At the end of October we booked a very last minute trip to Dubrovnik. It served two purposes: a chance to celebrate The Bloke’s birthday somewhere a little different, and it gave us the break we desperately needed after our disastrous trip to Scotland in August. I have been to Dubrovnik before, but he hadn’t, and the idea of showing him around the city while also getting some proper rest felt like fun.

At the end of October we booked a very last minute trip to Dubrovnik. It served two purposes. First, it was a chance to celebrate The Bloke’s birthday somewhere a little different. Second, it gave us the break we desperately needed after our disastrous trip to Scotland earlier in the month. I had been to Dubrovnik before, but he had not, and the idea of showing him around the city while also getting some proper rest felt ideal.

Because it was such a last minute decision we weren’t expecting to find anything special in terms of accommodation, and yet somehow we managed to come across a fantastic little (and extremely reasonably priced) apartment just five minutes walk from the Old Town. The location was perfect: close enough to everything that we could wander in and out whenever we liked, but far enough away that it stayed quiet when we wanted to switch off.

The weather was warm, but cloudy for most of the week, and I was genuinely surprised by just how busy it still was. Despite this, we did all the usual tourist things – the Old Town walls, the narrow streets, the harbour views and the familiar filming locations. I loved his reaction when I showed him the West Harbour (my favourite place).  But we also made time for some less obvious spots, the sort of places that I didn’t get chance to see during my previous visit, and some had researched in advance. Small churches, quieter viewpoints, tiny restaurants off the main routes and lanes that most people walk straight past. It felt like a good balance between showing him the essentials and discovering something new together, and Dubrovnik never really gets old, even if you have visited before.

The day of The Bloke’s birthday could not have gone better if we had planned it down to the minute. The weather was glorious with bright sunshine and blue skies, and warm enough to feel like late summer rather than late October. We started the morning with a beautiful breakfast overlooking the harbour, and the restaurant surprised him with a slice of apple pie decorated with a birthday message, which was a thoughtful little moment that made the morning feel even more special. We were in Old Town early enough to experience the Jesuit Steps without it being crowded with other tourists.

We wandered, explored and took our time, and were in Old Town early enough to experience the popular areas like the Jesuit Steps without it being crowded with other tourists. Later, we headed to Plaza Danče locals’ beach to watch the beautiful sunset. 

We ended the day with a lovely meal at a nearby restaurant. Nothing overly fancy, just good food, good service and that relaxed holiday feeling that makes everything taste better. No stress, no rushing, no problems to solve. Just sunshine, good food and a fun time. Perfect.

Dubrovnik has a way of slowing everything down without making you feel bored. It gives you something beautiful to look at in every direction, but still lets you move at your own pace. For us, it was exactly what we needed. A chance to celebrate, to recover and to enjoy a few perfect days before heading home again.