Good Day Beautiful!

2 o'clock Friday, January 14th 2011 - can the winter weather get better than this?  Glorious day overlooking the islands and the flat calm sea.

Kolocep island bathed in afternoon sunshine.

The trees may be bare in the depths of winter, but the surrounding colours are fabulous.

I can feel a great sunset coming on at about 4.30pm.

New Year

As Britain shivers with yet more snow, I am back in Dubrovnik, now into a New Year.  10 degrees is not too bad for January and the sun goes down a little later every day which is great to think that Spring is just around the corner .....

Where I would like to be now

I took these images a couple of weeks ago ..... crystal clear waters of the swimming pool with the Adriatic and the islands behind ...... very tempting now to look at the photos, on this drizzly day.

Island Hopping

Here's a fabulous aerial photo of Sipanska Luka, the bay favoured by the yachting fraternity, on the island of Sipan. This Elaphiti island is just off Dubrovnik and has approx 50 cars, which is a lot, compared to Lopud and Kolocep which have none! Yachts can anchor or tie up in this gorgeous bay and hop ashore for luncheon at one of the fabulous fish restaurants which line the promenade. Octopus burgers are a dream! Honest! See more.

Dinner with harbour view

I was invited to my Turkish friend's apartment last night for dinner. With a view to die for looking out at the harbour and the distant islands, sunset at 7.30pm came quickly. Lovely to see the twinkling lights, cruise ships and yachts moored in the harbour. The turkish food was delicious, my favourite (along with Thai cuisine) and the company of 5 girls was talkative all evening! Daytime view here.

What a beautiful day

Gorgeous day today without humidity. A strong north wind though meaning the air has cleared but a bit chilly on the north side!! Fortunately the south-west balcony is warm and a safe haven from the winds. My drive to the supermarket (yes even on a Sunday) has this spectacular view of the Old Town so had to take a photo as the distant islands were in clear view, even the National Park island of Mljet.

Have a great weekend!

Here's a photo from Jane Coslick - the award winning designer who often appears on House of Turquoise blog. What a great verandah here - with turquoise and white benches looking out to islands. It's been a busy week for me (VIP visitors!) so not much posting, but will do next week.

Summer Flowers on the Island

Found these photos from our sailing week when visiting the island of Mljet. As it was 3 years ago I don't want to take the credit for them as can't remember, but think they're from my talented artist friend Michelle. Ancient Greeks called the island "Melita" or "honey" which over the centuries evolved to become the Slavic name, Mljet (pronounced "mill-YET").

"Dubrovnik and the Elaphites"

I had the great pleasure to meet British businessman and entrepreneur James fforde yesterday, who is also a talented artist, photographer and writer. His excellent brand new book 'Dubrovnik and the Elaphites ... Heart of the Adriatic' now graces our office coffee table. What a book! Indepth detail on the Elaphite islands (Lopud, Sipan & Kolocep), with magnificent photographs and honest and personal information on both lifestyle and history of the islanders. If you have been to the islands this is an excellent reminder of how special our islands are, and if you haven't visited, this book surely will make you book a flight this minute!

Car-Free Bliss

A lazy afternoon on Lopud island, one of the Elafiti islands off Dubrovnik. A 45 minute ferry ride, then 1.5 hours on the car-free island and a return ferry back. Peaceful and quiet. Sandy beaches on both the town beach and Sunj (40 minute walk over the hill, did not attempt today). Sun setting and back to Dubrovnik at 7.50pm for dinner. More photos.

Ferry to the Islands

I took the ferry this afternoon to the islands, getting off at Lopud for a couple of hours. M/S Postira runs 4 times a day from Dubrovnik to Kolocep/Kalamota, Lopud and Sipan. The first 2 islands are blissfully traffic-free. The Postira I discovered was built in 1963 and is 335 GRT. An invaluable ferry linking the islands and at 18 kuna (2 euros) one way to Lopud is an enjoyable 45 minute run.

Dinner in the Mountains

One of our favourite meals has to be in the restaurant high up in the mountains at Velji Do. Here there is delicious lamb and veal cooked under the bell (under a metal lid, for 3-4 hours, so meat is very tender). The potatoes soak up all the juice too. Last night we thoroughly enjoyed a meal there with friends. Sun was just setting too with all the Dubrovnik islands visible all the way to Mljet, Korcula and Lumbarda. Magical!