I can’t believe we’ve been on the road for 90 days now. That’s crazy.

We planned to wake up and drive to Montenegro. There are two incredible towns about 2 hours away, so we want to make the trip while we’re here. But last night Stefan was unusually tired, and everyone sleeps in today. Either we’re coming down with a little cold or we’re just overdoing it somehow. Either way, they need their sleep. Lillian and I get up around 8:45am, and Stefan and Oly stay in bed until at least 9:15am.

Because we went to the store last night, we have a well-stocked breakfast of toast, cereal and juice. The showers. All this to say that it’s after 11am before we walk to our car. We choke down the incredible cost of parking for a day and a half and drive south along the water. The view is incredible, and I’m surprised by how many large yachts are in water here. About 15 minutes down the road, Stefan realizes we don’t have our passports. We definitely aren’t going to Montenegro without them, so we turn around. At this point is 11:30, and we second-guess this whole plan. We don’t want it to be rushed and feel like we’re spending the whole day in the car.

So we decide to go to another town here in Croatia instead. Cavtat is only 30 minutes south along the coast, and it’s supposed to be a cute little town to explore. We park on the marina. It’s such a beautiful day, and it feels good to be by the water.

Cavtat is a small town. We walk from one side to the other in less than ten minutes. The kids get very excited when we spot a playground. It’s right on the water and in the shade, so we say go for it. There’s a restaurant next door, but Stefan wants to check out all the other options to find one he’s “vibing”. He comes back and says to just eat here. I think all the places are fairly average touristy spots. The kids play for at least an hour on this playground that has only two swings, a teeter-totter and some other springy thing. I’m shocked how long they remain entertained. Stefan and I sit at a table looking out at the water and the kids playing. It’s really lovely.

Stefan and I both struggle today to enjoy things to the degree we should. Stefan is still so tired he’s barely functioning, and I have a solid headache. I also think we’re a little disappointed the day didn’t go as planned. But we are sitting in this incredible place, so we need to suck it up and enjoy it!

The kids play for about two hours on this pathetic playground. It really is amazing. We finally peel them away to search for a beach. There’s a little spot near town where you can rent two chairs and an umbrella for 90 kroner. Done. There are a couple places to get straight into the water, and there’s also a nice little pebble beach for the kids. Oly plays well there, but Lillian is bored. She wants to swim, but when I get in, she won’t come with me. But she’s not satisfied playing with Oly on the beach either. And Stefan isn’t feeling well. Again, it feels like we are forcing fun when it should be easy.

The kids and I get some drinks and sit in the chairs by the water. It’s calm and happy for a good ten minutes. Then they start fussing, and we realize it really is time to go. We pack it up and go back to the car.

When we drive into Dubrovnik, we’re determined to find a place to park other than that ridiculous parking garage. We drive down a street that we’re pretty sure says “don’t drive this way” and found a spot only a couple blocks from our apartment! And it’s only 10 kroner/hour and free at night. This is a huge win for us right now.

We have a relaxing night at home. I make yummy chicken with arugula salad and pesto pasta. It’s nice to have a healthy delicious meal at home. We all go to bed early in hopes of a better-rested tomorrow.