Today was fun, fun, fun. Our kayaking adventure started right below the Pile Gate. To our left were the walls of Dubrovnik. As you paddled along you felt very small in comparison. Just beyond the spot where the wall ended was a cave which was great for snorkelling. The water felt refreshing after working so hard to get there. There were about four different types of fish. They weren’t very colourful, but there were lots of them. Then the hard part.....this really pushed me. We kayaked all the way around Lokrum Island which is only about 6 km. It looked so beautiful that I think we are going to head back over there this weekend. After our adventure we climbed up to see Fort St Lawrence (the picture is from the top of the Fort and you can see some Kayaks in the water—they look really tiny). Are any of you Game of Thrones fans? Well, a lot of the TV series is filmed here in Dubrovnik and especially around the Fort. They even have Game of Thrones tours that take you to all of the places where they film. So, essentially we are living in a real life fantasy world😄 Off to Bosnia for the day tomorrow. You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom.
36 Comments
The Croatians are definitely serious about their border; so it was great to have a guide to help us pass into Montenegro. Montenegro is NOT part of the European Union, but uses the Euro. Croatia is part of the EU but has their own unique currency. Go figure??
We took a small bus to Perast and then took a water-taxi to Our Lady of the Rock, back to Perast, and then over to Kotor. The bay is quite stunning. But the best stories of the day involve birds and cats. First the bird. “Be Careful”, she said.—“There is a giant pigeon up there and he is vicious.” Instead of deterring us this somehow encouraged us to climb the bell tower of the Church of St Nicholas in Perast. The steep and winding staircase was so low that Dad had to crawl at points. Getting to the top was well worth it until Dad “accidentally” rang the bell signalling 1 o’clock (it wasn’t one o’clock). Well, this excited the vicious pigeon who promptly flew over Dad’s head and deposited a giant pile of pigeon poop on Dad’s shoulder. If getting pooped on by a bird is considered lucky—let’s just say Dad is very, very lucky. The fortified city of Kotor in Montenegro has been parcelled out to many different empires over the centuries. The quotation above the city gate celebrates its liberation from the Nazis on November 21, 1944. Along with the date is a quote from Tito that translates to something like, “We do not need other people's things, and we do not give our own." Or my version of it...”just leave us alone”. What everyone seems to be letting them keep are the cats. They sell cat t-shirts , cat bells, toy cats, ceramic cats...you name it...everything cats. And of course there are cats everywhere. I asked a vendor in the market what was with all the cats. She said that the symbol for Venice is the lion and their symbol is the kitty cat. Apparently every home has a least one cat—and of course they have NO mice. So if you are a cat person you might want to head to Kotor. Fabulous day. We had pizza in the square in Kotor. It doesn’t come with tomato sauce. They bring you a gravy boat of tomato sauce on the side and you can add what you want. I am still trying to decide if I like it that way—leaning toward Yes. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. Yesterday we took the cable car up Mount Srd to watch the Sunset and explore the museum in the Imperial Fort. The sunset was spectacular as there was just that wee bit of mist above the Elaphite Islands that provided a touch of Magic. At the Fort the presentation of the Seige of Dubrovnik was equally moving.
In the fall of 1991 my daughter was just a tiny baby. I was enjoying her baby smiles and her chubby little cheeks. The news reported conflict in the former Yugoslavian countries but somehow that seemed remote or less relevant to my life in a country at peace. When you are in Croatia it suddenly becomes very real. The people of Dubrovnik considered their city safe. They believed that as it had been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site that the JNA (Yogoslav People’s Army) would hesitate to attack. They were attacked from the land and the water. Museums, churches, streets and homes all suffered damage. Food was rationed...water was scarce. Children barely older than mine carried water home for their families. The people of Dubrovnik are resilient. They painted murals on the boarded up windows. They swept up the debris from the bombings from their proud streets. When the key to their ancient clock tower was found they wound it and gathered in the square to celebrate that the bells still rang over the town of Dubrovnik. Today, unless you look carefully, you can barely see the repairs of the damage from the Seige. This morning one of our neighbours helped us with the Croatian phrase “dobro jutro”. We must have been pulling it off fairly successfully because we were greeted by smiles when we wished passers by “Good Morning”. You Are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. P.S. When it comes to conflict there is often three truths: your truth, their truth, the truth. Clearly today’s Blog is the Croatian perspective. After an early morning start (3:30 a.m.) we have arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Executing a complicated plan involving a flight layover, trains, buses, bag-nannies, and the Underground we spent yesterday in London, England. Our time spent at the National Gallery— complete with free admission and a quirky free guided tour— was fabulous. A picture truly paints a thousand words. I would like to share with you one of our extraordinary finds. Turner is renown for his use of light. The Fighting Temeraire is no exception. To provide a bit of context the 98-gun ship, gloriously highlighted, played a significant role in the Battle of Trafalgar 1838. In this case the ship itself became a symbol of England’s glory—their naval successes. None of the tragedy of war—just a concentration on the Victory. A bit of a twist....Turner paints the ship as it is being dragged into retirement by a tug boat. I wonder, as Canadians, do we have any symbols that glorify war in this same way?? Our evening ended with a Fish & Chip supper complete with mushy peas and a spot of tea. Perfect. You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. |
Details
Ray & Diane
|