Dubrovnik Part 1

It's 5:30 am again, today we're going to Dubrovnik for 2 days. It's too far for a day trip... we're finally over mountains (🥴🤢) and valleys for a good 7 hours. The UNESCO World Heritage city of Dubrovnik is best reached from here by driving through a small piece of Bosnia... which is not possible without problems during the COVID times, so the only option is to take the ferry... It's calm, leisurely, truly relaxing after yesterday's speedboat ride.

We dock about 80 km before Dubrovnik and drive over land and mountains - wine shop, wine tasting... you see it everywhere - to our destination. Of course, not without buying some huge peaches, the x-th honey or oil from small roadside stands. The wine is smooth and I like it, the rest of the group not so much.

But what everyone likes is the first impression of Dubrovnik. The city - within the city walls - is empty, bright, clean, organized - only, it takes some getting used to that a 0.2l cola costs five euros and you have to park your car far away because there are no cars within the walls... as well as the many pigeons and cats!

We learn a lot during a German-language guided tour with Helena:

• - Until the 19th century, there were only 2 entrances to the city center
• - In 1897, Hilton opened as the first hotel
• - 85 percent of today's residents are Roman Catholic
• - Dubrovnik was a separate republic from the 14th to the 18th century
• - The wall was built between the 14th and 17th centuries and is 20 meters high
• - The tourist information office used to be an orphanage until the 19th century
• - The oldest pharmacy was opened in 1317 and is still in operation
• - In the 14th century, a kind of baby hatch was set up for illegitimate children, which Saint Klara sat in and accepted children
• - Today there are about 900 people living in the old town, a total of 30,000 people in Dubrovnik
• - Only 54 Jews live here
• - Quaratine for foreigners who wanted to enter the city started in 1377 (40 days, then people and goods were loaded onto ships entering Dubrovnik)
• - No cars, buses, etc. are allowed within the walls. Only the post office, ambulances and police cars are allowed to travel within the city walls

We end the day with good food, unfortunately the salad upsets my stomach in the evening. I also realize that I don't have enough time to write the blog. 😟