The landscape is much different than what I pictured. There is beautiful blue water that hits the land, which varies between steeps cliffs and a few rocky beaches. The land is green and lush for about 1/2 mile up the hills but then it turns into rocky, barren hills with not much green other than the random pine tree that defies the harshness of the land. Dotting the landscape are the remnants of houses that were destroyed by the war in the 90's.
We arrived to our apartment and Srevcko was waiting for us. He showed us around our place and told us to relax and come up to see him in a few minutes for paperwork and a glass of wine. We unpacked a little then strolled upstairs to his apartment. Croatia demands that all foreigners register with the local authorities within 24 hours of arrival as part of the visa requirement. Srevcko did all the paperwork for us.
We chatted briefly and then Maggie and I went back to our own place and took a power nap. We showered and headed out for the esplanade just down the street. It was dark by then. Couples were walking slowly, kids were playing soccer in little areas off to the side, and there was a general laid-back feeling. Eventually we made it to the waterfront and strolled along it for a while. I was excited to see what it looked like in the day time.
We settled in for dinner at a seafront restaurant that had a good number of people in it. After Maggie's musical chair routine trying to find which seat would make our food taste best, we ordered grilled vegetables, a small tuna salad and split a pizza. Everything is organic and fresh. The veggies were served with olive oil and balsamic vineger and were the best I think I've ever had.
We paid for dinner and scurried to the local corner market for supplies. Of course by supplies I mean beer. We headed back to the apartment and poured ourselves a glass of supplies and were relaxing on our patio, people watching when the opportunity presented itself. After a few minutes, Srevcko arrived at home and since our apartment is below his, he has to pass it to get to his. We said hello and offered him a beer. He gladly accepted and we started the get-to-know-you process. After about 1/2 hour, he asked us to join him upstairs for some wine and snacks. I jumped at the opportunity.
We met him in his beautiful garden terrace behind his house. He fed us home-pickled onions and cheese he had packed in olive oil, along with crackers and local wine. We talked about pretty much every subject imaginable. One subject he was not keen on discussing was the war. It was clear that the scars of it still ran close to the surface. He did let us know that he served in the military and that it was an awful time.
We got serious, we drank wine, we laughed, we had pauses where each would think of more things to ask in the interest of learning about the other's culture. This is exactly what I strive for when traveling - finding local people and connecting with them. Hearing their stories and seeing what makes them get out of bed in the morning.
At 1:30am, I decided it was bed time. We said our goodnights and lights out.
This morning, neither Maggie nor I were feeling so fresh after mixing beer and wine the night before. We slowly put ourselves back together and went back to the esplanade to see it in the daylight. The water is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom, even in the deep places. We stopped by a small cafe and had our coffee and caught the bus to Old Town.
The beach by the esplanade.
Old Town was built many centuries ago and a very large wall was constructed around its borders. We entered the city through the West side doors and into the town square. The architecture is amazing. It took us most of the day to walk around the top of the wall. Below are some of the highlights of the city.
Main street in Old Town.
The Croatian flag.
Me and my big gun.
A house destroyed by the war.
Overlooking the roofs of Old Town.
Outside the walls of Old Town.
The old church and the new boat.
We finished our walking tour and headed home. Tonight we plan on attending a free outdoor concert by the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra that is part of the summer festival that happens here every year. Afterward, we will finish the evening by listening to live jazz music at a venue called Cafe Troubadour.
