Dubrovnik, Croatia
We approached the ramparts of Dubrovnik with unseasonable swells and an unsettled sky, strange for an Adriatic June. The transfer into the local tender boat was an adventure that demanded skillful seamanship, but we were soon ashore and in awe of the limestone and marble at the old town docks of one of Europe’s finest medieval cities. It is hard to imagine that Dubrovnik was so devastated by the great siege of 1991, when the Serbian army lofted shells and cut off water and electricity for 100 days in an effort to destroy the pearl of the Adriatic. But the Croatian people were proud and strong, and today Dubrovnik has been rebuilt and thrives on its architectural magnificence and its cosmopolitan attitude.
We took a walk up the main pedestrian street of Stradun, stopping in at the Franciscan monastery which houses Europe’s oldest apothecary. Many of us then hiked up the city walls with our guides Paulina and Lydia for tremendous views of the city and the surrounding mountains and sea. Busloads of people started to fill the lower city and the skies began to clear. By the time we descended from the city walls the lower town was feeling a bit hot and crowded. While some of us stayed in town for lunch, most of us went back to Panorama for lunch and a midday rest.
Shuttles took us back into town for the afternoon to explore the side streets, before we all gathered at the Dominican Monastery for a private performance of the local “klapa”. Klapa is a form of a capella singing that is popular, traditional, and competitive among groups of young Croatian men, but little could prepare us for the emotional transience of “Ostro Konavle” in the cloister of the monastery. It was an unforgettable experience, with a very personal feeling and a dazzle of alpine swifts circling the background bell tower. We all returned to the docks in something like a trance.
Many of us stayed in town to enjoy dinner and the evening lights on Dubrovnik’s shiny limestone, while others returned to Panorama for a beautiful dinner at anchor. It was an exceptional finale of our visit to Croatia.
We approached the ramparts of Dubrovnik with unseasonable swells and an unsettled sky, strange for an Adriatic June. The transfer into the local tender boat was an adventure that demanded skillful seamanship, but we were soon ashore and in awe of the limestone and marble at the old town docks of one of Europe’s finest medieval cities. It is hard to imagine that Dubrovnik was so devastated by the great siege of 1991, when the Serbian army lofted shells and cut off water and electricity for 100 days in an effort to destroy the pearl of the Adriatic. But the Croatian people were proud and strong, and today Dubrovnik has been rebuilt and thrives on its architectural magnificence and its cosmopolitan attitude.
We took a walk up the main pedestrian street of Stradun, stopping in at the Franciscan monastery which houses Europe’s oldest apothecary. Many of us then hiked up the city walls with our guides Paulina and Lydia for tremendous views of the city and the surrounding mountains and sea. Busloads of people started to fill the lower city and the skies began to clear. By the time we descended from the city walls the lower town was feeling a bit hot and crowded. While some of us stayed in town for lunch, most of us went back to Panorama for lunch and a midday rest.
Shuttles took us back into town for the afternoon to explore the side streets, before we all gathered at the Dominican Monastery for a private performance of the local “klapa”. Klapa is a form of a capella singing that is popular, traditional, and competitive among groups of young Croatian men, but little could prepare us for the emotional transience of “Ostro Konavle” in the cloister of the monastery. It was an unforgettable experience, with a very personal feeling and a dazzle of alpine swifts circling the background bell tower. We all returned to the docks in something like a trance.
Many of us stayed in town to enjoy dinner and the evening lights on Dubrovnik’s shiny limestone, while others returned to Panorama for a beautiful dinner at anchor. It was an exceptional finale of our visit to Croatia.
