Croatia 1: Dubrovnik

After nearly missing the connection in Frankfurt (30 minutes from one gate to the other - c'mon, really?), we arrive at Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, with just enough time to make our final transfer. It is nice that in Europe you don't pick up your luggage at the first entry point for the customs unlike in the U.S.
Upon boarding the plane to Dubrovnik, however, we are told that the bad weather may force us to be diverted to Split and driven on a bus for 3 to 4 hours to our final destination.  After flying about an hour in what looks like zero visibility, it is therefore a huge relief to see the southern Dalmatian Coast reveal itself in glory. And there it is! Dubrovnik, you are not called the Pearl of the Adriatic for nothing.

Spotting Dubrovnik from an airplane window

We are staying in a soba (no, not the Japanese noodles, but a room in sort of a bed and breakfast, often minus the breakfast, common and a good value in this part of the world), and it is a welcome gesture that the owner of the house picks you up at the airport. The short drive along the coast is stunning and the conversation predictably gravitates toward the war they suffered in the early 90's.

Dubrovnik has been a favorite tourist destination for centuries but as the world watched in horror the bombardment to this jewel of a city in the 1991/2 siege, many who hadn't made it here like myself thought the window for a visit was shut. But I do remember a global campaign to restore the fabled red roofs (a whopping two thirds were damaged) and it sure looks like Dubrovnik has come roaring back.

Staying within the Old Town is clearly atmospheric but a disadvantage is that it is a pedestrian zone so you have to lug your suitcases, sometimes over cobblestone streets. This scene will surely repeat throughout our foray into the former Yugoslav Republics - Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Slovenia.

A fourth-floor walk up is worth it if you ate greeted with a view of the Old Town.

A room with a view: Old Town from our soba

The main drag, Stradun, is stately but it must be flooded with humanity on a summer day when cruise ships disgorge thousands of day trippers.

Stradun, the main road in Dubrovnik, on a chilly March evening 

The imposing city walls are a major attraction here and we have them almost to ourselves, except we run into several groups of ... Korean tourists. But the walk on the walls is limited in the off season to hours not conducive to photography.

 

From the city wall

You can see the old vs new roof tiles.

Speaking of pictures, it is time to head up to Mt Srd for a panoramic view. A brief bout of intense belly pain in mid-afternoon (I admit, right after gulping down a scoop of ice cream at Dolce Vita, like most people here seem to do) isn't going to keep me down and we make the last cable car up. (Our food experience here is varied from the worst spaghetti ever on Stradun to the best calamari ever on G. Polijana).

The off-season hours for the cable car are limited, and we decide to stay for the sunset which means we will have to walk down. Mt. Srd is a historic place with the fort initially built by Napoleon. In more recent times, it served its defensive purpose well, as resolute locals thwarted the attack by Serbian and Montenegrin armies during the 1991/2 siege. At the top, in addition to Dubrovnik and the sea sprawled in front, you can see a chain of Dalmatian islands up north and Montenegrin and Herzegovina mountains to south.

From Mt Srd: north to the Dalmatian islands with a gravity-defying cow in the foreground

 

Mt Srd: south to the Montenegro mountains

 

While waiting for the sun to go down, we run into people with heavy photographic equipment who show us pictures of aurora borealis taken from Iceland in February which are simply out of this world. We tell them that was our original destination before we changed our minds, but surrounded by this vista, we feel no regrets. They also tell us about a spot lower down where the sunset view is ideal. With the sun already going down, I hurry down to that location, basically sprinting the last couple of minutes. I don't quite reach it before I have to stop and start shooting. The thought crosses my mind that there are still mines from the war around here so I don't want to step too far from the road.

Sunset over Dubrovnik: the Old Town on the left

It is quite dark by the time we start the descent on a rocky zigzag path.

Treacherous walk down a zig-zag path: not recommended but rewarding with a night view to the north

We go on an early morning walk east of the Old Town in search of a postcard view. With trial and error aided by random advice from a passing bus driver, we settle on a spot but the weather is overcast which does not bring out vivid colors.

Dubrovnik in early morning

We have plenty of time during the day for further exploration.

Franciscan Monastery houses the World's third oldest pharmacy, a cloister and a number of paintings depicting St. Francis in such a glorious way that he will turn in his grave.

 

Pockmarks from the 1991 war on the wall of Church of St. Savior



A view of Old Town from the Fort of St. Lawrence

Water around Dubrovnik is kept remarkably clean.

 

In the evening, we go back to the same location as this morning for another sunset experience.



Sunset over the Old Town, Dubrovnik