Walls of Dubrovnik

Manuel and Erica have decided to travel to Montenegro by bus and overnight there. I'm touring the city walls today.

Sharpa is a cat belonging to a neighbouring house and very playful but apt to scratch if he gets aroused.

By the time I reached the city walls, the city was already starting to get busy. The walls are quite thick, with a stone bridge and a space in between inner and outer walls.

I entered through the Pila Gate and walked down the ramp. Near the right edge of the picture you can see a plaque on the wall. A similar one is outside the eastern Ploča gate. The plaque states matter-of-factly, with a hint of accusation, that the world heritage listed (since 1979) city of Dubrovnik was subjected to artillery attack and siege by Serb and Montenegrin remnants of the Yugoslav army from the heights above the town for 7 months, starting October 1991, until the siege was lifted by the Croatian army. The map below the text has a dot for every building hit by munition. Over 100 people were killed during those months. There were no military targets in Dubrovnik, only civilians, so it was just random slaughter and vandalism. The attacks on a heritage city sparked much outrage.

Since then the buildings have been restored. However it is still possible to see where a roof was hit because the replacement tiles are newer and brighter.

But that picture is a bit later. It is possible to walk the 2 km long path on the wall. The entry fee helps control visitor numbers as well as fund maintenance.

Before joining the queue, I bought some strawberries and dried figs at a morning market and had a squiz around the city. Dubrovnik has been under Venetian, Hungarian and Austrian influence at various periods which accounts for the styles of the buildings.

From the wall, there are beautiful views out to sea. And I could see where many of the tourists were coming from: a couple of huge cruise ships anchored in the harbour.

Lots of pleasure craft in the marina.

Beautiful vistas everywhere, a joy for photographers. That shade of blue sea is very characteristic of this part of the Adriatic.

Looking back in the direction of Lapad, where the hostel is situated, over the ridge.

Somebody had recommended Spaghetteria Toni and the spaghetti putanesca was indeed quite good.

Then back to the hostel to nap away the hot afternoon. In the evening I ventured out again. I settled for čorba and ćevapčići, cuisine of this region.

There was a exhibition of photos from the siege in the Defenders of Dubrovnik Memorial Room, next to the clock tower. So sad. But what could I write that hadn't been written already in the comments book? Earlier in the day, I had visited a War Photo exhibition featuring pictures from Afghanistan, Iraq, occupied territories, and of course, the Balkan wars. I guess Dubrovnik is sensitive to such circumstances.

The restaurant scene here is very competitive. Location is everything. A gypsy band with brass instruments played in the plaza. Many Croatians were out for a walk. By 2200 most of the day tourists had gone back to their ships. The public spaces here are cleaner than in Italy. Tourism is an important part of the economy.

It's not as dry as I had thought, there is a bit of humidity, but the air is pleasantly cool, near perfect. Only the water is cold and unsuitable for swimming, at least by me.