W
hat I will always remember about Dubrovnik is the stark visual contrast of rust colored terra cotta roofs set against the turquoise colored waters of the Adriatic. The cloudless blue sky simply accentuated the beautiful views!Our first full and only day in Dubrovnik started with a walk along the top of the walls that surround the old city. From that vantage view, we had wonderful vistas of the medieval city and the surrounding waters.
With unadulterated views like this, it's no wonder Dubrovnik has become such a travel hotspot!
By the time we had gotten started on the day, there were already massive throngs of tourists - presumably from the huge cruise ships docked in the surrounding harbors. There was not a cloud in the sky and it was blisteringly hot....at least for me. Fortunately, I had slathered on the sunscreen, I had my trusty hat on and plenty of water - though that did not last long and I had to buy a couple more on the walk.
We found our way through the crowds and made our way to the stairs that lead up to the top of wall. We paid 50 kunas each and joined the crowds. I hate crowds. Too much chatter and everyone always seemed to get in my way. Trying not to be annoyed by it all, I focused on the vistas that I was seeing. At one point, it seemed my entire view was of nothing but terra cotta roofs and satellite dishes! Old roofs sit side by side to new roofs - the irregular character of something that is handhewn next that which is machine made. From the top of the walls, we could look down to the Stradún that runs the length of the old city as well as to the modern city that lies on the other side of the walls.
As we walked along the wall, clothes hanging on lines to dry in the sun were reminders that the old city is inhabited - it's home for the lucky few who get to make their daily lives living in the medieval city. I guess they're accustomed to the intrusion but I don't know that I could handle a constant flow of people traipsing outside my house.
It was a 2 kilometre walk around the wall and it took us about 2 hours to cover it. We snapped LOTS of photos. Here's some of what we captured with our cameras.
We finished our walk around lunch time and spent the rest of the day wandering the old city, shopping and taking ice cream breaks. By late afternoon, we were done for the day - back to our room and showers to cool off. Around dinner time, we headed back out. By now, the throngs of tourists had left, the sun was near setting and the place took on the magical glow of the end of day. The terra cotta roofs had taken on a dark shade of the rust. With the sun about to set, the temperature cooled off dramatically; there was a slight breeze in the air and it was perfect for an evening stroll. We walked along ways that we had passed through during our day and half stay in Dubrovnik and took it all in for one last time.
