Croatia

Stefi says the man wanted some details about traveling, but she politely explained that she didn't have them, and the man got belligerent and stormed out in a huff. "And as he was opening the door," Stefi says, "he turned and he looked at me. And he said, 'I wish we had killed all of you when we had the chance.' "

And now she's the third person crying at our dinner party.

"The risotto is ready," Marija says, in a voice that's too cheerful and loud. "Mangia. Let's eat."

Hugs and Strudel

The morning we leave Croatia, we're in a fog. The Milky Way still sparkles as we lock the house at 5 a.m. and lug our suitcases up the cliff. By the time we get to the airport we're waking up just enough to feel sorry for ourselves: We have to leave Dubrovnik and go back to reality.

But at exactly 6:15 a.m., Antun and Marija walk through the airport doors. "I made strudel for your trip," Marija says, and we peek under the wrapper at little pillows bulging with apples and raisins. She and Antun give us big hugs.

That's our last memory of Dubrovnik: Antun and Marija standing at the metal detector, waving as we board the airplane, cradling packets of impossibly flaky pastry in our arms.

Daniel Zwerdling-Rothschild is a senior correspondent with National Public Radio. Barbara Zwerdling- Rothschild is a psychotherapist and freelance writer.

Details: Croatia

GETTING THERE: Getting to Dubrovnik, Croatia, can take some juggling, especially if you're trying to save money. Under frequent-flier constraints, we flew a complicated route from Washington to Boston to Zurich to Zagreb to Dubrovnik. No matter what, you'll have to connect at least twice to get there. Choices include flying Austrian Airlines from Dulles to Vienna, then take Tyrolean Airlines or Croatia Airlines to Dubrovnik via Zagreb. Or, fly United, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic to London, then hop on a Croatia Airlines flight to Dubrovnik via Zagreb. Round-trip fare is about $1,775 for summer travel, $885 for fall. You can also fly to Rome, catch a train to the Italian port of Bari and take an overnight ferry to Dubrovnik.

WHERE TO STAY: The Villa Dubrovnik (Vlaha Bukovca 6, www.villa-dubrovnik.hr) is a cozy hotel with great views, about a half-mile outside of Old Town. Rates start at about $150, double. The nearby Villa Orsula (Frana Supila 14, www.hoteli-argentina.hr/index.html) is also recommended, at about the same rates.

Or you can rent a house. We found ours through a friend -- it had never been listed before. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a main kitchen, two mini-kitchens with extra refrigerators, a large outdoor terrace and swimming pool, it rented for $5,500 for one month, but current rates may vary. For information, e-mail the owners' daughter-in-law, Marijana, at vicko.soko@du.hinet.hr.

Dubrovnik is just beginning to develop a rental house market, but many apartments are available. The Croatian National Tourist Office (see below) lists more than 25 firms who can help arrange private accommodations. Here are some options:

• Gulliver Travel and Tourism Agency, telephone 011-385-20-419-109, www.gulliver.hr.

• Atlas Travel and Tourism Agency, telephone 011-385-20-442-222, www.atlas-croatia.com.

• Refika Knezevic, telephone 011-385-20-412-521, e-mail ilija.knezevic@du.tel.hr.

These agencies can also help arrange bookings at B&Bs, where rooms start at $20 per night. Or you can find rooms last minute by driving along the coast and looking for signs proclaiming "Zimmer-Chambres-Camere."

WHERE TO EAT: Most of the restaurants we recommend -- in fact, most restaurants on the Croatian coast -- specialize in the sort of simple, super-fresh Mediterranean dishes you'd expect to find in Italy: whole grilled fish and steaks, grilled or fried calamari, risotto, arugula salads. Expect to pay $25 to $60 for two, including drinks, tax and tip. Note: Steak costs less than fish.

Orhan (Od Tabakarije 1), tucked in a cove at the base of the fortified walls, might be the best restaurant near Old Town. It's lively, relaxed and never pompous. Sesame (Dante Alighieri bb), just outside the fortified walls, resembles a terrace at a country villa and prepares lovely fish and zucchini carpaccio. Buffet Skola (Vl Dinka Popovic), a few steps off the Stradun, serves local cheese and ham on thick slabs of bread. Villa Dubrovnik (Vlaha Bukovca 6) offers a romantic setting for lunch.

Near Dubrovnik, Pansion Mali Raj (HR-20235 Zaton Veliki 99) serves huge platters of great food on Zaton Bay, 20 minutes from Old Town . At Orsan (Zaton Mali), which offers deceptively simple meals under a thatched awning on the shore of Zaton Bay, we were served the best fried calamari we've ever had. Stara Mlinica, an hour by taxi boat from Dubrovnik on the nearby island of Sipan, has good food overlooking a tiny harbor that feels as if the tourist world passed it by.

INFORMATION: Croatian National Tourist Office, 800-829- 4416, www.htz.hr.