“We first came to Dubrovnik in 1976 and apart from a break because of the war in 1991 we have been coming to Dubrovnik every year since,” explained Kay and Harry Bassnett as they sat in the favourite cafe bar Antika in Lapad. This English couple are truly loyal guests to Dubrovnik, they know the city like the back of their hand. Over the years, and in total they have been more than fifty times, they have not only built up a knowledge of the history and culture but have also made many friends. It would seem that Dubrovnik is their home away from home. “In the last three years we have been here six times, we love it here, the people are so friendly and helpful, and it is so safe. We feel like we can walk around at three o’clock in the morning and it will be safe,” added Harry.

Three large beers for a pound

They have stayed in various hotels and private apartments around the city, as well as holidays in Mlini and Cavtat, but in recent years they have focused on Lapad. “I remember we stayed in Hotel Argosy in 1978 the year it opened,” commented Harry. They have their own routine, and this time they had come for over a month, they know their favourite restaurants and beaches and they obviously enjoy the “relaxed way of life.” “We like the fact that there is no crime here, you can leave your wallet on the table and nobody would take it,” smiled Kay. When asked to compare Dubrovnik now and before forty years the couple commented that they believed that the general population has a better standard of living today. “Of course it is much more expensive today, in the past when we spent dinars you literally couldn’t spend all your money, we used to go home with piles of dinar,” laughed the pair. “We used to get three large beers for a pound and a plate full of oysters for a pound,” remembered Harry with a wry smile. The pair from Nottingshire, England will continue coming to Dubrovnik, in fact they have already booked the next trip to Dubrovnik in September.

Kay and Harry Bassnett