Pandemic Diaries - Mediterranean Cruise - Dubrovnik, Croatia

24 October 2022 – Dubrovnik, Croatia

 

Wow, Dubrovnik!  Who ever expected to visit Dubrovnik!  Okay, some people recognize this Medieval walled city from the series “Game of Thrones.”  I’m not a viewer, so I really had no idea how incredibly gorgeous this city is, as well as how well preserved.

 

Our first stop on our Mediterranean cruise was historic Dubrovnik, Croatia.  This relatively new country was part of the former Yugoslavia, but declared its independence in 1991.  So the country itself is just over 30 years old.

 

However, Dubrovnik dates back to roughly the 7^th century, so that’s pre-to-early Middle Ages or Medieval.  It has a long history of being taken over by other empires, defending itself against them and being independent, then being taken over by other marauders.  That’s why the old city is within thick thick walls, to keep the citizens safe from all those various invaders.

 

The old city is inside a huge fort, with walls so thick there are guard rooms inside the wall, now turned into little shops.  These huge walls date back to about the 12^th to 17^th centuries.  Walls so wide, two horses and a chariot or carriage could drive around the ramparts.  (Maybe even two carriages going in opposite directions!)  Walls so deep, there are indented niches with special holes for arrows or guns or cannons to be shot at invaders or enemies.  Walls with gates and arches and studded doors so huge, a dragon could fly through them!

To get into the city, one crosses drawbridges that are now permanently opened, crossing over filled-in moats.  The pulleys and weights are still hanging by the giant studded doors, which once kept the inhabitants safe during invasions and sieges for centuries.

 

The city inside the fort is equally huge, blocks and blocks in all directions.  Some roads lead to other gates, some turn into stairs leading up to the wall around the city.  There are civic buildings, churches, monasteries, shops, restaurants, and homes all packed into this fortress.

 

Other roads lead to the gate opening onto the port, this gem of the Adriatic.  There are now ferries, rental boats, sailboats, canoes and kayaks – most seem to be either for tourists or personal pleasure crafts, but there may have been some fishing boats.

 

The walls of the fort as well as all the buildings within seem to be made from the same rough white to pale grey stone.  (I looked it up, it’s limestone.). It didn’t look as if it was eroding at all, but I only wandered through the complex for a couple of hours, and didn’t get into every nook and cranny.

 

It really was fascinating to just wander and look at the architecture.  The buildings covered a range of eras and styles, but everything was solid and built to last.  There was a major earthquake and fire in the mid 1600s, and something like three-quarters of the buildings were destroyed and then rebuilt.  Some parts of the original fortress walls were destroyed and were rebuilt, but many parts are still the original walls.

 

The streets, however, were a different stone, more golden in color.  The amazing part was that after centuries of usage, the stone streets were polished and shiny from countless feet and wheels passing over them.  Really, I could see the reflections of the hordes of tourists in the streets!!!  It made it look as if it had rained, but I know it had been a nice clear and sunny morning, so rain wasn’t the reason.  Just polished stone, eroded and buffed by constant usage!

 

Roofs all seemed to be terra cotta tile, shining a bright burnt orange in the sunlight and somehow looking more intensely orange against the white-grey stone walls everywhere. 

 

It really was a beautiful scene!

 

I spent some time at a coffee shop, enjoying a cappuccino while sketching one view of the fort against the pale blue sky and bright blue sea before I started walking around the city.  It really is a labyrinth once one walked across the first drawbridge, though the main streets are fairly obvious at first.  But then, the cross streets disappear and the main road zigzags back and forth, with stairs and ramps leading up to the tops of the walls.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to walk atop the walls, since they’re a good 8 to 10 yards/meters high.  So I stayed at ground level, trying to keep track of the zigs and zags.  I eventually went through the drawbridge at the far end of the fort, and found another part of the newer city. 

 

Having learned from my experience of being lost in Narni, I thought it would make more sense to just turn around and retrace my steps.  Of course, things never look quite the same when going in the opposite direction, but some things seemed familiar.  At least familiar enough to find my way back to the entrance.  (That’s when I realized the entrance was a drawbridge as well!)

 

One interesting thing about Croatia is that while part of the European Union, they have their own currency – some places use Euros, but not all.  (I checked with my café to be sure I could get Euros as change before I paid in cash.)  Richard said that many people came back complaining that the smaller places wouldn’t accept Euros.

 

I think Croatia is also awaiting entry into NATO – so maybe this relatively new nation is somewhere between being EU and independent.  There was a map in the old city indicating areas damage during the fighting with the Serbs, Montenegrins, and other former Yugoslavian nations in 1991-92 – so, a thirty year old country.  Quite a juxtaposition with the Medieval city that is over 1300 years old!

 

Here's my sketch of one of the forts in Dubrovnik, using the aquarelle pencil and testing my mini watercolor set from Assisi, the handmade set.  The sketchbook is also from Assisi, very pretty covered in a traditional Florentine floral print.  But the paper really is not designed for water media, so there's a lot more warping than I would like.  Oh well, sketches are just that, a quick impression of a scene, not a major final piece of art to hang on a wall.  So ripply and warped paper, sure, I can live with that in a sketchbook.  

Those weird windows that look like an upside down keyhole for an old fashioned key?  Skinny part is for shooting guns or arrows, and the big round part is for cannons!  Weird but it makes perfect sense defensively!

Tons of photos, because the old city of Dubrovnik is just so fabulously photogenic!!!