Dubrovnik, Croatia
History has a way of pouncing on one suddenly, causing awe and enthusiasm. This is Dubrovnik. The city is set on the charming harbor of Cavtat, with its overpowering background of karstic mountains. With its towering walls built in the 13th century, Dubrovnik includes such marvelous sites as the oldest operating pharmacy in Europe (see photo). It is enclosed in the Franciscan Monastery, one of the important sites of the city. Morning was spent visiting these places, as well as the remarkable city walls, with seven different fortified towers or "castles.” After the Rector's Palace and the Cathedral, we had time to walk around a bit on our own.
In the early afternoon, some of us visited the nearby small village of Trsteno, which has one of the largest and finest arboretums. The two largest sycamore trees of Europe are to be seen here, as well as huge Italian cypresses. One of the big attractions of the park is the old olive-oil press and grinder, magnificent dusty implements of a bygone era. From here we traveled to the town of Ston, situated on the narrow isthmus connecting the Peljesac peninsula with the mainland, where we visited the second largest fortified walls of the world (after The Great Wall of China), built to protect the area against direct attacks of pirates and others, seeking that which made the wealth of the area: salt. These pans were in use during the Dubrovnic Republic, and salt is still produced here. A light snack there ended the lovely afternoon.
Another group of us went horseback riding on the peaceful trails of the Konavle Valley coastline. At the end of the ride we were offered a refreshing drink and a light snack.
The highlight of the evening was an enchanting performance by our own electrician's klapa song group, "Oštro-Konavle.”
History has a way of pouncing on one suddenly, causing awe and enthusiasm. This is Dubrovnik. The city is set on the charming harbor of Cavtat, with its overpowering background of karstic mountains. With its towering walls built in the 13th century, Dubrovnik includes such marvelous sites as the oldest operating pharmacy in Europe (see photo). It is enclosed in the Franciscan Monastery, one of the important sites of the city. Morning was spent visiting these places, as well as the remarkable city walls, with seven different fortified towers or "castles.” After the Rector's Palace and the Cathedral, we had time to walk around a bit on our own.
In the early afternoon, some of us visited the nearby small village of Trsteno, which has one of the largest and finest arboretums. The two largest sycamore trees of Europe are to be seen here, as well as huge Italian cypresses. One of the big attractions of the park is the old olive-oil press and grinder, magnificent dusty implements of a bygone era. From here we traveled to the town of Ston, situated on the narrow isthmus connecting the Peljesac peninsula with the mainland, where we visited the second largest fortified walls of the world (after The Great Wall of China), built to protect the area against direct attacks of pirates and others, seeking that which made the wealth of the area: salt. These pans were in use during the Dubrovnic Republic, and salt is still produced here. A light snack there ended the lovely afternoon.
Another group of us went horseback riding on the peaceful trails of the Konavle Valley coastline. At the end of the ride we were offered a refreshing drink and a light snack.
The highlight of the evening was an enchanting performance by our own electrician's klapa song group, "Oštro-Konavle.”