After a work conference in Croatia I decided to extend my flights for a few days and do a little exploring of my own. I spent the first solo day saying in the old city of Dubrovnik, Stari Grad, with it’s impressive city walls and beautiful maze of stairways and streets. Following a sign advertising cold drinks and a beautiful view I stumbled across a bar tucked on the outside of the walls and the rocks below looking out to sea. Perfect place for a beer!

I hopped on a bus and travelled for 3 hours north of Dubrovnik along the most stunning coastline. I was dropped off in a tiny concrete bus shelter in what looked like the middle of nowhere but down the hill side nestled into the coast I could see the suggestions of a town and set off down the hill. Brela is a unbelievably cute little holiday town that sits in the middle of kilometres of small peddbly beaches and coves fringed with pine trees and clear turquoise waters. After following the promenade about two kilometres above the centre I soon found a small cove all to myself and settled down to enjoy my book and a swim in the sun.

I came back down the coast to Dubronivk to explore some of the nearby islands for my last day or two in Croatia. I took the local ferry an hour from Dubrovnik to Lopud and got happily lost walking around the island. The ferry was nearly not returning to Dubrovnik as, although the skies had cleared, the wind and whipped the sea up into a close replica of ‘The Perfect Storm’ and we were tossed about as the ferry zigzagged across the waves to get back to the port! The next day was hot, sunny and calm so I spent my last morning on the nearby island of Lokrum admiring the panoramic view from the old French fort atop the island’s centre.