Final Post: Interesting Numbers

Another successful Motopia couples "princess package".  A great time to spend real quality time with Pam, and with friends and their significant others, and to truly relax.  

Jason, Heather, Roman, Marta, Armando, Monica ... thank you!

For a final post, here are some interesting numbers:

Trip Statistics:

• Total kms covered:                                       1,400

• Total kms off-road:                                      4 (The "Eye of the Earth")
• Number of ferries taken:                              5
• Longest ferry:                                              3 hours (Split to Vela Luka (Korcula))

• Shortest ferry:                                             15 minutes (Korcula to Orebic)
• Number of speeding tickets:                         None

• Highest temperature:                                   85 F

• Lowest temperature:                                    50 F 

• Flat tires:                                                     None

• Mechanical issues:                                         None
• Number of Falls:                                            None (except for Roman's while walking : )

• Number of border crossings:                           None
• Number of new Motopia "princess" riders:        2 (Heather and Marta)
• Number of cappuccinos:                                 100+
• Number of ocean swims:                                 2 (Korcula and Karlobag)
• Number of Times Pam Cried : )                        None

Day 11 - Going Back in History and Warping Things Up

Today was a rest day ... no motorcycle, no travel, no packing, no going ... just sleep late, stroll the city, have great food ... and our last gelatos.

We did do our long walk to Marjan park and also managed to visit the catacombs and structures beneath the Dioclesian Palace ... so much history.

We also managed to pack everything back in one bag ... 2 helmets, 2 riding suit and pants, 2 pairs of boots, clothes, air vets, tools, etc.  The bag weights 75 lbs!

Tomorrow, we start our journey home ... Split to London Heathrow ... 3 hour layover ... and then Heathrow to Dallas arriving at 4pm.  A great adventure all in all!

Our very hip breakfast place inside the palace

Our morning hike to Marjan park

Another day of chilling inside Split

Our first visit to the catacombs under the Dioclesian palace

All very cool

Day 10 - Leisurely Ride Back to the Beginning

Today was a relaxing final day of riding along the coastal road ... from Dubrovnik to Split. 

After breakfast, we walked out of the Old Town to find our motorcycle ... and to see if it was still there. :)

After loading up, we headed north on a beautiful sunny day ... a road with nonstop twisties ... with the ocean on our left and the sheer Dalmatian mountains on our right. Very zen.

We stopped in Mali Ston for a mid-morning cappuccino and to check out the other side of the fortified town of Ston. There is so much history here, along with oyster and mussel farms all around the bay.

Our next stop was Makarska, where we had our first great meal of the day before continuing on to Split. 

Our first stop in Split was at our motorcycle rental place (rent-a-gs.com) to return our trusted steed, to pick up our big gear bag, and to take it all to our hotel inside the Diocletian’s Palace to sort and organize for our trip home.

Roman and Marta also made it back to return their motorcycle at the same time. They had just arrived on the ferry from Korčula.

After our Uber dropped us at Diocletian’s Palace, Roman and Marta continued on to catch another ferry to Brač to continue their trip.

Pam and I checked in at our new place and had a nice walk around town. 

We had our second fabulous meal of the day followed by another nice stroll along the Promenade ... then we had some gelato ... and a piece of cherry strudel ... , and then we spend some time just sitting on the steps of the cathedral, watching people and listening to music.

Tomorrow is a rest day in Split to get organized before we head back home on Monday.

We saw this monk feeding the pigeons as we were leaving Dubrovnik

Arriving in Mali Ston for a mid-morning cappuccino

Mali Ston is a village with centuries of oyster and mussel farming

A nice view of our motorcycle and the end of the wall enclosing Mali Stone in background

Made it to Split ... the end of the motorcycle part of the trip ... our pretty cool room inside the palace

Having a nice dinner in Split after a successfully completed moto adventure

Dusk is near

The cathedral tower in Split

Day 9 - The Republic of Ragusa

Dubrovnik was historically known as the Republic of Ragusa and dates back to the 7th century. At different points, it was under the protectorate of the Byzantine Empire, the Republic of Venice, and later became a free state from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Lots of history here.

Today, we had breakfast at our hotel with Jason, Heather, Roman, and Marta before heading out to explore the city.

Our first activity was to walk the entire wall surrounding the Old Town of Dubrovnik ... a little more than 2 kilometers going up and down and around ... great views of the city, the ocean around it, the walls, people’s laundry lines, gardens, earthquake damage, and quaint coffee shops perched along the wall. A great way to start the day.

