Saturday Night in Cavtat

September 9,  Saturday, 2006, our first Saturday in Cavtat, Croatia. We were awakened all through the night last night with lightening that lit up our rooms and thunder that shook the building. There was rain and wind as well. The electricity went out some time through the night. I awakened for good at 4:30am. I am still not adjusted to this time

This morning our breakfast was served indoors instead of out on the patio where we usually dine. We were offered coffee or tea. Coffee here is known as black or white coffee. White coffee just means you want milk with it. Next we were offered muesli (granola) or corn flakes along with yogurt, either peach, strawberry or plain. The yogurt is very tasty. There is always a fresh fruit platter of nectarines, grapes, bananas and melons. Next we were offered a basket of very good bread from the local bakery and a plate of meats and cheeses, along with butter and marmalade.

This was posted late due to some computer trouble.

After we ate, we wandered down to my cousin's restaurant and she came down to join us for a cup of coffee. We sat in her outdoor restaurant which is right next to the bleachers where you can watch local kids play water polo in the ocean. Cavtat is really only one street long, bordered on one side by the sea and the other by merchants and outdoor cafes.

After drinking coffee and looking at family pictures,  my cousin loaned me several packets of pictures that I could scan at my leisure in my room. Yes, I brought my laptop and scanner as well as a tape recorder to record her stories. I only wish I had it with me when she talked about the occupation of their little village during the war, fifteen years ago.

They were bombed and shot at with machine guns from ships. Her husband and sons were arrested. They were rationed very small amounts of water and had only bread to eat. She was afraid to stay in her second story home and spent much of her time crouched below tables in her outdoor restaurant. She had no idea if her young adult sons or husband were ok for one year. The Yugoslavian Army destroyed their homes, throwing everything around and breaking things. She said that all of the republics of former Yugoslavia  were friends and there was no reason for Montenegro to come here and do this to them and she will never forget what happened to them. She and her husband lost a lot of weight and their dog of thirteen years was so scared, he died shortly after the war ended.

The 25 year old woman who works here in the hotel tells a similar story of the village being occupied here in Cavtat and how their town was trashed and their homes torn apart. My cousin told us that Cavtat was then taken over by the local government and even though they had always been a separate entity, they were now considered part of the Konavle region. She said people in Cavtat do not like that and they feel that they are so restricted and their town is no longer as beautiful as it used to be. There is no hospital here, no fire station. Their are policeman who check everyone who comes into the town. The government of the Konavle region is here in Cavtat.

Tomorrow we are to go to St. Nicholas Church (http://dalmacija.modrojezero.org/Cavtat/index.html) to get the birth certificate of my great grandfather as I plan to apply for dual citizenship after obtaining it. The priest has other records proving that he is is my great grandfather. My great grandfather's family is well known here.

After our coffee, we went on a short,  hot hike and then back to our rooms to rest for the afternoon and read our novels. Then we joined Mladenka for a concert in the gardens of the 15th century monastery. There was a flutist and a guitar player. It was very beautiful on a balmy evening in the inside garden courtyard of the monastery. A couple of times the planes from the Dubrovnik airport flew over during the concert and drowned the sound out, but such is life here in Cavtat. After the concert we went to an outdoor cafe for a very late pizza and spaghetti dinner. Now to bed! 9/9/2006