This Europe recap is a few months late—almost five months, to be exact. I visited Europe in late May. My friend and I both wanted to explore Puglia, Italy, but I also wanted to visit Croatia. She had been before and I had not. So I went to Croatia solo and met her in Rome afterward to begin our Italian adventure.
I wish I spent more time exploring Croatia, but I only dedicated time for Dubrovnik. Croatia was new to me. Italy was not. So when I landed in Dubrovnik, I felt that feeling again of awe, excitement, and love. It’s the best feeling! I was so excited to explore! Puglia was beautiful, but I had been to Italy so many times that it didn’t feel new to me. It was touristy and required a lot of bopping around on foot, by taxi, bus, and train. It was a long 16-day trip (including travel days), and I discovered that it was too long for me. Let’s break it down.
Dubrovnik:
At the airport, you can conveniently purchase a bus ticket (Platanus Airport Shuttle) into Old Town from a ticket counter for about $12. Old Town is small and easy to navigate, including the walk from the drop-off point to my hotel. Just make sure you know which Old Town gate your hotel is closest to. That will determine your bus and drop-off location. The stone streets and medieval architecture made me feel like I had stepped into Game of Thrones. There were so many stairs! I stayed at Scalini Palace in Old Town Center close to the Ploce Gates. My room was on the top floor, which was a bit annoying because I had to climb 5 sets of stairs, but the room was cute! It had a living area, a kitchenette, and gorgeous balcony with a view! I would definitely stay here again.
On my first night, I made reservations for a fancy dinner at the Michelin recommended Restaurant Pjerin in the Villa Dubrovnik. The hotel provided shuttle services (private car) to Old Town for their guests. As a diner, I was able to catch the shuttle returning to the hotel and use it to get back to Old Town. What a lovely service to offer! The hotel was beautiful! I would have loved to stay here, but at $1,000–$1,200 per night at the time of my trip, it was a little out of my price range. The staff was so friendly and welcoming. The view at Restaurant Pjerin was incredible. When I arrived, I immediately went out onto the terrace to take pictures of the sunset. It was golden, bright, and misty, and there was a rainbow! It was the best way to spend my first night in a new country!
Started my dinner with champagne, of course, and then proceeded with a 5 course meal. I chose the Serenata menu for 175 euros because it included scallops, lobster, fish, and Wagyu. All the good stuff! As is often the case with a prix fixe menu, there were additional complimentary courses, so it ended up being a seven-course meal. It was such a treat and everything was amazing. The meal concluded with a tasting of their house-made limoncello, which I don’t normally like, but theirs was very good. They offered me the traditional limoncello and an orange flavored one that I preferred. I was so sad to leave because I very much wanted to stay at the hotel. I felt like Parker Posey in season 3 of White Lotus, “I just think, at this age, I’m not meant to live an uncomfortable life.”
On my second day in Dubrovnik, I wandered through Old Town. I stopped at the famous “walk of shame” steps from Game of Thrones. I spent an afternoon walking the fortress walls. I thought the entrance fee was a bit expensive at $47 since I was just paying to take a leisurely stroll along their fortress walls, but it was very much worth it and was one of the highlights of my trip. Though I must warn you, it’s a lot of stairs! The city and coastal views were incredible. I almost didn’t even do it. It wasn’t even on my itinerary, but then I got bored of Old Town since it’s so small. The wall is less than 2 miles, but you will stop to take photos and enjoy the view. At some points, the walkway is narrow, so you’re accommodating other visitors on the path. There are also points along the way where you can climb steps to see more. I would allot 2 hours for this excursion.
In town, I enjoyed gelato everyday and particularly enjoyed the one at Peppino’s Gelato Factory. The pistachio flavor was so creamy and the biscotti was also another favorite of mine. When choosing a place for gelato, always choose a place where the gelato is hidden underneath a metal lid. Don’t go to the touristy places where you can see the mounds of bright colored gelato through the glass window. Just a friendly tip. Trust me, they taste better at the ones where the gelato is hidden. I apply the same rule when I’m in Italy.
