Split to Dubrovnik

Saturday 5 October

Breakfast on board. We say "goodbye" to all our new-found friends. Goodbye also to "Tuna", our home for the past week, and to all the crew who did such a fabulous job and especially Damir & Ivana. Then onto the bus at 9.15 a.m. to Dubrovnik.

A very scenic drive - we passsed through Omiš where we had been yesterday and Makarska the day before. Nice to see places from the viewpoint of land for a change. The Baćina Lakes near Ploče are very scenic.

We pass unexpectedly through Passport Control to go via Bosnia & Herzegovina. Pretty. Scene of terrible conflict however. The Bosnian War took place here in 1992-5 as a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia whereupon the Serbs, supported by the infamous Slobodan Milošević, pursued the ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Bosniaks & Croats.

We arrived into Dubrovnik about 2 p.m. and were met by the dearest Stijepo who guided us off the bus onto a local bus (he already had bought the tickets for us!); he waited until we caught the bus and then followed us on his "scooter" to meet up with us when the bus dropped us off at the Pile Gate, an entry into the Old Town through the city walls.

He then pulled BOTH (!) our suitcases - he insisted! (we felt like Royalty) - through the Old Town, stopping to tell us about various sights along the way, smatterings of history, (don't mention the war!!), "there goes the mayor ...", good place to eat, buy your souvenirs here, best place for iceceam, here is the bakery, the supermarket, oh yes - we have problems with young Australians who come here and get drunk and cause lots of problems (we are so embarrassed on behalf of our foolish countrymen), etc., etc.

It was an amazing introduction to Dubrovnik and all the while the immense city walls towered impressively over us.

The war in Dubrovnik, by the way, was an 8-month siege which began 1 October 1991 during which, under Serb attacks, much of the Old Town was destroyed; Dubrovnik was dragged into the Croatian War of Independence and the city was shelled mercilessly by tanks and warships.

I had come expecting to be under-whelmed; you know, you want to love the place you hear so much about it but you really expect to be disappointed.

However, this place is WOW!! Really amazing. Breathtaking.

On we walk, and Stijepo is just warming up. He is so enthusiastic. He walks us through the Old Town and out the other side through another gate - the Ploče Gate. We start to walk gradually up and away from the Old Town, but not too far; just 5 minutes later and we pass through a blue wooden gate behind which we are introduced to his mother and our wonderful apartment. We have views over the harbour, out to the city walls, a lovely huge stone terrace, several cats and the pet tortoise "Mali".

A welcome beer and we go through the usual paperwork, passports etc. and then information on what to do and when.

Finally, Stijepo leaves and by now it is time to go and investigate things on our own. The city walls beckon - especially as rain is on the way. We access the wall ramparts via a third city gate which is lesser known and quieter: the Buža Gate. We spend until closing time at 6 p.m. walking what is only 2 kms but it is absolutely amazingly scenic. We take 100s of photos. The camera battery is HOT.

We return to our apartment to freshen up and then dart out to one of Stijepo's recommendations for dinner. The food is lovely and I have yet another glass of the local red from Dingač (a wine-growing region on the Pelješac Peninsula in Dalmatia): the ever-reliable Radović.

NOTES:

http://winesofcroatia.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/the-donkey-delivers-dingac-plavac-mali-"kolekcija-04"/

http://winetastingcroatia.com/croatian-wine-cheat-sheet/