July 23rd - 4th Day Off: 793

Dubrovnik: Total miles: 2,065 | Miles to go: 793

Both Tina and I had a big day getting into Dubrovnik. I faced the usual cocktail of distance, heat, and fatigue—but her day may have been worse.

After leaving me on the mountain, she went straight to the apartment in the old city to get things set up. Normally, this means pulling the car up close to unload gear, electronics, Jax’s stuff, and her own things—sometimes over several trips. But Dubrovnik’s old town is fully pedestrianized, and the nearest parking was miles away.

She parked, hauled everything out, and tried Uber. The first driver said no pets. So did the second. And the third. Jax, sensing he was the issue, tucked his head beneath a bench. Finally, a Portuguese-speaking woman stepped in to help. She liked dogs, understood Christina’s situation, and called a taxi-driving friend who agreed to take her to the Pile Gate. But even that was only halfway. Christina had to run the bags the rest of the way down narrow stone alleys and stairs. Thankfully, the outer door was open—she didn’t have the code. The host met her just as she began to exhale. “Is the dog yours?” he asked. “Why?” “Because pets aren’t allowed.” She smiled, charmed him, and got it done. When I arrived, everything was ready.

We had dinner steps from our door and then walked to a nearby plaza for gelato, watching the light fade off the ancient buildings.

Tourism here is intense—shoulder to shoulder in some streets, cruise ship crowds pouring through the gates, each with a guide waving a colored flag and people from all over the world. We did errands and caught up with life issues that were swept under the carpet while on the road. I even found a barber shop to clean up.

Now we enter the final phase: 793 miles to Istanbul. From here we pass through Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, and finally Turkey. New languages, new terrain, and more uncertain borders—especially with Jax, who technically needs paperwork for each non-EU country. But we’ll figure it out.

We’re ready.

Thanks for following along and for the support.

Cheers,

David.