Dubrovnik
The morning air was crisp and the wind quite cool as we traveled by tender to the Old Harbor and entered the city of Dubrovnik through the Ploèe Gate. As we stood in front of the statue of Orlando (the length of his forearm - 51.2 centimeters - served for centuries as the primary unit of measurement in the town), our guides Danijela and Paulina gave us a brief history of this beautiful city.
Dubrovnik started out as a settlement to the south of its present location in Cavtat (Epidarium), first settled by Illyrians and then used by the Greeks as a trading outpost, and later by the Romans. In the 7th century the inhabitants resettled on the rocky promontory of what is now the Old Town, either because of the influx of Slavic tribes or because of an earthquake (depending upon which source you choose to rely). The original name of Dubrovnik is Ragusa (possibly from the Greek word lausa - "rock"). The wide street Stradun separated the nobility from the commoners who lived up the slopes of Mt. Srdj. The current name Dubrovnik comes from the Slavic word dubrava (oak) since the hills were covered with oak trees until the Venetians cut them down to use for ship building. Since the 13th century until the arrival of Napoleon's troops in 1808, Dubrovnik managed to maintain its status as an independent city-state through shrewd negotiations with the Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman Empires. One salient mark of this independence is the noticeable lack of the Venetian lion which we saw everywhere in Hvar and Korèula, as well as its slogan “Libertas”. Instead of the lion of St. Mark, St. Blaise is everywhere cradling the city in the palm of his hand. We meandered through the picturesque alleys, past the farmers market, towards Onofrio's Fountain (which provides the city with fresh drinking water) and entered the Franciscan Monastery which houses the oldest continually operating pharmacy in Europe as well as a number of relics and jewelry typical of Dubrovnik.
At Pile Gate is the entrance to the walls of Dubrovnik and we climbed up and commenced our circumnavigation. The weather remained cool and most of us were able to complete the entire circle. We had a clear view of nearby Mt. Srdj from which the city was bombarded, and predominance of the new tile roofs was evidence of the city's most recent reconstruction. The resilient inhabitants of this UNESCO site collected all the old remaining clay tiles in order that the top layer of the roof of the Franciscan monastery would retain its medieval look.
The afternoon was spent at leisure. Some investigated the streets, shops and restaurants above Stradun, while others returned to the ship for lunch (some of us with tasty treats from the farmers market). After lunch we had the option of riding out to the Trsteno Arboretum. The typical Dubrovnik Renaissance garden provided a respite from the afternoon crowds in the Old Town, and we discovered both native and non-native plants throughout the 63 acres of vegetation. The Renaissance villa (reconstructed shortly after the 1667 earthquake) hosts pergolas, fountains and olive press emphasized the unity of land and sea so characteristic of this area. Back in the Old Town at 6 pm the Dominican Monastery closed its doors and we gathered in its cloister for a magnificent concert by the award-winning klapa group “Ostro Konavli”. Following their performance of traditional a cappella songs, the group launched an impromptu round of traditional Dubrovnik songs that were so captivating that several Alpine Swifts in the nearby trees were compelled to add their voices. It was truly a magical day in the city described by Lord Byron as the Pearl of the Adriatic.
The morning air was crisp and the wind quite cool as we traveled by tender to the Old Harbor and entered the city of Dubrovnik through the Ploèe Gate. As we stood in front of the statue of Orlando (the length of his forearm - 51.2 centimeters - served for centuries as the primary unit of measurement in the town), our guides Danijela and Paulina gave us a brief history of this beautiful city.
Dubrovnik started out as a settlement to the south of its present location in Cavtat (Epidarium), first settled by Illyrians and then used by the Greeks as a trading outpost, and later by the Romans. In the 7th century the inhabitants resettled on the rocky promontory of what is now the Old Town, either because of the influx of Slavic tribes or because of an earthquake (depending upon which source you choose to rely). The original name of Dubrovnik is Ragusa (possibly from the Greek word lausa - "rock"). The wide street Stradun separated the nobility from the commoners who lived up the slopes of Mt. Srdj. The current name Dubrovnik comes from the Slavic word dubrava (oak) since the hills were covered with oak trees until the Venetians cut them down to use for ship building. Since the 13th century until the arrival of Napoleon's troops in 1808, Dubrovnik managed to maintain its status as an independent city-state through shrewd negotiations with the Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman Empires. One salient mark of this independence is the noticeable lack of the Venetian lion which we saw everywhere in Hvar and Korèula, as well as its slogan “Libertas”. Instead of the lion of St. Mark, St. Blaise is everywhere cradling the city in the palm of his hand. We meandered through the picturesque alleys, past the farmers market, towards Onofrio's Fountain (which provides the city with fresh drinking water) and entered the Franciscan Monastery which houses the oldest continually operating pharmacy in Europe as well as a number of relics and jewelry typical of Dubrovnik.
At Pile Gate is the entrance to the walls of Dubrovnik and we climbed up and commenced our circumnavigation. The weather remained cool and most of us were able to complete the entire circle. We had a clear view of nearby Mt. Srdj from which the city was bombarded, and predominance of the new tile roofs was evidence of the city's most recent reconstruction. The resilient inhabitants of this UNESCO site collected all the old remaining clay tiles in order that the top layer of the roof of the Franciscan monastery would retain its medieval look.
The afternoon was spent at leisure. Some investigated the streets, shops and restaurants above Stradun, while others returned to the ship for lunch (some of us with tasty treats from the farmers market). After lunch we had the option of riding out to the Trsteno Arboretum. The typical Dubrovnik Renaissance garden provided a respite from the afternoon crowds in the Old Town, and we discovered both native and non-native plants throughout the 63 acres of vegetation. The Renaissance villa (reconstructed shortly after the 1667 earthquake) hosts pergolas, fountains and olive press emphasized the unity of land and sea so characteristic of this area. Back in the Old Town at 6 pm the Dominican Monastery closed its doors and we gathered in its cloister for a magnificent concert by the award-winning klapa group “Ostro Konavli”. Following their performance of traditional a cappella songs, the group launched an impromptu round of traditional Dubrovnik songs that were so captivating that several Alpine Swifts in the nearby trees were compelled to add their voices. It was truly a magical day in the city described by Lord Byron as the Pearl of the Adriatic.
