Dubrovnik, the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’

Mom at Onofrio Fountain
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The next day we sail down to Dubrovnik, the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’, and the most anticipated destination of our trip. Traveling to Dubrovnik by boat is much easier than by car since Bosnia crosses through Croatia dividing the country in half forcing drivers to go through immigration twice on their way to the famous walled city.

We dock in new harbor which is a 10-15 minute cab ride from Old Town. This is the only port where the action literally isn’t just outside our gang plank.

Did I mention how hot it is here?

Franciscan Monestery
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We set out to explore the city right after lunch. We enter through Pile Gate where St. Blaise looks down on all who enter. The first thing we see is Onofrio’s Fountain which is built in 1438 as part of water supply system. The water coming out of the fountain is cold and we stick our wrists under to cool off. Did I mention how hot it is here?

We stroll down the wide Placa (or Stradum), the white marble main drag lined with café’s and shops. At the end is the Clock Tower, built in 1446, Orlando’s Column and Luza Square. We wander to the left past the Sponza Palace and Dominican Monastery to Ploce Gate. On the way back we stop at a café overlooking old harbor for ice tea to cool off. At night this place becomes a hoppin’ nightclub called Revelin Club.

Old Harbor
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We cab back to the boat to change for dinner. This is my family’s only night off the boat for dinner and we choose Proto, a recommended restaurant under the same management as the swanky Nautika outside the Pile Gate. We sit in the upstairs terrace and the food is excellent.

After dinner the winds pick up. These winds are called Bora, created by the atmospheric pressure over Central Europe and over the Mediterranean. However, local boras also exist and are caused by the air cooled above the Karst Valley suddenly pouring down to the sea. These boras are sudden, often violent and short-lived.