Day 5: Dubrovnik
(This entry was written by Steve W.) We awoke this morning to be greeted by views of the rugged Dalmatian coast. More grey than green, and quite mountainous. We slid past some smaller, outlying islands, on our way into the port of Dubrovnik. There is a spectacular new cable-stay bridge that towers over the harbor.
After being cleared by the local port authority, we were among the first passengers off the ship and onto the shuttle bus that would take us from the newer part of the city to the old part. The sea was amazingly azure and clear, and the sun was strong. No wonder this part of Europe is becoming the new hotspot for sunseekers!
The shuttle bus left us at the Pile gate of the old walled city. If you think of a giant fortress, with two corners overlooking the sea and the other two corners high and tucked into the sides of the steep hill. Upon entering the gate, it was like turning back the hands of time hundreds of years. No cars or motorized vehicles, the streets covered in polished stone (marble?), and the buildings about 3-4 stories tall. The broader streets were connected by mazes of shadowed, narrow streets. In some cases, those narrow streets would be an incredible climb of stairs that seemed to go almost as high as the city walls!
The first thing we did was to take a walk around the old city walls, which is approximately 6,500 feet long with over 500 steps. And believe me, there was no need to work out afterward – it was an incredible hike! But the vistas were stunning: the blue-green Adriatic, the narrow streets, the church domes glistening in the sun. And cats – cats everywhere! We decided that while Venice was a great place to be a dog, obviously Dubrovnik is the place where cats reign supreme.
It took the four of us about 90-120 minutes just to hike around the wall. It’s that long and it’s that steep in spots. And it’s still a living city: we would be walking along, smell wonderful cooking, look at laundry drying, see kids looking bored in class in parochial school, and smile at old women looking out their windows. There were lots of bougainvillea, making for incredible purple splashes on the tan and light gray walls.
By the time we had circumnavigated the wall, we were sweaty, tired and most of all, hungry! We happened upon a pleasant restaurant just off a square, and dined al fresco watching the passers-by. The food was nothing to right home about, but the chance to sit, relax, and replenish was most welcome. It was during this time we witnessed one of the more bizarre encounters of the trip: a small cat running by with a pigeon in its mouth, wing still flapping! It happened so fast there was no time to photograph it, but believe me: we’ll never forget it!
After lunch we meandered the narrow streets, stopping in at various stores. Tim and Rick saw a modernistic painting of three dogs with apples on their heads, and purchased that. Allan and I bought two smaller pieces that will eventually be framed (although if history is any indicator, they will sit rolled up in a closet for years). The other thing to buy in Dubrovnik is lace, and there were plenty of old women peddling it. But none of it interested us.
According to a blurb in the ship’s newsletter, Croatia is the birthplace of the necktie. It apparently started when Croatian women would tie colorful kerchiefs around their boyfriend/husband’s necks as they marched off to war. When the Croatian troops arrived in Paris during the 30 Years War in the 17th century, the kerchiefs became the toast of the court of Louis XIV. The kerchief was worn “a la Croate” (in the Croatian manner) and this word ultimately became the French word “cravate”. While all of this is probably true, you would expect that there would be necktie stores by the dozen in Dubrovnik. But we only found one, and it just happened to be the only one that was featured in the newsletter. Coincidence? I think not….
Compared to the Venetians, the Croatians seemed dour. No doubt this was one of the lingering effects from years of war. And people who went on an excursion outside the city said they still saw bombed-out buildings even 15 years after the last war. Very sad.
After Allan purchased a charming hat, we took the shuttle back to the ship and had a lie down. We got up to watch the ship pull away from the harbor and sail southward toward Greece.
That evening was the first formal night, and I must say that Allan and Tim and Rick looked smashing in their tuxedos!
After being cleared by the local port authority, we were among the first passengers off the ship and onto the shuttle bus that would take us from the newer part of the city to the old part. The sea was amazingly azure and clear, and the sun was strong. No wonder this part of Europe is becoming the new hotspot for sunseekers!
The shuttle bus left us at the Pile gate of the old walled city. If you think of a giant fortress, with two corners overlooking the sea and the other two corners high and tucked into the sides of the steep hill. Upon entering the gate, it was like turning back the hands of time hundreds of years. No cars or motorized vehicles, the streets covered in polished stone (marble?), and the buildings about 3-4 stories tall. The broader streets were connected by mazes of shadowed, narrow streets. In some cases, those narrow streets would be an incredible climb of stairs that seemed to go almost as high as the city walls!
The first thing we did was to take a walk around the old city walls, which is approximately 6,500 feet long with over 500 steps. And believe me, there was no need to work out afterward – it was an incredible hike! But the vistas were stunning: the blue-green Adriatic, the narrow streets, the church domes glistening in the sun. And cats – cats everywhere! We decided that while Venice was a great place to be a dog, obviously Dubrovnik is the place where cats reign supreme.
It took the four of us about 90-120 minutes just to hike around the wall. It’s that long and it’s that steep in spots. And it’s still a living city: we would be walking along, smell wonderful cooking, look at laundry drying, see kids looking bored in class in parochial school, and smile at old women looking out their windows. There were lots of bougainvillea, making for incredible purple splashes on the tan and light gray walls.
By the time we had circumnavigated the wall, we were sweaty, tired and most of all, hungry! We happened upon a pleasant restaurant just off a square, and dined al fresco watching the passers-by. The food was nothing to right home about, but the chance to sit, relax, and replenish was most welcome. It was during this time we witnessed one of the more bizarre encounters of the trip: a small cat running by with a pigeon in its mouth, wing still flapping! It happened so fast there was no time to photograph it, but believe me: we’ll never forget it!
After lunch we meandered the narrow streets, stopping in at various stores. Tim and Rick saw a modernistic painting of three dogs with apples on their heads, and purchased that. Allan and I bought two smaller pieces that will eventually be framed (although if history is any indicator, they will sit rolled up in a closet for years). The other thing to buy in Dubrovnik is lace, and there were plenty of old women peddling it. But none of it interested us.
According to a blurb in the ship’s newsletter, Croatia is the birthplace of the necktie. It apparently started when Croatian women would tie colorful kerchiefs around their boyfriend/husband’s necks as they marched off to war. When the Croatian troops arrived in Paris during the 30 Years War in the 17th century, the kerchiefs became the toast of the court of Louis XIV. The kerchief was worn “a la Croate” (in the Croatian manner) and this word ultimately became the French word “cravate”. While all of this is probably true, you would expect that there would be necktie stores by the dozen in Dubrovnik. But we only found one, and it just happened to be the only one that was featured in the newsletter. Coincidence? I think not….
Compared to the Venetians, the Croatians seemed dour. No doubt this was one of the lingering effects from years of war. And people who went on an excursion outside the city said they still saw bombed-out buildings even 15 years after the last war. Very sad.
After Allan purchased a charming hat, we took the shuttle back to the ship and had a lie down. We got up to watch the ship pull away from the harbor and sail southward toward Greece.
That evening was the first formal night, and I must say that Allan and Tim and Rick looked smashing in their tuxedos!
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