The Pearl of the Adriatic

Coming to Dubrovnik in the dead of winter may have been an ill-fated decision. It is far enough north that jackets are required attire and the sun seems to be vacationing elsewhere. Many of the shops and restaurants are closed for the season and the streets are noticeably devoid of the photo-snapping tourists who must clog the narrow alleyways all summer long. The usual kayaking, boat tours, snorkeling, swimming and sun bathing that make Dubrovnik one of the fastest growing tourist destinations and earned it the title "an oasis of civilization" are all out of the question. And yet the city's unique cultural, historical and architectural heritage continue to shine through.

Dubrovnik has long been an important center of maritime commerce in the Mediterranean trade network and perhaps the most significant hub on the Adriatic. Surviving the variances of the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Napoleonic empires, Dubrovnik has constantly been sought after as an important link between Mediterranean and Balkan states. Over the years it has enhanced its fortifications to protect trade from barbarian raiders and the old city is entirely walled off  by a series of fortifications that date to the sixteenth century. Many of the Venetian era buildings and Romanesque structures were destroyed by the great earthquake of 1667 or the civil wars that wracked the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and 1992 (68% of the old town buildings were damaged by shells), but Dubrovnik has always rebuilt with a conscious eye towards maintaining its unique cultural heritage and grandeur.

We arrived last night after 17 hours of travel. Our flight out of Heathrow departed over an hour late, causing us to miss our connecting flight in Zagreb. Thus we had to spend over 7 hours in a tiny airport with one near empty cafe and an abysmally slow and obscenely overpriced Internet station with a confused keyboard. When we finally arrived in Dubrovnik it was nearly midnight and much to dark to enjoy what must have been a beautiful view driving into the old city. We checked into a lovely little apartment rented out by an eccentric but incredibly hospitable Croatian woman named Ana. I'm sure we will come to appreciate the privacy and convenience  of this cute little studio apartment with free wi-fi even more when we start staying in hostiles in Italy.

 After sleeping in this morning we strolled down to a local market for croissants and Nutella, the seemingly ubiquitous condiment in Europe. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the old city and taking in the sights. The shiny white limestone of the streets glistened in the light, enhancing the sensations that Dubrovnik is as much a museum as it is a functioning city. We posed for photos in front of the Orlando Column and Onofrio Fountain, meandered through Sponza Palace, sat for a few minutes in St. Ignatius Church and gaped at the enormous Pile Gate. Soon our exploring took us out of the city walls and we hiked along the surrounding hillsides, looking back repeatedly to see the Adriatic framing the silhouette of the old city. Even after years of being spoiled by the California coastline, it was a truly breathtaking view. Dubrovnik is a city that looks to stand in perpetuity and yet the scars of war glossed over by new buildings speaks to the transient nature of society. Once we had walked far enough to truly appreciate the panorama we sat on a little promontory and gazed over the hills speckled with majestic villas and a coastline sprinkled with islands. This combined with the harmonious blend of Renaissance architecture  and the warm tile of the Mediterranean make it easy to see why Dubrovnik was dubbed the "pearl of the Adriatic."