Kotor, Montenegro- April 30, 2014

 

Old town of Kotor is the best preserved medieval urban inhabitance typical for towns built in the 12th – 14th century.   Medieval architecture and numerous monuments of cultural heritage made Kotor listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  All over the town there are buildings with narrow streets and squares.  

This was a short day for us.   We arrived at 8 AM but had to be back on the ship by 2 PM as we would be sailing through the fjords of the Bay of Kotor.  We began our day in the old town and had just enough time to take the Kotor Open Tour.   It was quite exciting as we followed the narrow winding road up the mountain, sometimes only have inches to spare.

The ride through the fjords was amazing.  Unfortunately, the sky clouded up and it started to rain, so we weren’t able to stay on the bow of the ship throughout the sail.   The weather on this trip has not been the best, but it hasn’t stopped us from touring. 

Posted by Karen at 4:29 PM

Dubrovnik, Croatia–April 29, 2014

 

Dubrovnik Old Town is unique in many respects:
*It's a beautiful Mediterranean port that once rivaled Venice for dominance of the Adriatic Sea.
*One of the worlds finest and best preserved medieval cities--a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
*Defensive walls have protected the Old Town for a thousand years.  The walls were never breached.   They are 9 to 18 feet thick and up to 75 feet high with 5 forts, 16 towers and bastions.
*The city may be old, but it's alive...a lived in city.   Side streets are lined with homes.  There are shops, cafe's, restaurants, and hotels.   Markets are open in the summer.
*Red roofed buildings are attractive and there are Baroque churches, museums, palaces, monasteries, etc.
*The main street Placa (Stradun) has beautiful stonework.  The town is pedestrian friendly and easy to walk.  Narrow side streets are cobblestone and can be steep with many steps in some areas.

Today we awoke to pouring rain. Very disappointing for this beautiful port.    Rather than rush out to the city walls (which the organized tours did), we packed up our electronics and went to the cruise terminal where we were able to purchase a Wi-Fi package for 24 hours for just a few dollars.    Once the rain stopped, we went back to the ship, had some lunch, and found our way to the bus stop where we would catch a bus to the gates of the wall.  We are getting very good at using public transportation!   Dubrovnik’s single best attraction is strolling the scenic mile and a quarter around the city walls.  We started our walk at the Pile Gate and ascended a steep uneven stone staircase.  When we reached the first level of the wall, you could see the Adriatic Sea on one side and a sea of red roofed homes on the other.  The views were amazing.  This is certainly a photographer’s paradise.

After our daily Gelato, we exited the walls and found our bus stop, just as the sky’s opened up once again.   For once, we were prepared with our umbrella’s! 
That evening on the ship, the entertainment was a group which we thought was the best show of the cruise so far.   The folk songs and dances were very similar to the Lithuanian folk dances.

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