For my third day in Dubrovnik, I decided to go on a private tour to Montenegro and Bosnia. I had considered doing a boat tour, but I was told it was a little too cold in May for being on a boat. I don't think I chose the best tour on Viator, though. It was just me and one older couple in a van, which was nice, but the driver was a bit grumpy (he complained about the traffic and cyclists nonstop) and I don’t think the itinerary was well planned out. Our first stop was at Verige65 Cafe in Boka Bay. First of all, Boka Bay is GORGEOUS! It’s quiet and serene. Not much to do except relax, hike, lay out, and swim. How idyllic right? Secondly, Verige65 Cafe is the most stunning restaurant on the bay! It has floor to ceiling windows, a panoramic view of the bay, and a large outdoor terrace. We only stopped here briefly, maybe for 30 minutes, to enjoy a latte and croissant, but I wish we stayed here longer to enjoy the view. Our driver/guide was in a rush to take us to Kotor Old Town, which is another walled city. It was crowded, touristy, and filled with souvenir shops and restaurants. The older couple and I agreed that we were spending too much time here. I believe there was supposed to be another stop with a view, but it never happened. We left Kotor to drive through Bosnia for a late lunch in town center, which was not interesting at all. Though I did have a really good meaty bolognese there. Bolognese is usually good wherever you go. I love all the different versions. After lunch, we told our driver that we were ready to head back to Dubrovnik early. He wanted us to spend more time in that town center, but there really wasn’t anything to do unless you wanted to shop for cheesy souvenirs. In hindsight, I would have preferred to spend more time exploring Montenegro's natural beauty, particularly Kotor Bay, rather than visiting town centers. I'm not sure this day trip was worth it, but Dubrovnik is small, and I wanted to add two new countries to my list.
On my last night in Croatia, I treated myself to a stay at Hotel Bellevue. I had to take an Uber there because, unlike Villa Dubrovnik, this hotel didn’t offer shuttle service to their guests. For a luxury hotel, I was very disappointed by this. It’s a little further out from Old Town, so there’s not as many options for dining around the hotel, especially for quick bites and gelato. If I wasn’t so tired, I probably could have ventured out by foot to some restaurants nearby. Though it’s not like Old Town where all the restaurants are outside your door. But I figured since it was my last night, I’d probably want to relax, enjoy the private beach, and hotel amenities. But unfortunately, it rained on my last day! Luckily, I brought a book with me—The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo—and finished it while in Dubrovnik (it had been awhile since a flew through a book. It was excellent and I was in tears). My room was nice with a private balcony, but the staff wasn’t as friendly. I chose to get a massage, but I didn’t find my massage that great. It wasn’t cheap either. Dubrovnik was a bit pricey for food as well. I dined at their Michelin recommended restaurant Vapor. It took forever to get service in the lounge for drinks. Dinner was good, but not as good or special as my experience at Restaurant Pjerin. One thing I kept forgetting is that in Europe, servers will not rush you out. You really have to flag them down to pay your bill. Before flying out the next day, I enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the hotel. They had a honey bar! I loved that! Yogurt is always so good in Europe topped with their fresh honey.
Rome:
In Rome, I met up with my friend and we stayed at Dharma Style Hotel & Spa, near the central train station. It was super convenient because you can take a $15 train straight from the airport to central station and walk to the hotel. However, the hotel is pretty basic and small, which was okay with me because hotels in Rome tend to be on the expensive side for something not very special. Plus, we didn’t spend much time hanging out at the hotel. Rome was mainly a quick base before jumpstarting our Puglia adventure.
We dined at Luciano Cucina Italiana in Campo Di Fiori and I loved it. Casual restaurant with a delicious artichoke salad and carbonara. We ordered the three classic Roman dishes: carbonara, amatriciana, and cacio e pepe. My preference is for lighter pasta dishes with seafood and red sauce. I actually prefer the food in Florence because I find that Roman pasta dishes are a bit too heavy and creamy for me. But I was surprised that I liked the carbonara here so much. It was also the only one served with a noodle pasta, my favorite form of pasta. Make sure to have gelato at Gelateria La Romana nearby afterward. The lines can get long though.
