Kotor, Thursday, 9/5/19

Up and atem early, and on the coach by 7am for a full-day excursion to the City of Kotor in Montenegro.  Our group leader, Mario, warned us that the bus trip would be about two-and-a-half hours and could involve a lengthy border crossing (as in, sit and wait).  But he also assured us that the ride would be filled with dramatic coastline views, dotted with historic cities.  We were up for it.

Looking back to Dubrovnik.

We were advised to put our cameras away at any Customs crossings, but I snuck in the one above. CRNA GORA: Montenegro.  Hmmm, can't use our Kuna currency here. Montenegro is the only country outside the European Union that is using the EURO.  Credit cards work, though, if we didn't want to exchange money.

Yes, we sat for roughly 45 minutes in a line of big buses like ours, while the border guards were sitting at a picnic table drinking coffee.  At least a restroom was available (um, I've been in better, but any port in a storm), and most took advantage.  Once in Montenegro, the bus drove us to the ancient village of Perast.

There, we boarded the private, small boat (above) for an hour-long cruise in the Bay of Kotor.  We had wonderful scenic views all over the bay.  It was delightful cruising.  Coolish, as well.

The closer we got to Montenegro, the murkier the air became.  I suspect the fire atop yonder mountain was at least partially responsible for the poor A/Q.  No one seemed concerned about the fire, but then I have to remember I'm not in California right now.  Check out that tourist boat!

Above and below.  We circled two islets off Perast, but didn't land on either.  First was Our Lady of the Rocks -- an artificial island with quite a history.  According to legend, the islet was made over the centuries by local seamen who kept an ancient oath after finding the icon of Madonna and Child on the rock in the sea on July 22, 1452. Upon returning from each successful voyage, they laid a rock in the Bay. Over time, the islet gradually emerged from the sea. The custom of throwing rocks into the sea is alive even nowadays. Every year on the sunset of July 22, an event called fašinada in the local dialect, takes place when local residents take their boats and throw rocks into the sea, widening the surface of the island.

The second, smaller one rises from a natural reef -- Sveti Djordje (St George Island).  It houses a Benedictine Monastery, but it has a sad history involving lovers (of course) back in 1813 when Napoleon occupied the area.  Read it here if you'd like.  Visitors are not welcome on this island.

The spire of St Nicholas Church in Perast stands tall.
Each town presents such a picturesque face.

So far ... so good! 💗

Talk about lonesome!  Apparently there used to be an upper and a lower town.  Eventually the upper town was abandoned as the lower one flourished.  A trail will take you up to the church which is no longer in use.

Our first view of Kotor, which looked mighty snug tucked in between the head of the bay and the base of the mountains. Part of the city's defense wall that encircles it can be seen at right, sweeping up the mountain. Kotor was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, for its architecture stretching back to the Middle Ages, and its “harmonious integration to the cultivated terraced landscape on the slopes of high rocky hills."

Our local guide, Tomo, pointed out that this Mediterranean Old Town is considered to be one of the most well-preserved medieval city centers on the Adriatic; it's also very small.  In the square, we stopped in front of the Pima Palace, built after the 1667 earthquake and reconstructed after a more recent quake in 1979.  They do a good job on reconstructing.

Rather than stand in the hot sun, I wandered across the square to what looked like a seriously old, tiny church, and it was:  St Luke's Church, a Serbian Orthodox, from 1195.  Not a typo.  Beautiful inside.

Below the clock tower, Jimmy demonstrates the Pillar of Shame!
It's a shame his shoes clash with his shirt!

After the Old Town tour, we walked to a nearby outdoor market for a sampling of the area's specialties.  Fresh bread, four kinds of cheeses, prosciutto and other dried meats, plus wine or sparkling water.  Everywhere we go, it seems we're feted with local wines and homemade brandies.  The food was delicious and 14 people made it disappear really fast!

Which brings us to lunchtime.  Not in the OAT program, lunch was on our own, and people in the group scattered to various eateries.  Jimmy and I, Bernice and Ibby hunted down a place called Trjeja (I think that's the name) and enjoyed an al fresco meal on their patio, shaded by a heavily laden grape arbor.  Everyone agreed the lunch was delicious, but I didn't like mine very much.  Seafood salad should have more than little squid-y things in it.  Not every dish is a winner.

