Dubrovnik

Sunday, May 11 -- Mother's Day!

When we reached the Pile Gate on the west side of the old city walls at 8:45 this morning, big tour buses were already depositing their passengers in the plaza just outside the gate.  We'd read that the walk on top of the walls encircling this city can get very congested when tour groups and cruise ships arrive , but most of the big groups were heading into the Old Town itself, and not onto the walls, so most of our trek was uncrowded.

We climbed to the one-way path atop the wall at the Pile Gate to begin the circuit of the town.  There was a good bit of climbing and lots of sun, so this 2-km walk would be especially challenging during the summer.  The views of the town and the sea were just lovely.  As we looked down upon the town, there was a noticeable difference in the appearance of the roofs.  Many are new, red terracotta tile, while others are obviously much older, weathered and faded tiles.   Dubrovnik was heavily bombed during what is referred to here as the Homeland War in 1991- 1995.  The newer roofs indicate structures that were damaged or destroyed during that time, but have since been rebuilt; much of the town has been meticulously and lovingly restored, and from ground level, old and  new are pretty much indistinguishable.  Sadly, the destruction came at the hands of Croatia's Serb and Montenegrin neighbors and former countrymen in the nation of Yugoslavia.  Dubrovnik was actually under siege 1991 -1992,  blockaded and sealed off.  Talk about "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again!"

The walk also allowed us wonderful views of the exterior walls, built on stone outcroppings rising from the sea.  On the "street level" below us, there were several bars and cafes situated on the rocks above the sea, and hugging the exterior walls.  The wall walk also let us peek into the gardens of some private homes, have wonderful views of the town's harbor, and climb to the tower of a fort.  By the way, all of this was accompanied by the ringing of church bells every quarter hour on this Sunday morning.

After completing the circuit,  we made our way to the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius for an 11:00 Mass in English.  The church sits atop a scaled-down version of  Rome's Spanish Steps and is modeled on Il Gesu, the Jesuits' mother church, also in Rome, so we felt right at home!

We spent some time on the piers at the harbor, visited the church of St. Blaise (patron saint of this city, found in statuary and flags everywhere), the cathedral, and the Hall of Remembrance, dedicated to those lost during the war.  After lunch in the lovely loggia of  the Rector's Palace, we walked back along the beautiful and wide Stradum, or main street, and  through the Pile Gate.  

Just outside the old town is a large fort, Lovrijenac, perched on a rocky promontory.  We climbed up (many steps!) and enjoyed great views of the city from a wonderful vantage point.  After a bit more wandering through town and back to the harbor, we decided to call it a day and head back up the hill to our apartment.