CROATIA: DRIVING TO DUBROVNIK AND CLIMBING THE CITY WALLS

After our morning hike up to the Kotor Fortress, we set out for our next destination: Dubrovnik, Croatia. On the map it looked pretty straightforward--just hang tight to the coastline. Our research told us it should take us about 1 hour and 35 minutes.  Ha. Try three or four hours.

Good thing I still had some morning Happy Pills given to me in the States by my friend Kathy as travel nourishment. She knows me well. I was proud of myself for having stretched out the bag this long.

At first, it seemed that things were going our way. At some point, a miracle occurred.  After not having had GPS for nine days (and through Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, and Kotor), maps and directions suddenly appeared on our device near the Croatian border.

But alas, we would have done better on this stretch on our own. The GPS led us astray. Bob and I differ on how badly we were lost, but I had the printed map unfolded on my lap, and we were not on any roads marked on the map. After asking directions from non-English-speaking Croats two or three times and doing our best to understand their energetic pointing, waving, and shouting, we finally found our way to charted roads.

It was not the last time we got lost, unfortunately.

The approach to Dubrovnik from the south is exquisite. The road drops down from the hills above the coast, presenting a stunning view of the coastline. The brilliant cerulean sea, bright white buildings with red tile roofs, and verdant vegetation make the scene look like it is photoshopped.

If you look closely at the promontory below, you can see the old city walls that form a jagged circle around Dubrovnik's Old Town.

Thanks to our GPS, we were able to drive straight to our accommodations, a first. We had rented an apartment near the city walls, and found ourselves luxuriating in enough space for six to ten people. Bob, who loved finally being able to spread out, declared this his favorite stay of our whole trip. (For more information about Anmar B&B, go here.)

The apartments are surrounded by some nice gardens that made the view out the window extra nice.

It was a little bit of a walk to the places we wanted to go, but sometimes it is nice to take some time for a stroll. After walking down the main street for a few blocks, we headed down a series of about 200 steps that run parallel to the exterior walls of the Old Town.

An ancient city, Dubrovnik has been a major tourist attraction since the late 19th century. Its location on the Adriatic Sea, wonderful  climate, and picturesque architecture are hard to beat. However, in 1991 the city was under siege for seven months when it seceded from Yugoslavia, and the old part of the city suffered significant damage along with the newer parts. However, it has all been meticulously restored and may possibly be in better condition than it was prior to the war.

Croatia, which felt dramatically wealthier to us than any other country in the Balkans except, perhaps, Slovenia, actually joined the European Union a month after we were there. No doubt Dubrovnik, a cruise ship port, rakes in millions in tourist dollars each year.

A medieval-looking bridge makes a nice entry into Old Town:

The main attraction in Dubrovnik is the wall that is almost 2 km long (1.2 miles) and completely encircles Old Town. Like the Great Wall of China, it matches the contours of the hillside on which it is built, which means that there are stairs, stairs, and more stairs, beginning with the Grand Staircase that must be climbed just to get to the wall. No access for disabled persons here. If you can't walk, you don't go.

An fee is charged to walk the city walls--something like $16/person. "Disneyland prices for Disneyland," said my husband. Almost immediately, the view made us forget that our muscles were still sore from climbing to the Kotor Fortress the day before.

Almost all of the roofs within the city walls were destroyed by Serbian bombs when Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia in 1991. New replacement roofs are red, and the older roofs are mottled brown.

In a few places, the roof was left out so that those visiting the city could look down and imagine the damage done during the six-month-long siege:

Most of the roofs are new, but notice the older roofs around the church domes. Did the bombers spare the churches? It appears so.

On the water side, the walls are built right on the edge of the cliffs that plummet straight down into the Adriatic,

 which affords a great view of kayakers and boaters:

Lots of interesting sights can be seen from the walls' heights. This first-class basketball court reminded me that Kresimir Cosic, who played college basketball for my alma mater Brigham Young University, was a Croat. Immensely popular, he rejected several professional ball offers after he graduated and returned to Yugoslavia in 1973, where he led the national team in two world championships and four consecutive Olympics, winning the gold medal in Moscow in 1980.

The Croatian basketball court above made me think of the poor, rundown court we had seen a few days prior in Berat, Albania:

They are two very different worlds, and I think seeing both of them enriched our Balkan experience tremendously.

Up on the wall looking down on the activities of the city, we experienced an eerie bird-like voyeurism. This party looked like lots of fun:

Good food:

Good music:

A roof-top patio makes for picturesque--although not very private--dining

What really stood out for me was all the laundry that had been hung out to dry. We were there on a sunny day, and everyone was taking advantage of the warm weather. I have no idea how they got some of it up on the line:

There is something so human and endearing about underwear hanging on a clothesline:

This person needs some orange or pink:

Clotheslines are tucked in every nook and cranny of the Old Town, anywhere that gets a bit of sunshine:

I particularly loved this row of brightly colored socks. I think I'd like the people who live here:

"The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind."

Well. Enough about laundry.

We took the opportunity to climb up every flight of stairs we ran across. As you can see, there were vendors with postcards and souvenirs on the wall, unlike the pristine stillness we had so enjoyed at the Kotor Fortress. In fact, a bottle of water alnost doubled in price between the place we entered and the furthest point from that spot. Vendors know walkers get tired and hot going up and down all those steps.