mill on the Ljuta River and enjoyed a short walk up to a waterfall. Savren was so knowledgeable about the region as well as the different plants and trees. We learned a lot about the homeland war that occurred in this area from 1991 to 1995. So much of the area was affected by the war and the destruction that occurred.

By the end of our ride, we were thankful that we were out of the blazing sun and back at the 500 year old family farm and winery. Upon entering the old stable that was now the winery, we had to take a shot of a sweet, fortified wine. It is tradition here, that you do not enter someone's home without having a shot of a strong spirit. We were then served a delicious lunch of homemade bread and olive oil, prosciutto, cheese, olives as well as 2 wine tastings. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Croatia, and we highly recommend trying a bike ride on your next trip as an awesome way to experience the local culture.

Kelley and Jim spent a leisurely morning at the "chateau". Kelley still had the urge to sing out "Bonjour" when she opened the shutters! They then strolled down to the port area and took pictures of the most amazing door, which lead to beautiful mansion. Following a bit of shopping at "Hypermart" they stopped for a glass of wine at a local tavern.

Later in the afternoon, the 4 of us met up and spent some time enjoying a glass of white wine under the shade of the grape vines on our front patio area.

Thoughts for today...
Pete says, "While touring today, Savren explained the difference between the new orange clay roofs and the older brown ones. The new ones represented all the homes that were bombed during the war that occurred around 1995. The resiliency of the people here is amazing to me."
Jim says, "We met a waiter today, who was born and raised in Dubrovnik. He reminded me of Eric from "That 70's show!" He would have been right at home in Winnipeg as his accent was undetectable!"
Kelley says, "There are no Superstore's here, but there are small shops, such as meat shops, cheese shops, bakeries and fish markets. These are very alluring."
Karen says, "I enjoyed spending time with Savren today. I would describe him as a "mountain man"...he collected a variety of plants at our stops, such as Bay Leaves and Saint John's Wort, with plans to use them in cooking or for medicinal purposes. I have never spent time with such a naturalist!"