May, 2018
The start of our first girls' bike trip. What a stunningly beautiful place Dubrovnik is! Lovingly restored after the war “officially” ended in 1995. But to locals, it really ended in 1998 when they got back Vukovar.
Old Town
Half the crew has landed.
Dubrovnik's iconic red rooftops
Now we are waiting for the next four to arrive.
My room with a view.
Dubrovnik is one of those places where Airbnb took over the old town, a place where locals could make good money renting out their historic apartments. So they moved outside the walls to rent their inside-the-walls homes to people like us. I guess there are still few locals around...
Apparently safe to drink...
Every evening at dusk, swifts swoop and dart around Old Town. These birds arrive here in spring to nest in the cracks and holes in the old city walls. Given that we're here shortly after their nesting arrival, this may be a big reunion party!
Walking the nearly 2km route around Dubrovnik's medieval ramparts, probably one of the most well-known features of the old town. These defensive walls with their towers, bastions and fortresses were developed over many centuries (1200s-1600s), constantly being updated and improved to defend this wealthy trading power against rivals. I guess the updates were effective since these walls are one of Europe's best preserved. Behind us is the Minčeta Tower, the highest point along the ramparts.
We were advised to take the walk early in the morning, not just because of the heat that soaks in and radiates off the limestone, but because of the arriving ships. Ships no longer arrive with goods from across the Mediterranean; now cruise ships arrive crammed with tourists. Indeed, as we were heading around the walls, we spotted a cruise ship in the harbour and a throng of people on the move from the dock straight for the walls. We were a solid 30 minutes ahead of them so we enjoyed a peaceful walk.
This is Dubrovnik's Gibraltar, Fort Lovrijenac, built into the sheer cliff just outside the Old Town. It was very quickly built by locals in the 11th century to prevent the rival Republic of Venice (just across the Adriatic from here) from building its own fortress in this strategic spot. The locals were motivated and completed the fortress in just three months! The famous inscription above the gate reads "Non Bene Pro Toto Libertas Venditur Auro" ("Freedom is not to be sold for all the treasures in the world").
One member of our group is a British Royal enthusiast. Given that it was Harry and Megan's wedding while we were there, she brought all the fixings for making facinators and found a bar where we could watch the wedding live.
A smooth and soft goodnight.
Srd Hike
Gorgeous hike up Srd, the mountain above Dubrovnik.
So a bit of a story here...we were climbing up the zigzagging trail and stopped for a photo. A man was coming up behind us and I asked if he would take a photo of us. He said no, and continued on. Who ever says no when asked to take a picture for someone?! So yes, I was indeed there and am the photographer.
Old Town Dubrovnik from the top of Srd with Lokrum island in the background.
An old bit of ruins on the way up.