The next day, we shopped a bit and walked around the city before dining at a place I had been wanting to check out for years—Salumeria Roscioli! I couldn’t get a resy last time and part of the reason was because I didn’t know that they had only two dining services: 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Two seatings even though it’s a la carte. It’s a small restaurant known for their charcuterie and wine bar. It’s a casual and charming spot. I enjoyed all the dishes we got here and would say it was my favorite meal of my Roman holiday.
We attempted to get drinks at The Court Cocktail Bar at Palazzo by the colosseum before dinner. You need reservations there, but sometimes they accept walk-ins. We went early to walk-in, but our chances of being allowed in were ruined because I was wearing ripped jeans! Yes, my jeans were ripped, but I looked tasteful wearing it with a cream button vest. I couldn’t believe we were turned away! Whatever. We walked around the colosseum and took some pictures instead. We had both been to Rome before so it wasn’t a big deal to do majorly touristy things. Then we stopped at a more casual bar to have an Aperol spritz with a view of the colosseum, a place that didn’t discriminate against my torn jeans.
Monopoli, Puglia:
The next day, we took an $83 train ride from Rome to Bari. It took 4 hours. Once at Bari, we purchased tickets from a kiosk and hopped on a local train to Monopoli that took another 15-20 minutes. From the train station, we called a taxi to get to our hotel, and it was about $20 to get to historic center, even though it was only a mile away. We were dropped off at the entrance and had to walk through the historic center, pulling our suitcase over cobblestone to get to our hotel Bella Vista Suites. It’s a charming little hotel on the cliffside with limited rooms. They have a small rooftop restaurant and a basement cafe and shop. Nightly stay included coffee and breakfast, but keep in mind, they don’t open early. It was early for them to serve us at 8:30am. But don’t all tourists get up early to start their adventures?
After our long journey, it was so lovely to sit on our private balcony overlooking the ocean and enjoy an Aperol spritz delivered to our room. That afternoon, we walked through town, window shopped, had gelato, and sat near the rocks and gazed at the beautiful coast. Then we returned to our hotel rooftop to enjoy some prosecco and snacks before sunset. We loved our spot!
The next day, we called a taxi to go to Alberobello. I think a taxi cost us 50 euros. We could have taken a bus, but we didn’t feel like walking to the stop and waiting for the next bus out. We wanted to avoid the crowds and go early, on our time. But had we planned better, the bus was not a bad idea. It would have been the more financially smart option, especially if you’re traveling solo. Alberobello was smaller than I expected. It was cute, but very crowded. I’m glad I got to see it, but I don’t think you need to spend long there. It’s just souvenirs and touristy restaurants.
From Alberobello, we walked a bit to catch a bus to Bari, then switched trains to get to Polignano a Mare. It was still a little too cold in May to get in the water, but people were swimming and laying out. The iconic beaches were beautiful, but definitely very touristy. We walked through the little town to the very crowded beach overlook. We stopped to have seafood sandwiches, and then left. It’s beautiful, but I’m not sure that I would recommend going out of your way to stop here. There wasn’t much to do.
On our third and last day in Monopoli, we walked twenty minutes to the train station to catch a train to Ostuni. Tickets can easily be purchased using their kiosks, but my friend purchased them in advance online using the app. The train ride to Ostuni was only about 20 minutes. Upon arrival, you have to purchase a bus ticket at the convenient store next door, then catch the bus to Ostuni located on the top of a hill. I loved Ostuni—the cobblestone, the white buildings, and the view from the top. Reminded me of Greece. We had lunch on a rooftop restaurant and, of course, had more Aperol spritz.
The food so far in Puglia was okay. There was an abundance of seafood options and red sauce, but not exactly what I had expected. The red sauces were lighter, not as bold, and their traditional pastas are the ring shaped ones. I prefer all my pasta in noodle form—spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle. The exception would be the occasional agnolotti or ravioli.