We didn't climb the city walls.  It was too hot, and we would've had to rush, but in another time, Jimmy and I would've tackled 'em.  They're steep.  The earliest walls were built into the steep, rocky cliffs back in the 9th century to protect the town from invaders. They're mixed in with an array of ramparts, gates, churches, forts and bastions, and were added to over the years by whoever ran the city at the time until the 15th century, when they finally formed a full loop running up into the hillside.  Despite the onslaught of time, invasions and earthquakes, they’re still remarkably well-preserved.  You can see the wall snaking into the hills, follow it up as far as you can.  

Nice to have such a large coach for 14 travelers, plus Mario.  We can and do spread out, seldom in the same seat as before.  Back across the border into Croatia, we arrived at the Hotel Lero about 6ish.  Very neat day, but we were tired.  Tomorrow will be our last day in Dubrovnik.

Walls of Dubrovnik, Wed, 9/4/19

If you're visiting Dubrovnik, walking atop the city walls is almost a rite of passage, pardon the play on words.  Before leaving the states, quite a few people advised or reminded us to make sure we didn't miss the opportunity.  It isn't often a person gets a chance like this. 

Scenery from the walls is stupendous, and we took bunches of photos, but the video gives the best overview.  Check it out first.  I'll attach our pics to show you what we saw.

This is where we began ....

The walls encircle the Old Town and around its seashore, protecting it from pirates and invaders. They're enormous, dotted by fortresses, and stretch roughly a mile and a quarter. Today they're doubtless the town's major attraction, because of what they are, their age, and how well preserved they are.  Built between the 12th and 17th centuries, they're over 80 ft high, nine feet thick on the sea side and up to 19 feet thick on the mainland side!

One of the fortresses, flying the Croatian flag, with Mt Srd in the background, and if you look closely, you'll see the funicular taking folks up to the mountaintop.  You can also see people climbing to the fortress, at right.

We grasped a whole new perspective of the square

 and Onofrio's large Fountain from this height.

We wanted to tour the fort, opposite, but ran out of time.  You can see a cannon sticking out of the hole beneath the flag.  Also a kayaker far below.  We would've enjoyed kayaking, too, but time always gets in the way.  Or lack of time!

Sometimes the walkway is narrow, other places it's broad, steps up, down again, higher and lower, curving, right angles, entrances and exits, walking the wall seemed like an above-ground rabbit warren.  Jimmy and Bernice trail Ibby, above.

The sun was low in the sky when we set off, hoping for cooler temps.  I've been suffering from the heat since arriving -- being used to the Swiss Alps' higher altitudes and much lower temps.  Now at sea level, I found the daytime heat oppressive and hid in the shadows as much as possible.

But the colors!  We were blown away by the loveliness -- red tile roofs and beige blocks -- I could stand and gaze forever at such a picturesque scene.  Some roofs looked older, and we learned that the new, brighter red tile roofs were replacements for those damaged in the 1991 war.

Don't think Old Town is just for tourists.  No sir, this town is lived in.

And we get to peek into their backyards!

Pretty as a picture.

Kitty cats were everywhere.

The Island of Lokrum lies just offshore in the blue Adriatic.  Croatia's 1,243-mile coastline boasts over 1,200 islands.  Maybe next time we'll visit one or two!

Karaka (replica 16th Century ship) sails past Lokrum,

Two surprises here.  First, that a cafe/bar was located seaside below the wall, and, second, that two of our group, Neel and Ronnie, were sitting at an upper table.  You see Neel in her blue blouse.  We waved and they waved!

Narrow convoluted lanes and walkways lead to old houses/shops/churches placed every-which-way.  I can't begin to guess how old some of them are.

Laundry colors!
See the kitty?

Yes, we heard church bells, lots of bells.
Always nice to hear.

The cannon was quiet, however.

We walked all the way around; it felt extraordinary.  No guidebook in hand, we were unaware of exact names/locations but were always totally aware of the wall's significance.  We stopped frequently to breathe and study, take a picture, rest our feet.

We began to hurry as sunset approached.  Ibby and I wanted to see the sunset from the fortress (below), while Jimmy and Bernice decided against more stairs.

We needn't have hurried; without clouds, the sun just sank behind the hill and the rosy sky turned dark.  But, what a stellar day this was!  Yes, this site was not to be missed.

