Wine fuelled adventures in the Adriatic

It is a truth universally acknowledged that no matter where you travel in the world, one can always find an Irish Bar.

And so was the case when The Boy and I travelled to Dubrovnik a little while ago, for a much needed break. However March is not the sunniest and warmest of months to visit, and it was during a ridiculously heavy rain shower that we found ourselves in Karaka's Irish Bar in the Old Town. It's cosy (but incredibly smokey) interior was a welcome refuge from the inclement weather, and with cheap booze and Motown on the stereo we happily killed quite a few hours here before it was safe to venture outside.

During this rainy interlude in the smokey Irish Bar I discovered something wonderful. That Croatian wine is phenomenally good. Like, absolutely delicious and extremely reasonably priced. Not readily available in the UK, as Croatia is not yet part of the EU and they don't produce enough to export.. I spend the rest of my 5 day holiday indulging in as many different local reds, whites and pinks that I could.


If you do happen to find yourself in Dubrovnik, make sure you head to D'Vino wine bar, an incredibly cosy establishment where you can sample loads of different wines and enjoy the company of the very knowledgeable staff. Sasha, who was tending the bar when we were there, quickly found wines that we liked (and LOVED) that we would never have sampled before.

Croatia is also home to some of the tastiest squid I've ever had. Having never really been a seafood lover, I found myself trying so many things I had never had before, like mussels - yes I have been horribly uncultured before now. But in Dubrovnik I couldn't get enough... and here's the proof for those who I am sure don't believe me!

So go to Croatia, drink the wine, eat the seafood, and try and get there before the EU makes everything regulated and it looses its remote, local charm - you won't regret it.