More of Croatia

Our next port of call after Split was Dubrovnik.  I have been here several times before, including a one week stay in an apartment in the Lapud neighbourhood.  So, when I searched for a tout to do here, I certainly didn't need one within the city.  I chose one called Panoramic Dubrovnik and good thing I did.  We were tendered from our ship into the old port and, from the moment I stepped into the square, it was apparent the town would be heaving with tourists.  It was only 9:45 and the streets were already starting to get very crowded.  I had lots of time so I made my way through the old town walking up the main street and then through the Pile Gate where I waited to meet my guide.  

As it turned out, initially, it was just Tom and me so I got to sit in the front seat of his van.  We then headed over to the main port where it quickly became evident why the town was so busy.  There were two huge cruise ships docked there - one a Celebrity and the other a Costa.  It was from the latter, an Italian-based cruise company, that the remaining members of the group joined us - about 8 loud Italians from Naples, none of whom spoke any English.  Tom was impressive switching languages to ensure we all got the information he wanted us to know.

The first stop was one was the Franja Tudmana Bridge which I had seen before and it is quite an engineering spectacle.  After that, we drove to see the Ombla River, Croatia’s shortest river at 30 meters and the source of drinking water for Dubrovnik.  Apparently, the quality of the water is exceptional.  While we were there, Tom pointed out the Croatian flag painted on the rock on the mountain.  It marked the border between Croatia and Bosnia.  

It's difficult to spot it but there is a Croatian flag painted on the rock almost at the summit of the mountain.

Our final stop, and it was certainly interesting getting there, was the mountain the cable car goes up to.  From there, you can get spectacular views over the old town and out to sea.  The traffic was horrendous getting up the mountain and it was certainly crazy getting back into the city. 

The Quest, my cruise ship, and the tenders ferrying people back and forth into the town

Tom dropped me back outside the Pile Gate and I made my way back through the town to the tender dock.  I wanted to get away from the crowds.

Today, we visited Kotor in Montenegro so the name of the cruise is a slight misnomer given it is called Croatian Intensive.  While I have been to Kotor before, I did not know until today that it is not the capital of Montenegro.  The administrative capital is Podgorica, though its cultural centre is the historical capital and older city of Cetinje. The tour was titled A Food and Wine Tour but it would probably be more aptly named "Lunch with a Local".  Bruna, my guide, was interesting and fun weaving information about her country's history and culture with personal stories and anecdotes.  It was super to have her one-on-one so we could talk about whatever we wanted and I learned a lot about her country and its somewhat turbulent history.  Kotor is known as the City of Cats and there are certainly lots of them wandering around.  The town even boasts a Cat Museum.  The cats are treated well; the government pays the vet procedures for any person bringing a cat in for some kind of medical reason.  The tour started at Sea Gate, the old entrance to the town from the port.  Kotor is a walled city and the walls go way up the hill behind the town as well as along the sea front.  The old town is filled with squares, churches (some Catholic and some Orthodox), little interesting alleys, shops and restaurants.  Because it is UNESCO-protected, the facades of the buildings cannot be changed although the interiors can be updated.  Hence, there is a 5 star hotel right in the middle of the town.  Bruna explained that Christmas here is particularly special as it is celebrated on both the traditional Catholic and Orthodox dates with a 13 day gap between them when the season is a continuous celebration with markets, fetes, etc. happening between the two Christmases.

The ship docked a short walk from the Sea Gate

The Sea Gate

The city clock still wound manually and by the same family since 400 years ago!

If you look closely, you can see the city walls way up the mountain

Our lunch was comprised of a charcuterie board with bacon, cheese, olives, and pepperoni along with some interesting dips and garlic bread.  Bruna said this is served in most homes here.  As I wasn't feeling great, I didn't actually try very much of it although I did have some wine with the cheese and garlic bread.  Lunch would have also included a black risotto with calamari as well as mussels but I didn't have the stomach for either of those.  Bruna and I just sat and chatted for about an hour and, around 2, I was ready to head back to the ship.  I am so frustrated I am still fighting whatever bug I have.  It had been a fun and interesting tour.

The following day, our port of call was Sibenik.  I was undecided about visiting the town - it is a long walk or a cab ride away from the dock.  While I haven't been here before and would like to see it, I have also been sick - not sure if it just a cold, the flu, or Covid - and have been taking it very slow for the last couple of days.  I haven't even felt like going for dinner the past two nights.  I think I am slowly recovering but decided to exercise caution and skip visiting the town.  I won't know what I've missed.