Also known as “Queen of the Adriatic”, the city derived its name from “Dub”, the Slavic word for oak. The mountain slopes behind the city were once covered with oak trees.
I spent most of the day with Paul and Hugh from Leicester and Oxford respectively. Both spoke openly about their struggles with mental health problems, notably depression. Paul sold me his copy of “Murphy” by Samuel Beckett to add to my travelling library. The book resonated with me because it centred on an orderly in a psychiatric hospital. I remember it was full of dark humour. Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and Joseph Heller’s “Catch 22” were also part of my library at some point in my travels.
We explored the famous Old Town with its outstanding medieval architecture and fortifications – the very reasons why it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. George Bernard Shaw visited in 1929 and wrote…
If you want to see heaven on earth, come to Dubrovnik.
I don’t think he got the Tourist Board gig for his efforts, but he already had a Nobel Prize for Literature under his belt at this time
The 15th. century cloisters at the Franciscan Monastery were beautiful and peaceful. It was like being in another world as we wandered up flights of steps and through the back streets of the city. Children played on the steps and in doorways against a background of laundry strung across the streets and balconies fluttering in the breeze.
Hugh and I (cultural ref – old TV comedy show) decide to get an aerial view of the city from the top of Mount Srd. It was quite an arduous climb on a hot day, but we were rewarded with an amazing view of the city. We could see the islands dotted in the glistening sea and the boats in the harbour.
In the other direction, there was wild mountain scenery partially obscured by clouds. I tried to get a close-up photo of a large cow with impressive horns and a big bell around her neck, but she did not seem as impressed with me so I made a hasty retreat. I still have the photo, but it is not at my present location. Something to add in the future.
So that was Day 16, some cultural walking around, bit of a climb and a bovine encounter. And here’s a bonus quiz:
Can you find the title of an old TV comedy show and the title of a 1972 soundtrack album?
And your clues for tomorrow’s destination:
En route to a capital city in the centre of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Vardar river.
Psychologist on the Move 