Before & after. From wreck to wow!

My client/friend from Vancouver who bought a tiny 28m2 one room studio apartment here, had the vision to do something special. It also helped for her to collaborate with an Aussie renovator who does the best reno's in town. By opening up the roof space, and losing the balcony, the apartment is now 40m2 and features the best materials throughout. Sydney style loft in Dubrovnik!

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.

Can I live here please?

I visited a waterfront villa yesterday which is in the perfect position; with steps leading down to the sea, island and sunset views, peace and quiet .... I can just imagine morning dips here on my "private" beach. The house itself is not too large, with 3 bedrooms, and 3 guest/staff quarters, but location is everything and frontline in Dubrovnik is prime real estate! I can dream.

Art on the walls

Not normally wanting to post photos of myself, this one is to show the size of the art on the wall of my friend's apartment, where we dined last night. Fabulous abstract done in oils. Who'd painted it? A friend of a friend's father in Bosnia, commissioned for a very reasonable price. Though the photo doesn't do it justice, I am thinking of asking for a painting myself of our beautiful azure seas.

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.

Great Feel about the Apartment

I had a friend round for dinner on Monday, thankfully the weather stayed calm to sit out on the balcony, in September. Sunset is now about 7.30pm so it was good my friend saw the apartment at dusk. She said it had a very good feel about it, which I was pleased about. Today I found some photos of the apartment when we moved in Nov 2003, yikes, very cold and unwelcoming! I had to stop looking at them. I am pleased at how the apartment has worked out now. (BTW Erin this is Eric in the corner, as in Eric Clapton, see here).

Cunard's Queen Victoria

I was so excited to see the Queen Victoria in Dubrovnik today. She was at anchor and a long way off from the Old Town by Lokrum Island, but I drove to see her anchorage. Although I didn't work on this ship I know many of the management onboard, but anchorage is difficult to gain passes. She returns to Dubrovnik in November again, so hopefully will be moored alongside. To see a magnificent Cunard ship does send tingles up your spine and proud to think I worked on one of her ancestors. (yikes I feel old!)

... Not for all the gold in the world

"Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro" translates from latin as "Freedom is not to be sold, not for all the gold of the world", this inscription is above the gates of the Fort Lawrence (Lovrijenac). The fortress is built 37m high on sheer rock (see bottom of photo). It's incredible to think the walls surrounding Dubrovnik Old Town run an uninter-rupted 1,940 metres with building starting in the early Middle Ages ... all on my doorstep.

I could have gone sailing instead ...

Instead of being in the office next week I could have been sailing! I was asked so many times to join my American & Canadian friends to join them on "Sinbadsan", a 22m sailboat for their week around the Adriatic. Alas people keep buying property so I have to be in the office! Above are a few photos of what I will be missing. 4 double guest cabins, 2 crew cabins & 5 toilets and showers. I will hear more about their fun next week. Charter 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.

Fabulous Friday - Nebula Aqua

I have been looking at this site several times through Materialicious and think the art is just gorgeous! Sonia King, from Texas, is a mosaic specialist and has come up with Nebula Aqua in all my favourite blue colours. I'm a little mixed about some mosaics (the old fashioned kind), but this is just WOW! Sonia uses: smalti, gold, vitreous glass, stone, unglazed ceramic, glass, found objects (pebbles, fossils, shells) and semi-precious stones. Looks great on the wall, but I bet a commission would be priced out of my reach. Will have to start collecting instead! Have a great weekend.

3rd September 2009

I woke up this morning and flung open the shutters at 7.20am and was greeted by small ripples on the Adriatic together with a speedboat in the distance. Peace and quiet all around. Days like this I appreciate living on the coast (wait til winter and I will post a different story!!!)

Marina in Dubrovnik

The ACI marina for Dubrovnik is set in the Rijeka Dubrovacka (river), and has beautiful lush surroundings of the former 15th & 16th century renaissance summer mansions used by the Dubrovnik nobility in years gone by. The first photo shows a mansion called Skala that was owned by the Sorkocevic family now derelict, but the ground floor "orsans" or boathouses, are home to the charter sailboat companies. Quite a location!

M/Y Silver Angel

Docked for several days in Gruz Harbour is a behemoth of a yacht: M/Y Silver Angel. Her beam is a massive 12m (39 ft) and length 64.5m (211 ft 7 inches!). Looking totally spectacular from the outside I had to research the inside and see that the interior is all .... white, silver and a little bit of black! Must be murder to keep spotless. 12 guests and 19 crew. See more of this Benetti here. Launched in 2009 and costing a cool 68 million euros I read she even boasts a golf machine.

Walking round the peninsula

The daily heat of 30 degrees is still with us into September. Here are some views of "the other side of Cavtat" around the peninsula. Of course the obligatory superyacht is in view, too far out to see the name, but I reckon circa 43 metres sailing yacht anchored in the bay. The pine trees offer welcome shade and the little coves are brilliant for dipping in and out of the water.

Cunard - Tiffany - The World

Next to my laptop on my desk sits a beautiful porcelain lidded pot, delicately decorated with continents of the world. I received this as a gift when Captain's Secretary on QE2. Created by Tiffany I was fortunate that my friend, Anneke, worked for Cunard World Club and conveniently had an additional item. Gorgeous and something I look at and cherish every day.