Walking the Wall

We force ourselves to get up early so we can beat some of the heat and crowds while walking the wall of Dubrovnik. We head out to the less traveled Ploce Gate of the old town and our timing is good as we get to the wall entrance right at the opening time of 0800. They make a lot of money charging people to walk the 1.5 miles of wall surrounding the town. We help them make a little more.
Up the steps we climb to the top of the wall above the Dominican Monastery. The day is a little cloudy which is helping keep the temperature down, so we don’t mind.

The Wall Walk

We can see the old port and the island of Lokrum as we climb. You can also see the different colored tile roofs. This is not done for photographic beauty, but is rather a reminder of the recent history of war here. Many homes and buildings were bombed in the 1991-1992 conflict and the newer orange tiles are a sign of what was hit and what wasn’t. Almost 2/3 of the buildings had to be repaired. We reach the Minceta Tower and climb it to reach the highest point on the wall. From this perch, we can see all of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area. Mount Srd is behind us and has a cable car to the top that was destroyed in the war. It also has a war memorial on top as it was instrumental in the war as the Croatians managed to hold the high ground above the city.
As we continue on we get a great view of Fort St Lawrence which worked in tandem with the town walls to make Dubrovnik virtually impenetrable.

Wall and Fort St Lawrence

The town really is quite a fortress and it is easy to see how the independent Dubrovnik Republic remained so for many years. We reach the Pile Gate e ntrance to the wall and the crowds increase but it is still fairly early and not too bad. Dubrovnik has 2000 to 3000 people but the cruise ships that stop here can dump up to 12000 people a day. Then you add all the young people from other countries who come here for the sun and beach and it can get quite crowded at times. That is why we like the early mornings and evenings.

Stradun View

We pass over the Pile Gate for a birds eye view of Onofrio’s Fountain Well and the Stradun. Continuing on our enjoyable walk, we come to a spot above Buza, which is a popular cliff side bar to have a drink at. We found it yesterday on our after dinner walk. The island of Lokrum is right across the channel at this point and we can see the many boats sailing and docked in this area. We finish up walking above the old port and back to the Ploce Gate.
Exiting the wall, we walk down the Stradun and pick up a bite to eat. We get a hot dog which is inside a croissant type bread and a cheesy bread item. We sit in the shade of Onofrio’s well and eat our food near a guy in old costume playing stringed instrument. The longer we are there, we realize he really only knows a few chords and the short bursts of music he plays every few minutes is the same over and over. He plays just long enough to attract some tourist Kunas, stops, waits, and repeats. Our snacks are good but I prefer the cheesy bread.
We walk through the Pile Gate and head to Fort St Lawrence. It is included in our wall ticket, so of course we need to check it out. We walk bast a small cove and then as is the norm around here, we have a series of steps to climb, to the fort. At one break spot, I spot a cove below where people are swimming which looks intriguing.

From Fort St Lawrence

We climb more steps and enter the fort. First things first, Carol reverts to her Pacific Creat Trail name and makes a ” pit stop.” Then we climb to the top of the fort with great views of the whole walled city and the sea. There is also the added bonus of a breeze. We crawl into an alcove which probably held a cannon at one time and sit, absorbing the scene.
When we leave the fort, I veer to the left at a stair intersection and Carol says, ” Didn’t we come up that way?” in which she is technically correct. I have other plans though, and that is to see if we can find the small beach and cove, I saw from above. We hit a street and two little turns later, we see an arched entryway, walk through it, down some stairs, and we are there.

Swimming in the Adriatic

Things kind of go like this. Me: let’s go in, Carol: I’m not going in, Me : I’m going in ( as my clothes are already coming off), Carol: you can go in, and so I do. There is a ladder off the small cement pier here and when my legs hit the water, it feels cold. It is really because it is so warm outside, not that the water is cold. Finally jumping in, I enjoy a nice relaxing and cooling swim in the Adriatic. There are no other tourists here as it is not a sandy beach, but that just enhances the experience for me. When I get out and tell Carol how good it feels, she decides that she will go in. We both go in and she is very happy that she did.

Carol’s in the Water

When we dry off a bit, we get dressed and start our stair stepper program back to the apartment for an afternoon drink on the patio and siesta. For anyone who wondered, we swam in our underwear. My ex oficio boxer briefs easily pass for a European bathing suit. Same for Carol.
Later in the afternoon, the owner, Ana, stops by and we end up talking with her for an hour, and probably would have talked longer, if her son did not come down to remind her, she was going to take them to the beach. She is a marvelous lady with a very positive outlook on life. She has lived in Dubrovnik her whole life and was 18 when the war broke out. Scary times, I think it helped her appreciate the peace that Croatia now has. We could see ourselves being good friends if we lived near each other. Thank you Ana for sharing a small part of your life and family history with us as well as for your kindness.

On Our Patio

After our nice afternoon, we head down to Konoba Koleseum, a restaurant we had saw yesterday during our evening stroll. The guy there told us if we came back to eat, he would give us 10% off. The seating is outside in a nice square below the steps to the Church of St. Ignatius. We order a mixed seafood platter for two and a couple of beers.

Seafood Platter For Two

While waiting for dinner, we talk with a couple from England, sitting next to us. The tables are not far apart so they practically invite you to say a few words to your neighbor. A complimentary shot of grappa is brought to us while we wait. It is very good. The large seafood platter arrives. It includes two whole sea bass, mussels, shrimp, prawns, and grilled calamari. In addition, there is spinach, risotto, French fries, and potatoes. The fish and grilled calamari are incredible. There is a base of olive oil, probably butter too, and garlic to ensure this is healthy and lo cal. When we are 3/4 finished, a young couple replaces the English couple at the table next to us. He asks what we are eating and says it looks good. He talks to his girlfriend in what I think is Italian, so I ask where he is from. Sure enough a Paisan. We talk with them for over an hour, long after we are through with our meal. Great conversation and people, we exchange information with Alessandro and Martina from Cremona, Italy. It is nice to see young people traveling and learning about different cultures. I think it is a good thing. I need to remember to take a picture of the people we hit it off with and hope to do better with that in the future.
We leisurely walk back to our apartment fully satisfied with our meal and our day. Tomorrow, we head back to Split.
Expenses
Apartment Divanovic. 792.5HRK
Brunch from Bakery. 23 HRK
Wall Walk. 200 HRK
Pretzels from market. 6.69 HRK
Dinner and Beer at Konoba Koleseum 335 HRK
Walked 8.8 Miles