Lecce, Puglia:
We took a one hour train from Monopoli to Lecce, and from the train station, we walked to our hotel Tivoli. Our room was lovely and so was our daily breakfast. I loved that they have a candy jar in the lobby. By the time we got to this leg of our trip, I was so exhausted. It was day 11 of my trip because I had visited Croatia first. What I learned about myself from this trip (and finally have come to accept) is that I can’t travel for more than 10 days! 12 max. 7 days is perfect. And the thing is I really liked Lecce! The architecture was very different from northern Puglia. Plus, unlike Monopoli, it’s inland, no beach. Originally, we had wanted to do a day trip to another spot, either a city by the coast or another town, but I just didn’t think I could handle walking another 15K steps in a day in the heat and taking another train or bus. I just wanted to relax. So we spent our time in Lecce leisurely walking around the city and shopping. Lecce had the most beautiful churches, buildings, and amphitheater. We spent our last day at a Masseria Stali, a traditional Puglian farmhouse. We did an olive oil tasting and tour, and had a lovely traditional Puglian lunch outdoors at the farmhouse. They served a heavy, meaty pasta with thick strips of pasta. It wasn’t exactly noodles, it was more like a longer, thicker, and less curly version of fusilli. They also have vineyards and make their own wine. We paid $60 for a private car to take us. I believe the olive oil tasting was $30 each. The property also provides accommodations with beautiful rooms and a pool. This would be great for someone who wanted to relax and had their own car to drive into Lecce whenever they wanted to explore.
Rome:
We took a 6 hour train ride ($93) from Lecce back to Rome for one last night before returning to the USA. We booked a different hotel near the central train station called Una Hotels Deco. It was basic, but bigger than our first hotel. It was also conveniently located within walking distance of the station. My friend wanted to shop. I wanted to get gelato at Il Capriccio di Carla (the stracciatella was amazing!) and walk to the top of the Spanish steps and have a cocktail and snack at the Cielo Rooftop. We met up afterward for Vietnamese food at Pho Viet within walking distance of our hotel for our last meal😂. We were so pasta-ed out. I can never go too long without having my noodle soup comfort food.
Afterward, we had drinks at one of the 50 Best Bars called Drink Kong. We went early, walked there from the hotel, but it was sort of quiet. And it was also a Sunday night. The spot was big, dark, and indoors, so there was no view or anything. The cocktails were good, but I feel that the vibe was a bit average, maybe because we were early and it was empty. I don’t think I’d come here again. It’s probably a better spot later at night when you’re with a group.
General thoughts:
I had a great time on my European adventure, but I've come to a few conclusions. First, I don't need to go to Italy again. Lol. I've been at least five times! It's beautiful, but it's also very touristy, and I don't feel like it offers me anything new anymore. I know, controversial, considering it's where all the Americans seem to “summer.”
I've also finally accepted that I don't enjoy traveling for more than 10–12 days at a time. This trip was 16 days, and it was too much. Walking 10–15K steps a day wears me out. Every time I push my body too hard, I end up having an allergy attack and can barely function. I'm talking Benadryl and then completely conking out. And this was in May, before peak summer heat!
I suspected I had a low tolerance for long trips, but I don't think I fully accepted it until now. Puglia also required a lot of bouncing around, which made the trip even more exhausting. I always say I want to travel at a slower pace, yet I keep trying to maximize every trip. I need to get better about building in downtime to relax, read, and enjoy where I am without feeling like I need to see everything. And when my body needs a break, there's nothing wrong with calling an Uber!
Puglia was lovely, but it's a large region to explore. I think it would be better suited for a road trip, so you can explore at your own pace, or a trip focused on one area rather than traveling from northern to southern Puglia. But to each her own. You may like a jam-packed trip. I do not.
I'm grateful I got to explore a new region of Italy and discover Croatia for the first time. Dubrovnik reminded me how exciting it is to experience somewhere completely new. I'm already looking forward to my next adventure! Where should I go next?
