The past few days were long days and lots of car time, so I took it easy in the morning (and did some laundry), then walked a bit more through Old Town, before taking a ferry to Lokrum Island (that’s the island I can see from my apartment).
Stradun
Stradun is the Main Street that runs through Old Town. Tons of little cafes, restaurants and shops made it a fantastic spot to people watch and enjoy some coffee. I saw it on Tuesday from up above, as well as really crowded during the day, but it was nice to come back this morning when it was a bit more peaceful.
Clock Tower
This clock tower rings on the hour – so at 8 am, it rings 8 times. And then, 3 minutes later, it rings the time again – so at 8:03 is again rings 8 times. The idea is that you might not start counting initially – so they give you a second chance to know what time it is. Fun, except for the people who live here, I assume.
There are two statues that look like they’re ringing the bells. They’re replicas – the originals were taken down to be protected during one of the wars, and are now on display at Rector’s Palace.
St Blaise Church
St Blaise is the Patron Saint of Dubrovnik. They say that he saved the city from a night attack by the Venetians in 971. The Venetians had arrived, saying they were sailors that needed supplies, but were in fact spies dressed as sailors. An old man, who identified himself as Blaise, found a local priest, told him of the secret plan to take control of the city, and asked him to tell the city leaders what was happening. The leaders took it seriously, and called up all of their military and arms to be prepared to defend the city. The Venetians saw what was happening, knew they couldn’t win, so retreated to their ship and left. (It’s a good legend….but, like, maybe they really were just sailors? And Blaise made the whole thing up? Not my history, not my problem.)
I got to enjoy a concert outside of his church this morning. That’s him, up on top. He’s always presented holding Dubrovnik in his arms.
Rector’s Palace
The Rector’s palace is where the government operated. Interestingly, the head rector (basically, the head government official) was only allowed a term of 30 days, and could only leave the Palace on official meetings. A rector could be elected more than once – but not twice in a row. The thought was that by limiting the term, and limiting his access to the outside world, they could limit the risk of corruption.
Quarantine, Before it was cool
Apparently the idea of quarantine was invented/first used in Croatia, and was officially implemented in 1377. This structure (it is actually a bunch of separate structures, with connections between them) was built for returning sailors. They’d start at the right-most building, and then slowly be moved through the buildings, as it was determined if they were sick or not. They would not be allowed into the walled city until they were fully cleared (after at least a month).
These weren’t the original buildings – the originals were thought to have been built on Lokrum Island, out of wood (so they could be burned if needed) but logistically it was too complicated so they were eventually moved to just outside of the walls on the mainland. The structure in the photo was built in stages, starting in 1590.
Dubrovnik also has the third oldest pharmacy in the world (and the longest still in operation), and was the first port in the world to ban ships with slaves on it. They are also credited with the first orphanage in Europe – they created a private repository where babies/children could be left without shame or punishment, similar to baby boxes and a system many of our fire departments now include.
The salt mining, ship building, and stone meant the area was wealthy; with that wealth, they then also became an incredibly well educated region, while remaining deeply religious. They chose to combine their education and their spirituality and use it for good.
Lokrum Island
After a bit more time in Old Town, I took the local ferry out to Lokrum Island to explore for a few hours.
The island is said to be cursed. A great fire started in Dubrovnik in 1023, and a vow was made to Saint Benedict that they would construct a monastery in his name if the city would be spared. The fire was extinguished instantly, and a Benedictine monastery and church on Lokrum were built, which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Great, right? Monks moved in, and everything was good. However, years later, the Monks were evicted. Out of spite, on their last night on the island, they formed a single file line and walked, in their robes, the island three times, marking the ground with wax from their candles, cursing the island. The curse they chanted is loosely translated to “Whosoever claims Lokrum for his own personal pleasure shall be damned!”
And so began the curse – crazy deaths/murders of people connected to those who tried to own the land. Eventually everyone gave up, and it was donated to the public. No one lives on the Island, and you’re not allowed to sleep there overnight. Do not screw with the monks.
It’s a beautiful island, and was a great way to spend the morning.
The next adventure came in the afternoon.
Last year, I climbed down into the earth when I went caving, which mom was not amused by. So this year, I decided to climb up the earth, and tried rock climbing for the first time.
While driving to the area, we were again on a two-way/one-lane road. It is crazy how common it is in the entire region. You’re constantly stopped, backing up to pull over, or the other person is, depending on the situation. I commented on it, and my guide explained to me that in Croatia, they first learn to drive in reverse, and then forward. I don’t think she was joking.
It’s important to note that I am not an athletic person. I have terrible balance (sometimes I walk into walls) and I just sprained my ankle a few weeks ago by walking. I have no upper body strength, and no lower body strength. But I have watched all of the Marvel superhero movies, so here we are!
(It was incredibly safe. They use a “top rope” system, where an instructor has a rope connected to the harness and they belay you through an anchor at the top of the climb, so even if you were to lose your grip, you wouldn’t fall to the ground…and I did lose my grip at one point, so fully tested the system. It works.)
It was really cool and really hard and now my ankle hurts a bit and I’m never doing it again, but it was absolutely worth it. (We’ll see if I still feel that way tomorrow?)
I then had to hustle home because it started raining a few hours earlier than it was supposed to, and I had laundry on the line (the perils of natural living?), and then went back out for dinner (prosciutto wrapped mozzarella, daily fish catch, and cheesecake, which I earned) and now home and ready for bed.
