Monday 25 May
Our walking tour of Dubrovnik,
held in torrential rain, ensured our dislike for that well-touristed town. So we ducked out after the Rector's Palace,
saw a totally unexpected Memling diptych as well as the expected Titian at the
Dominican monastery, and headed out for lunch.
Once again, a little research in "Time
Out Croatia" saved the day, though nothing could save the night.
We started at the tiny Lucin
Kantun, where we had a few small plates: fish paté of tuna and anchovy, artistic
smoked salmon on ribbon rolls of zucchini with a dusting of red caviar,
monkfish wrapped in bacon on a scallop shell with greens, and tiny lamb
brochettes in an intriguing honey and lavender sauce, which we will try to duplicate
at home.
Astoundingly, they also offered Bartul
Grk by the glass, so we had to try it, as well as a glass of Lipanović Vugava (new grape!).
To get to Lucin Kantun, we had had
to pass a gantlet of restaurants touting fresh oysters, and Holt had caught a
craving. Lucin Kantun didn't have oysters,
so in our last 20 minutes before the bus left, we made a run for the place
suggested by "Time Out," Oyster and Sushi Bar Bota.
Their outside patio was empty
after the rain, but a kind waiter seated us, and hearing our time constraints, immediately
brought out a couple of chilled glasses of white wine, and then a dozen of the
best from the oyster beds of Ston, all within 15 minutes. These bursting-crisp briny beauties even
surpassed the exquisitely-dressed half dozen we'd had at Paradigma; in our
opinion, flavor and freshness beat prep and fuss.
This made us happy enough to
overlook that night's dinner of three sorts of mystery meats and limp cabbage at
the Hotel Katarina in a benighted exurb, Dugopolje, 15 km. outside Split. At least we now know enough to bring our own
water bottle to hotel dinners.
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