Roaming Rogue

My second day in Dubrovnik started out with breakfast at a nearby cafe. At least on this Saturday, I found that if you started before 9am you beat the crowds, but if you started any earlier than 8am, nothing was open. There also are not many coffee houses as we would define them in the States or other European countries, mostly just traditional cafes. The breakfast was great. The restaurant is actually owned by the state, which is interesting. 

I had a tour in the morning with another tour guide, visiting different locations than I did yesterday. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Dubrovnik and I learned things I never would have otherwise. Joining me was a woman from Singapore. 

One of our first stops was an an old orphanage. It was built in the fifteenth century, and allowed women to leave their babies there due to bans on abortions by the church. Abortions had previously been very common in Dubrovnik, and the church ordered a crackdown, but realized some mothers (or fathers with a baby on the side) may be unable to take care of the child. Ah, the Catholic Church! 

When women went to the orphanage to drop off a baby, they had to give three signals when doing so. First, they could only do so after 9am so there was darkness to remain anonymous. Second, she had to wear a veil over her face to protect her identity. And then finally, she rang a bell to signal nearby households to move away from their windows. You have to wonder about how discreet a cowbell at 9pm was to the rest of the town. The visit to the orphanage launched some interesting conversation, since Croatia is very conservative in modern days, and they most recently elected a far right president. Both of them were very concerned about the way things are going in America though, which was interesting (and concerning) to hear. 

Another notable stop on the tour was the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary. It was built in the baroque style, which means it is impressively big, but very plain. What makes this church most interesting though is that in 1979 the city had an earthquake, splitting open the floor of the cathedral. The huge crack in the floor revealed two ancient churches built underneath this one, including a church that was destroyed in the 1667 earthquake and another one in the eleventh century. Unfortunately you are unable to visit the ruins as the church and the government is still deciding how to best display these ruins (ie a fight over who owns the rights to do so). 

Lunch came soon after, which was a Michelin recommended restaurant and set back in a narrow street. I ordered a glass of wine and some house bread to start. The bread was out of this world- very fluffy with bits of tomato and olives. I ordered a sea bream as an entree. It was as good as it looked! I would highly recommend a visit. I have been wary of many of the restaurants here. They’re all on the more expensive side (at least in this area) and I know many of them are just touristy. I’m glad I trusted Michelin! 

After the tour, I began my day-long adventure with museums and other sites. A tip to anyone visiting: buy the Dubrovnik pass. It’s only 35 Euros and includes several museums, transportation, and entrance to the old town walls. If you buy a ticket separately to the old town walls, it’s 35 Euros as well. Don’t make that mistake! 

My first stop was the Franciscan Church and Monastery. It was originally built in the 14th century, and houses one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe, from 1317. When it first opened, it was only accessible to the friar living there, but has since opened to the public. The pharmacy is still open to this day, and they sell products made with the same formulas from the early days of the pharmacy. I am planning to go back and get some!

The Monastery opens up to a garden courtyard. All around the walls are old frescos and paintings of Dubrovnik from historic days (hint: it looks nearly identical today). There is a museum on the far end of the Monastery, which included old materials from the pharmacy and church, including some relics. 

After the Monastery, I went to the Rector’s Palace, which is a gothic-renaissance palace built in the 14th century. The outside is incredible with intricate detailing and windows. It previously housed the state administration, as well as a prison on the lower floors. Today, you can visit it as a museum to see paintings and furnishings. The inside is not nearly as incredible. I also do not get the most excited seeing silver plates or old chairs. But that’s just me. 

With the cruise line crowds winding down (and after applying a massive amount of sunscreen- this Mediterranean sun is no joke), I made my way to the Dubrovnik City Walls. While they only span just over one mile long, I honestly spent several hours on them taking photos and enjoying the views. There are places to stop for coffee or a snack throughout them. With the breeze from the sea and the views, I didn’t think it could get any better. Even the table next to me was talking about how this is what life should be. If you plan on visiting Dubrovnik, please make sure to spend some time on the wall. I took a lot of photos, but am having issues uploading them onto Blogger. 

I closed out the evening with a nice dinner at a recently opened restaurant and a walk outside the city walls to over a nice view of the sea at sunset.