Dan and I visited Dubrovnik a couple times pre-kids but this week we get to explore the ancient city with the entire family in tow.
Before we entered the city at the Pile Gate, we were greeted by a couple hungry cats. We actually forgot to bring a bag of Yoda’s kibbles with us today so while we bought some quick drinks at the corner store, we also threw a little bag of kibble on the conveyor belt as well.
And then one of the cats proceeded to photobomb my photo of the kids. Ha.
Oops. Forget to ask them to put their drinks down before saying cheese.
Excited to get to explore in the off-season. No bumping into sweaty tourists today. Just us, the locals and maybe a handful of other tourists.
As you enter the main gate, you are greeted by a 15th century round structure called Big Onofrio’s fountain. The 16-sided fountain is part of the city’s water supply which is pulled from a mountainside water source.
Creating fun wherever they go.
One of the many beautiful palaces inside the walled city.
And in the Sponza Palace you’ll some fascinating artwork and details.
And a sleeping cat in a box littered with fresh sardines.
This one didn’t get the fancy treatment so we fed it our kibbles.
Love this little tree growing from a planter above a church’s doorway.
So many cats, so little time.
We only ended up visiting the old city once during our stay in Dubrovnik. We were hoping to walk the walls but the outrageous prices steered us away from that experience. I swear it was free or nearly free pre-kids. I guess this place is waaaaayyyyy more popular now than 15 years ago. But it’s the middle of the slow season. Lower your prices, wall people!
Ava’s 12th birthday overlapped our visit to Dubrovnik so we surprised her with a stay in an AirBnB.
And 12-year-old’s in our family get to pick out a pocket knife. Ava ended up picking this crab multi-tool. 🙂
Not much is open this time of year so we tried our best to make her day as special as could be.
We decided to walk up a million stone steps to a hotel on the hill.
We all agreed it was worth the tough walk to get here. Look at this view!
And look at that smile!
What’s so funny kids?
Standing on their daddy in the pool, that’s what.
All bundled up for the walk back down the hill.
My 12 year old <3
One of the things the kids love doing for their birthdays is baking a cake. Another reason for an AirBnB tonight. An oven!
Lighting 12 candles is no joke.
Before we left town, we drove up a narrow road in search of the Žarkovica Animal Shelter .
We have been carrying a bunch of medication from Yoda that we wanted to donate and thought this was the perfect place for it.
At times, there can be up to 300 dogs here. Some loose, some on leads, some behind gates and all looking for a good home.
This guy grabbed his bowl during feeding time.
And this one had the best view of the the old city from his perch.
We tried to pet as many as we could.
And here is a video Dan created during our stay in Dubrovnik. Enjoy!
Thanks for following along on our adventures,
Marlene
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