Sunday, 18 May 

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Grand Hotel Park 

Weather - Sunny - 19c Max

This was a free day. Yesterday whilst in the Old Town we bought Dubrovnik Passes and this allowed us to walk the Old Town walls and free admission to many museums and galleries. It also included public transport tickets. It was good value at 40 Euros. We wanted an early start to avoid the crowds and the higher afternoon temperatures. Today four smaller cruise ships were in port. We caught the crowded Number 6 local bus arriving at the Pile Gate of the Old Town Wall at 9.00am.

The highlight of the day was walking the city walls. The entrance to the wall walk was close to the Pile Gate so we were soon on top of the wall looking over the sea and the Old Town’s buildings in clear weather. Everywhere we turned was a photo opportunity and it was hard not to take photos. 

It took us 1.45 hours to walk around the entire wall. It is about 2km in circumference and dates back to the 12th century. We thought once we climbed the steep steps to the walkway it would be flat walking but that wasn’t the case and there a lot of stairs. My iPhone told me we had climbed 28 floors. The height of the wall was up to our waist. 

The first notable building we overlooked was Large Onofrio Fountain (There is also Little Onofrio Fountain), a circular fountain built in 1438. We had seen it the previous day and learned that it had been heavily damaged in the 1667 earthquake and only 16 masked waterspouts remain. 

The water is safe to drink and when we climbed down from the wall Henk filled his water bottle. 

The most striking site for us from the high walls was the terracotta tiled roofs. They all look new and most must have been replaced after the war in 1991-92. There was a large map on the city wall showing which sites were affected by the war such as a direct hit or affected by shrapnel. 

When we leaned over the walls we had views over the alleyways below us. It was Sunday and we saw nuns preparing little girls for their first communion. The crowds built up quickly whilst we were walking the wall.

We didn’t realise there would be so many private houses butting the wall and behind the alleys. Many had vegetable gardens and private patios. The best garden belonged to the Franciscan Monastery. 

The wall’s stairs were steep, narrow and mostly crowded but everyone was patient and polite. The final descent to Large Onofrio Fountain was particularly steep.

In the nearly two hours we had been on the wall the crowds had significantly increased. We found a cafe in a quiet alleyway to escape the sun and the crowds and enjoy a coffee. It was good coffee but the cafe was not Croatian being named Bona Fide - Mexican Cuisine and Pizza!

Following coffee we headed to an art gallery calling into places on the way which took our interest. There was a wonderful Christmas shop, a church and we went to the markets again and bought some dried fruit.

The Dulcic Masle Pultiki Gallery was a tribute to three important mid century Dubrovnik artists who were friends. This was a permanent collection on the first floor of the building and on the second floor was a still life temporary exhibition called “The Fleeting Moment”. 

When it was early afternoon and it was getting quite warm with heavy crowds we headed back to the hotel catching the Number 6. Sanda, our guide, told us to go through two sets of traffic lights then get off the bus at the next stop near the roundabout. On the previous day we looked closely to the lead up to the bus stop so we would know where to get off. Unfortunately, the bus took a different more scenic route and nothing was recognisable. Henk took out Google Maps and tracked where we were heading. We came to our stop from a completely different direction. We got off at the right stop.

We headed to our local beach walking through the precinct of shops and cafes. It’s a stony beach with beautiful aqua water. There were a number of people swimming but it must be freezing. We’re still wearing jackets and scarves in the early morning and evenings. 

Henk, Brian and Julia found a suitable place for lunch. There was not a white tablecloth in sight. Julia and I had a light lunch of Red Bass which was delicious. 

We arrived back at our hotel at about 3.00pm. Henk and I made the most of our rest day and had a nap for about an hour. Our morning walk around the wall had made us tired. We remet in the lobby at 6.30pm and headed to an outdoor bar to have an Aperol Spritz prior to dinner. It was entertaining watching the passing parade of locals and tourists. Dinner was at a nearby restaurant. I had pasta with beef cheeks and it was delicious. 

Tomorrow is a long travelling day to a Croatian island called Hvar Island. This includes a ferry trip.