Day 7 of 35: Exploring Old Town, Dubrovnik

Our adventure today began by taking a city bus from the hotel to Old Town. The bus was standing-room-only, & many languages could be heard. When we arrived the walking tour began by showing us part of the city walls & moat that surrounded the Old Town. They helped the city preserve its freedom for centuries.

The water clarity is amazing. The high temperature today was 94 F, so many folks chose to cook off here
Part of the city wall
The bus ride from the hotel to Old Town
Part. Of the old city fortification

The city motto is carved on the ramparts shown in this last photo: “Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro”, which means “Liberty is not sold for all the gold in the world ” Still so timely to remember.

We toured a Franciscan monastery that now functions as a museum

The main architect was said to have a toothache during construction, & depicted himself with a swollen cheek in this capitol.
The courtyard garden where the monks grew many medicinal herbs
A wall painting showing updates across the 16th & 17th centuries
Courtyard fountain & St. Frances statue in the monastery
A map of the Old Town
A map showing all the places that were damaged or destroyed by Montenegro when Croatia legally withdrew from the Federation of Yugoslavia.
Where many of the herbs were stored
Traditional wedding jewelry
Reliquaries
A still-functional pharmacy that’s been operating over 400 years, it’s reputed to be the oldest in Europe

The case above shows traditional jewelry related to marriage. The necklace of ornate beads was part of a woman’s dowry; her husband added the pendant after they were wed. The earrings were often engagement gifts from the husband’s family. Lydya said the tradition is still followed, & showed us the examples from her own wedding.

As we walked the streets of Old Town, Lydya explained that her father & aunts still live in the family home. It’s been passed down through her ancestors for over 200 years & is on a street with beautiful arches. So we took group pictures there. Then we visited the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. 70% of Croatia is Catholic, but the Old Town also contains a synagogue, Orthodox church, & Muslim mosque.

“Mea culpa”(“My fault”) pizza next door to the local outdoor movie theater
A fountain, pat of the aqueduct that’s been serving the Old Town since the 15th century that’s been fungible due
Our grout withLydya on the street where she grew up
Our group with Lydya on the street where she grew up
Locals pray to the Virgin Mother
Main altar of the church
Organ pipes

This church was restored recently; in the 1980s they excavated & found ruins of a Byzantine church along with artifacts dating to the 3rd century BC. This dated Dubrovnik’s establishment to earlier than was previously known.

Figures from the church bell tower mechanism, ready to strike the hour in alternating blows
The locking mechanism for a trunk where valuables were stored
Banisters offer a helping hand (ete hee)
Sir / Bill showing how he should be transported – in a Noble’s sedan chair.
A Murano glass chandelier
A valuable chest with gold & tortoise shell accents
Fortepiano
Another sedan chair beneath a Venetian glass chandelier

We exited the city through the Eastern door to see the Agean shore again. The tour ended & we found a local restaurant for lunch. When I ordered grilled shrimp I’d no idea my Cajun skills at peeling boiled crawfish would be required.

City wall on the Western side
Church of St Blaise, Dubrovnik’s patron
Grilled shrimp for lunch
Eastern city wall in the early afternoon

Just after our lunch was delivered, the kitchen – & indeed the entire region – largely shut down because of a massive power outage to the entire Dalmatian Coast. The bus from the hotel this morning took about 15 minutes. The return in the 93-degree heat took over an hour due to failed signals & traffic snarls. Thank goodness it was air conditioned.

When we reached the hotel, only emergency services were functional, but luckily the room was still cool. And even more fortunately, full power was restored within 15 minutes of our arrival. Whew!

We took cool showers & recouped from the exhausting heat. Wary of venturing back out into the still-87-degree evening, we ended the day with delicious take-away from the neighborhood trattoria.

Gnocchi with chicken, chopped salad, & penne carbonara comprised our repast.

Today was elevated from a good waking tour to something extraordinary by Lydya, who shared her personal photos & stories of growing up & living in Old Town. She showed us that though ancient it’s still a vital living neighborhood, & proved what Rick Steves says: hiring your own local guide can be your trip’s most enriching luxury. Thank you, Lydya!