Dubrovnik
We anchored off the walled city of Dubrovnik and took a tender to the old port. The day was beautiful and the morning was the perfect time for our guides Danijela and Daria to introduce us to the city first known as Ragusa. Dubrovnik sits on a rocky promontory which was first settled by inhabitants of the Roman outpost of Epidarium (at Cavtat) around the 7th century following an earthquake. As we sat in the shade in front of the Palace of the Rector, who was elected for a one-month term in a Venetian style of government, flocks of swifts flew overhead in the clear blue sky. From the 13th century until the arrival of Napoleon's forces, Dubrovnik had managed to retain its more or less independent status as a city-state thanks to shrewd negotiations with the Byzantine, Venetian, and then Ottoman Empires. The city's motto of “Libertas” appears along with representations of its patron saint Vlaho (Blaise) rather than the lion of St. Mark. We then moved to Ploce Gate to view the statue of Orlando (AKA Roland). The statue faces the Dugana (Customs Building) and the length of this forearm – 51.2 centimeters - served for centuries as the primary unit of measurement.
We ambled along the main promenade Stradun (originally a channel separating the lower level of the original settlement from the upper level which was later settled by Slavs), stopping from time to time to admire the charming alleys with balconies of flowers and laundry overhead. We stopped at Onofrio's fountain which provides fresh drinking water for the city and entered the Franciscan monastery which boasts not only the oldest continually operating pharmacy in Europe but also houses a number of relics, vestments and votive jewelry typical of Dubrovnik and Konavle.
Once outside we ascended the stairs at Pile Gate to begin our walk around the famous walls of Dubrovnik. From the seaward side we could see the island of Lokrum (a former Benedictine Monastery and refuge for a shipwrecked Richard the Lion-Hearted). Below us the old and new clay tile roofs presented a moving juxtaposition of the old and new. We could also observe the daily life of the inhabitants of the old city and hear the laughter of school children.
We descended the stairs at Ploce Gate and visited the farmers market before returning to the Panorama for a quick swim in the harbor to cool off. After the heat of the day had broken we returned for some free time to explore the city streets with its churches, museums and shops. At 6 we met at the Dominican monastery for a magnificent concert by “Ostro Konavli,” a traditional Croatian klapa (a capello) group. A memorable day in the city described by Lord Byron as the Pearl of the Adriatic.
We anchored off the walled city of Dubrovnik and took a tender to the old port. The day was beautiful and the morning was the perfect time for our guides Danijela and Daria to introduce us to the city first known as Ragusa. Dubrovnik sits on a rocky promontory which was first settled by inhabitants of the Roman outpost of Epidarium (at Cavtat) around the 7th century following an earthquake. As we sat in the shade in front of the Palace of the Rector, who was elected for a one-month term in a Venetian style of government, flocks of swifts flew overhead in the clear blue sky. From the 13th century until the arrival of Napoleon's forces, Dubrovnik had managed to retain its more or less independent status as a city-state thanks to shrewd negotiations with the Byzantine, Venetian, and then Ottoman Empires. The city's motto of “Libertas” appears along with representations of its patron saint Vlaho (Blaise) rather than the lion of St. Mark. We then moved to Ploce Gate to view the statue of Orlando (AKA Roland). The statue faces the Dugana (Customs Building) and the length of this forearm – 51.2 centimeters - served for centuries as the primary unit of measurement.
We ambled along the main promenade Stradun (originally a channel separating the lower level of the original settlement from the upper level which was later settled by Slavs), stopping from time to time to admire the charming alleys with balconies of flowers and laundry overhead. We stopped at Onofrio's fountain which provides fresh drinking water for the city and entered the Franciscan monastery which boasts not only the oldest continually operating pharmacy in Europe but also houses a number of relics, vestments and votive jewelry typical of Dubrovnik and Konavle.
Once outside we ascended the stairs at Pile Gate to begin our walk around the famous walls of Dubrovnik. From the seaward side we could see the island of Lokrum (a former Benedictine Monastery and refuge for a shipwrecked Richard the Lion-Hearted). Below us the old and new clay tile roofs presented a moving juxtaposition of the old and new. We could also observe the daily life of the inhabitants of the old city and hear the laughter of school children.
We descended the stairs at Ploce Gate and visited the farmers market before returning to the Panorama for a quick swim in the harbor to cool off. After the heat of the day had broken we returned for some free time to explore the city streets with its churches, museums and shops. At 6 we met at the Dominican monastery for a magnificent concert by “Ostro Konavli,” a traditional Croatian klapa (a capello) group. A memorable day in the city described by Lord Byron as the Pearl of the Adriatic.
