Matilda on Tour: Four Days in Dubrovnik — Sun, Sea and a Lot of Steps

Saturday 11 April — Mlini Riviera

Day 42 — One of those mornings
Croatia 🇭🇷

One of those top mornings after a great night’s sleep.

Serenaded to sleep by two cats fighting, growling and spitting…

The view this morning was something else — the bay like a millpond, completely still, and nowhere we needed to rush to.

It really is a beautiful place. We would have happily stayed longer, but a bit of van admin was needed after four nights without facilities.

We took our time, then made a short 25-mile hop — and I think we’ve found a real gem.

Camping Kate — high on the hill with sea views, excellent facilities, and a walk down to the beach (quite a lot of steps, mind).

Next to our pitch is a small stone chapel — a quiet reminder this was once farmland, with families building places like this for prayer.

After settling in, we made our way down to the sea — lots of steps, but worth it.

I spotted a couple of tour guides and went over to ask about the ferry to Dubrovnik. Tickets booked, I went off to find Richard.

No surprise — he’d already found a lovely beach bar. Sea views, sunshine, the Arsenal match on, and chatting to two British guys from our site. He was very happy.

Leaving him to his football, I headed out for a walk along the coast. Saturday afternoon and so many people out enjoying the sunshine.

Hopefully this will be a place to stop and enjoy that real holiday feeling. I still have to pinch myself now and again — are we really doing this?

What can I say — a really good day.

Sunday 12 April — Dubrovnik

Day 43 — A Day to Remember
Croatia 🇭🇷

The water ferry into Dubrovnik set the tone straight away. As we arrived, we were blown away — not quite what we were expecting, in the best possible way. Beautiful buildings, a calm feel, and as we stepped off the ferry, a wide street lined with perfectly matching stone buildings.

We started off in a very logical way, trying to see everything, but before long we found ourselves wandering through the maze of streets — much more our style.

We stopped for coffee in one of the squares and ended up chatting to a Dutch couple, comparing notes on our travels.

A quick check with our travel guide George on the must-sees in Dubrovnik sent us off to walk the walls.

It turned out to be a really memorable walk. Seeing the city from above gave us a proper feel for the place — the beautifully restored sections, what the Aussies would call “doer-uppers”, properties in need of some care, and the sense that this is still a lived-in city.

We even spotted a football pitch and tennis courts tucked in amongst it all.

A fabulous walk, with ever-changing views and plenty of stops along the way. About a third of the way round we paused for a beer and just took it all in. I loved every minute.

Once we were down at ground level, we had wandered a whilst then grabbed a bite to eat before making our way to catch the ferry back.

Dubrovnik looked just as impressive from the water as we left.

One of those great days. Dubrovnik really is an amazing place — perhaps a touch over-restored in places, but still with enough of its history showing through to make it feel special.

Monday 13 April — Mlini Riviera

Day 44 — A Proper Pause
Croatia 🇭🇷

A really slow start this morning — and very welcome.

It’s been a full-on week of moving, so today was about doing very little. A bit of van admin, sitting with a coffee, and just enjoying not having to be anywhere.

Later we decided to stretch the legs and follow the “green route” — apparently designed for older people…

That made us smile as we headed down the many steps to the beach, found the route, and then promptly climbed 510 steps straight back up. Followed by a steep road, more steps, and eventually it eased off. By then we were well up the hillside behind the campsite.

The views made it worthwhile — right across the bay, absolutely stunning.

Along the walk we passed a small memorial tucked into the hillside, with an inscription remembering a local man who died in 1944. It was a sad but moving reminder of the history held in these peaceful places.

The rest of the walk was kinder, more level, before dropping back down to the main road… where we realised we’d come out right outside the campsite. That made us laugh.

Late lunch, a bit of shopping, and now back at the site doing exactly what we set out to do — not very much at all.

A bonus for today — we found a hairdressers and I've booked an appointment. Time to get rid of the grey… definitely needed.

✍️ Tuesday 14 April — Mlini Riviera

Day 45 — Views, history and a different perspective
Croatia 🇭🇷

A cold front passed through overnight, bringing wind and rain, but by morning it had cleared and felt fresh again.

A bit of a special start to the day for me — haircut and colour… the grey has officially been banished 😊

The afternoon turned into a much more active one.

We caught the bus into Dubrovnik  and from there made our way up to Fort Imperial following the path up Mount Srđ.

It’s a steady climb, but worth every step for the views alone — looking back down over the old town and out across the Adriatic.

At the top is the Homeland War Museum. It focuses on the siege of Dubrovnik during the  Croatian War of Independence, when the city came under heavy attack in 1991. Seeing the photographs of the damage alongside how the old town looks today is quite something — really thought-provoking, and a reminder of how recent that history is.

Legs said enough is enough so we took a taxi back to camp, and that turned out to be just as interesting. The driver told us he missed four years of education because of the war. Hearing it first-hand like that brings everything into perspective in a very different way.

Back at the site, we headed across to the Flamingo for dinner — a mixed meat platter to share. Really tasty… and far too much of it. Safe to say we’ve replaced all the calories we burnt on the walk.

We’re on the move again tomorrow.

Dubrovnik has been one of those places you don’t forget — not just for the views, but for how it made us slow down. The climbs were tough at times, a proper slog in places, but we found ourselves stopping more, looking more, taking it all in.
A few well-earned drinks along the way, plenty of pauses to admire the scenery, and that feeling of “this is why we’re doing it” never far away.
Not the easiest few days on the legs… but definitely one of the most memorable. 🌿☀️