We had lunch at Taj Mahal, a Michelin-rated restaurant with great Croatian dishes in the old town.

Dubrovnik has become one of the top tourist destinations in the world. People arrive by cruise ship, bus, car, motorcycle, you name it ...very crowded indeed ... and what is the deal with all these Game of Thrones fans and stores ?!? : )

Efforts are now underway to limit the number of cruise ships and visitors in general, to protect the city and make the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

We had another great gelato, took a quick nap, and then went out to visit the part of the fortifications that sits outside the walls of the Old Town ... the Tvrđava Lovrjenac tower. On our way there, we met up with Armando and Monica, had coffee, and then went up together. Great views of the Old Town.

Later, we had a nice thin pizza and smoked burrata salad for dinner in the Old Town, and called it a day.

Tomorrow, we head back to Split along the coastal road for our last day of riding.

Our first sight in the morning after breankast ... Onofrio's Fountain

A view of Tvrdava Lovrjenac from top of the main wall

Beautiful views on a perfect day from around the wall

Kayas going out for a stroll

People jumping off rocks into the sea just outside next to the Dubrovnik walls

A quick espresso and fresh orange juice on top of the wall

The view of the ancient port of Dubrovnik

A view of the roof tops ... restored and old

An afternoon snack and coffee

The view from the top of Tvrdava Lovrjenac

The best angle for a good view of Dubrovnik from afar

The sun setting inside the old town streets

A view of the density of places inside the old town

As dusk begins ...

... the magic continues!

Day 8 - We Found Paradise

We indeed found paradise!

When we woke up, the day was perfectly sunny, with deep blue skies and deep blue water. As we made our way down the steps to the restaurant for breakfast, we saw it!

The most idyllic cove, with calm, deep blue waters, nice lounge chairs on the sand, and the restaurant’s terrace overlooking everything. We had found paradise. A perfect secluded honeymoon spot.

Now, it was time to just relax, enjoy the food, soak up the sun, swim in the ocean, relax some more, read a book, and just chill.

It was hard to leave, but we managed.

The road to Dubrovnik did not disappoint. We took the coastal road again, with its magnificent views and curves. A perfect setting to find yourself back in the zone, fluidly riding a nice, smooth, big motorcycle with your loved one.

Lots of memories started coming back from the last time I was in Dubrovnik, 14 years ago, as I made my way to Siberia and Mongolia back then. It all looks basically the same, except way more crowded, more developed, and with more ships coming in and out.

We found a great spot to park our motorcycle on the sidewalk just outside the Pile Gate of the Old Town. From there, it was a nice short walk through the gate and into another world. Game of Thrones immediately came to mind. Our hotel was just a short walk inside the Old Town.

After dropping our things, we went out for a long, aimless walk through town. We saw churches, palaces, stores, and lots of people, and had a nice gelato as an appetizer before dinner.

We all had dinner together, reminisced about the trip, and talked about our next Princess Package motorcycle adventure ... and the winner was Provence, France, in May of 2027.

After dinner, we walked around town some more and called it a day.

Pam and I decided to skip Montenegro and stay here one more day before heading back along the coastal road to Split. Monica and Armando are taking an overnight ferry to Italy tomorrow to head back to Milan and return their motorcycle. Roman and Marta are heading back to Korčula, and Jason and Heather are heading back to Ston.

Tomorrow, we will just play tourists. No motorcycle riding. We will walk the walls, visit the palace and the cathedral, have cappuccinos, chill, eat nice food, and soak it all in.

The view of our cover from our breakfast spot

Now, this is paradise!

Roman and Marta chilling

Swimming to the platform in the perfect cove!

Ooops ... we did not realize we had to take a ferry to head south

Continuing our journey of discovery as we keep heading south

Pam the philosopher

Just a perfect day!

The coastal road heading to Dubrovnik

Our lunch stop in Ston

A master fish deboner in action ... best, freshest fish ever

Inside the walls in Ston

We decided to climb the fortified walls that protected the town

In the background, the source of wealth in the region for hundreds of years ... salt

A quick cappuccino after the wall climb

Our sidewalk parking spot just outide the Pile Gate in Dubrovnik

Heading into the Old Town with our gear

Inside the Old Town in Dubrovnik

Inside the Sponza Palace ... getting ready for the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra concert

One of the small streets

A religious procession in the Old Town

Our final dinner as a group!