At dawn, the Sea Cloud was already approaching our morning anchorage just east of the old walled city of Dubrovnik. The limestone walls began to glow in the morning light as the sun topped the hills, and the early photographers were taking advantage.
At 9 AM, we arrived at the landing site near the east entrance to the city and the polished limestone walkways were already warm. The best way to begin a day in Dubrovnik is with a guided walking tour. Walking through the main square, past churches and bell towers, then up the narrow alleys, you can easily imagine yourself inside a bustling 15th-century metropolis, filled with commerce and trades people and seafarers from all corners of the Mediterranean.
The tops of the city walls seem like wide avenues with sweeping views of the hills above and the city below. Just to the east, the Sea Cloud’s tall masts and golden figurehead only add to the illusion of living in the past, where sailing ships would have filled the port. The modern yachts that surround her in the anchorage seem so out of place here.
What is hard to imagine is the damage this UNESCO city suffered in early 1990s, when the Serbs bombed the city from the distant hills. We are fortunate that the fighting is long over, and the city has been rebuilt.
Avoiding the afternoon heat, a few guests go swimming in the cool Adriatic waters to gain some refuge from the midday sun. The rest of us find a place to relax in the shade, with a book or a quick nap.
Before dinner, we go ashore again to attend a private performance of a local singing group, Klapa Ostro. The venue is the inside the garden of a monastery, and the acoustics are perfect for their stunning a cappella harmonies.
As the sun sets, we make plans for dinning ashore or back on Sea Cloud. In either case, we will all have one last chance to explore Dubrovnik tonight under the stars.
