TWIL - This Weekend I Learned: Dubrovnik Edition.

That walking up to the Old Fortress that is Dubrovnik is pretty gosh darn amazing.

That being a student pays off – saved about $5 on ticket to walk the wall.

That no matter where you go in the Balkans, there are always stairs that are slippery.

That Jeannine’s tour guide skill are far better than yours or Dan’s, but could use some slight improvement.

That a watering hole is a great place to meet – in this case the cistern in old town.

That Canadians do wear plaid in real life.

That new friends are fantastic and should be sought out whenever you travel.

That some random strangers are good at taking pictures and others will grab your camera and take a picture before everyone is ready.

That this cute little old man paints pretty things that you can purchase for your parents as a present.

That some groups of people mesh really well together.

That getting stuck on a bus with people you don’t know can be a bonding experience and make for some great relationships.

 

That Dubrovnik looks amazing from any vantage point.

That some things in life are too breathtaking for words.

That I have pretty friends.

That laughing all day long is good for the soul.

That having someone take a series of shots of you can turn out pretty great, because somewhere in there someone is going to say something funny and you're going to pose ridiculously.

           

That making new friends who like to take silly pictures is a must for all my future travels. 

That the view of the Adriatic from the Wall is mesmerizing and should be taken advantage of - especially when there's a pirate ship in it.

That sometimes it's necessary to hold up a massive group of people behind you in order to get the perfect shot.

That there were a lot of stairs in Dubrovnik.

That people actually live in the Old Town Fortress of Dubrovnik - I don't know why this surprised me...

That when Dan says "Kim, you're going to want to take a picture of this," he's not being sarcastic. He knows you well enough by now to know you love cats - this is like kitty cat "Where's Waldo" - how many cats can you find?

That no one is going to yell at you for climbing on the cannons in Dubrovnik like they would in the states - take advantage of it.

That I should make more friends who enjoy taking silly pictures.

That at some point you start to feel like a creeper, because you're following around a group of people taking pictures from behind.

That Dubrovnik is gorgeous.

So, so, so gorgeous.

That taking pictures with the town behind you is a must - and should be done often - even when your friends whine about it.

That Terra Cotta orange roofs are so much more beautiful and interesting than the plain old roofs we have back in the states.

That sunset is the perfect time to tour Dubrovnik's famous wall - the lighting is perfect, the temperature has decreased, and there are less tourists.

That it's nice to travel with pretty people, because all your photos come out well.

That the final look over old town with the sun setting behind you is going to be the one you remember forever.

That you can find a bacon cheeseburger in the Balkans and it will taste amazing when you do.

That your group will grow the more you travel and adopt people - but it's okay because it will work out for the best (for the most part)

Dubrovnik is still pretty spectacular after dark.

That every evening should end with some excellent live music.

And this was just day 1 - day 2 still to come...