From Roman palaces to walled cities and dramatic coastlines – the Adriatic brings a sense of grandeur to a cruise.
And I was determined to soak it up during my stint on a 20-day trip with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, entitled ‘Exploring the Colourful Adriatic’.
It gave a flavour of what that part of the world has to offer: Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia and Kotor in Montenegro being the main ports of call.
But there was also plenty to do on board the ship for those days at sea.
Here were my top five highlights.
1. Dungeons (and dragons) in Split
But for fans like me, I was surprised when on a tour of the palace of Diocletian - the retirement home of the third century Roman emperor - our guide told us the fantasy show had also been filmed here.
The dungeons of the palace, also used as a huge cesspit in the Medieval period, doubled as the catacombs of the Meereen pyramid where Daenerys locks her dragons away, and also as her throne room.
Apparently locals were not best pleased about the filming to begin with – until they were paid handsomely for the inconvenience.
But there’s plenty else to impress for those who aren’t fantasy fans: the courtyard of the palace, which has its own Egyptian Sphinx, and the Cathedral of Saint Domnius.
One of the world’s oldest Catholic churches, it is built around the ransacked mausoleum of Diocletian, whose body was likely dumped in the dungeons by medieval Christians and ended up at the bottom of the Adriatic.
2. Having brandy shots before midday and then finding a tiny beach in Dubrovnik
But as the tourism industry it lives on continues to grow, so too do the surrounding villages.
We took a coach tour through the nearby Konavle region to see what else is on offer and ended up in a rustic family villa, where we were greeted by a woman in traditional dress who offered us candied figs and a shot of potent grape brandy called rakia – a cousin of Italy’s grappa – which woke us up for a tour of the homestead, including a press used to make olive oil in years gone by.
The wine then continued to flow with a lunch of olives, bread and cheese while musicians regaled us with traditional song, so much so that I was fancying a lie down on a sunny beach by the time we were ready to leave.
Despite being a short drive away from the cliff-encircled Pasjača Beach – voted the best in the world – we had a coach to catch, so when we returned to Dubrovnik, we were on a mission.
Thankfully, my friend who was with me on the trip had found one just last year on a visit to Dubrovnik.
A short stroll from the old town and facing the peacock-infested island of Lokrum across the water, Banje Beach proved just the spot to admire the views and reinvigorate – with a dip in the sea and a coffee from the beach bar - before heading back into the historic city centre for more sightseeing.
One of the quirks of cruising is that you can combine the busy pace of a sightseeing break with the relaxation of a resort holiday, all in one trip.
Sea days are a perfect excuse for some rest and relaxation – so we made the most of ours by getting a cocktail of the day and sitting by the pool on the Lido Deck as we watched the sea stretch into the horizon.
It was also a good opportunity to work off the late night suppers and afternoon teas from the buffet which were supplementing our calorie intake.
The gym facilities on board the Bolette had everything you’d need for a decent workout – with fabulous views to boot.
Next door is the Atlantis Spa, where I indulged in a Swedish head, back and neck massage and a facial.
The former, my preferred treatment of the two, left me feeling I’d gotten my fifty pounds-worth: for the half-hour session my masseuse tackled the troublesome knots in my neck, which while intense felt great afterwards – and the head massage was so relaxing I think I snored at some point during proceedings.
A hidden gem also lies on the Sports Deck at the top of the ship: The Olsen Art Studio.
Our lovely instructor and artist-in-residence Rachel Ashworth-Jerem (who also goes by the name YellowBelly Art) gave us a crash course in how to use watercolours creatively, from flicking a loaded paintbrush to create spatters, to adding salt and cling film to wet areas to create different textures in the pigment once dry.
My first attempt at painting a city scene from Split looked a bit like an acid trip – but I was happy enough with the floral painting I did during our second session that it now hangs on my wall. A lovely keepsake of the trip.
4. Indulge in some on-board entertainment
And the entertainment here matched the upgrade: a personal favourite was a Glee-inspired show which allowed the ship’s cast members to show off their pipes, particularly during a Celine Dion medley.
While at sea, we popped by to take part in a quirkier bit of fun during the day: a Sherlock Holmes-themed murder mystery script reading, in which the audience had to guess the missing words from musical cues played by the ship’s pianist.
Were we any good? Not really. Was the audience entertained? Yes.
Special mention also must go to the silent disco in The Observatory, the ship’s home of late-night entertainment, which had us dancing the night away – and in need of the aforementioned massage.
5. Visit a man-made island in Europe’s most southerly ‘fjord’
Despite not being formed by glaciers, it has nonetheless been nicknamed Europe’s most southerly fjord due to a resemblance to its Nordic cousins – and is no less picturesque.
For some of the most breath-taking views, you can take a coach into the mountains or do as we did and take a boat tour to an island with a fascinating story.
A stone’s throw from a Benedictine monastery, Our Lady of the Rocks is situated in the middle of the bay.
Legend has it that in the 15th Century, two seafaring brothers from nearby Perast spotted a painting of the Madonna and Child on a rock in the bay – and saw it as a divine sign to build a church on the spot.
Over the coming centuries, ships filled with stones were sunk here to form the foundations of the island and the church that sits upon it.
The painting still sits price of place above the gilded altar and below a ceiling covered in a fresco by local artist Lovro Dobričević, surrounded by walls adorned with 2,000 silver plates given as offerings by seamen as thanks for their safe return.
Back on the mainland, the town of Kotor has a similar feel to Dubrovnik: a walled city which feels like a warp back into the Medieval times.
For those with 15 euros and strong knees, you can climb up the battlements into the surrounding mountains for another superb view – or failing that, take a wander through the winding alleys of the town for a slice of pizza from one of several bustling stalls and find a bench not covered in sleeping cats to eat it on.
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