17 November, Mari heads home, Mike returns to Zagreb

Well readers, it's time for Mari to say good-bye to a most excellent adventure.

Today Mike and I are packing, making lists for each other. Mike is teaching me how to log on to Google Hangout for our weekly meeting with the kids. I'm making sure he knows how to operate the appliances and which cleaners to use. Directions are in Croatian and several other foreign languages not including English. My mother brushed her teeth with Bryl Cream once because she didn't bother to put her glasses on. There is no Bryl Cream here fortunately.,,,But I digress.

Mike and I have the same flight tomorrow at 6:40 AM to Zagreb. Then  we are each on our own. We make a fairly good team when we travel together. This should be an interesting trip home.

This afternoon we took a slow walk around town, climbed up to Fort Lawrence and snapped a few more pictures. The sea was a little rough today making beautiful variations in the blue of the Adriatic. We stopped for cappucino at one of the Irish bars and sat outside. It is still in the 60s here and there are a few outdoor tables at the restaurants which haven't closed. Streets are quiet, most of the vendors have left for the season. Only a few tourists come now. Dubrovnik takes this time to repair streets and perform regular maintenance.  The city is continuing work it started last season filling in the moat near the Pile Gate, making more gardens and walkways. The orchestra season is also about over with only a few holiday concerts scheduled around St. Nicholas Day and Christmas time for the town people.
We have reservations for dinner at the Hilton Imperial to mark our last evening together here. Then home to rest up for our early trip.

It's been a great experience. We have made many new friends. The Croatian people are gracious and getting to know them has been the highlight of our trip. Mike is already talking about returning to Croatia. Start saving up. You are all invited.