We're here! Wednesday, 9/4/19

It was nip-and-tuck for many travelers, whether Hurricane Dorian would impact air travel.  Our Florida friends didn't know till almost the last minute if they'd be able to join the tour, but as everyone now knows, Dorian had its own path which didn't include Florida, thank goodness.

Tuesday morning, Jimmy and I took a taxi for the short distance from our B&B apartment to Hotel Lero, where we connected with our Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) group and began our "Crossroads of the Adriatic" tour, 16 days of scoping out Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia.  We were so happy to meet up with Bernice and Ibby; the four of us will have a great time wandering through these countries.  Altogether, 14 will make up the group.

After breakfast and a welcome briefing at the hotel on Wednesday, the group set off with our fearless OAT leader, Mario, to survey Old Town Dubrovnik -- how to get there and how to get around.  We're actually a 20-minute walk from the hotel to the West Gate, but we could save time by taking a bus.  Who wants to wait for a bus?  We walked!  It promised to be hot, probably close to or at 90F, so shorts and T-shirts were the dress for the day!  The old fort looms above us.

The Adriatic Sea water is crystal clear.

Entering the West Gate.  Dubrovnik Old Town is known as one of the world’s finest and most perfectly preserved medieval cities.  For centuries, Dubrovnik rivaled Venice as a trading port (who knew?), with its sturdy stone walls, built between the 11th and 17th centuries affording protection to this former city-state.  These walls still enclose the historic center, and today we'd walk among 'em.  Was it crowded?  In some spots, yes.  Hordes of tourists have "discovered" The Pearl of the Adriatic:  Dubrovnik.

The first wonder we spied was Onofrio's Fountain, where water pours from 16 "spouts."  Built in 1438, badly damaged in the devastating 1667 earthquake and again in the Homeland war by two grenades, the water is drinkable!  The source is a spring 20 kilometers away.  Jimmy below, right, tested and decreed it "good."  Other, smaller fountains can be found, each with potable water, as Ibby proves, below, left. 

We filled our water bottles more than once from these fountains.

Our local guide, Frederik, talked extensively on his home city, giving dates and places more meaning.  He stayed with us for part of the morning.  Old Town Dubrovnik is so full of well-preserved history; it was rightfully placed on UNESCO's list of world heritage sights in 1979.

I took pictures of things/places I considered artistic or graceful, even if I didn't know exactly what I was seeing.  Consequently I took way too many pics!  Finding beauty in these old buildings was easy.  All of this is vastly different from what we see in America, specifically where we live in California, where history really began in 1849.

Like so many sites we visit, Dubrovnik is not flat or level by any means.  It's up and down.  Flights of stairs, up-up-up, are ubiquitous in this city.  Many walkways or "streets" are little more than narrow, steppingstone alleys.

I had to ask what the beautiful rock was, thinking it was marble, but not sure.  Limestone was the answer.  Polished smooth and shiny by thousands of footsteps over hundreds of years.  It looks slick, but it wasn't slippery, unless you were on a steep cobbled street.  Notice who else likes the surface? 

Still on the main street, the Placa, the four of us wanted to visit the old Franciscan Church and Monastery museum -- a large complex consisting of a monastery, church, library and a pharmacy.  The pharmacy was founded in 1317 as in-house pharmacy for the Franciscan friars, and later served the whole town’s population and even beyond the town’s walls.  We went inside and looked around, but no photos were allowed.  It was small and filled with various sized apothecary jars, just as you'd imagine.  Newer meds were also available.  In 1317, Walgreen's was a distant vision 😉.

The monastery was built in 1360 in late Romanesque style and contains two cloisters.

It was really nice walking along this promenade.  Cool.  And look at all these columns and arches in the lower cloister, 120 of them, and 12 massive pilasters!  I loved the elegant symmetry (above and below).

Then I looked further.  I was intrigued by these, but had to look up what to call them:  "The capitals on the colonnade of double, ornamented hexaphoras are all different, showing various geometric, plant-, human- and animal-like figures."  Each one different.  Amazing.  The look was quite impressive.  

We found this quiet and cool/ish bench off the promenade to sit and rest.  This would be a five-mile day for sure, with many flights and lots of steps.  It's good to rest when you can.  Mario suggested we wait till later in the afternoon to walk atop the city walls.  With no shade, the hot sun would cook us if we attempted the walk any earlier, we'll probably start around 5pm.  We have an all-day bus pass, so we can come and go (via bus) any time.  Dinner is on our own tonight.  More later ....