We took the opportunity, with slightly lower tourist numbers on Sunday, to walk around the town walls (approx. 2km). The weather was very hot and it was a long climb to the top of the walls. The views were great and it was quite obvious as to which buildings had been re-roofed since the 1991-95 bombings. We took shelter from the heat with a pizza lunch in town then went for a swim at Banje beach. Yesterday we caught a local boat out to Lokrum island, swam in the 'dead sea' - a lake in the centre of the island (connected to the sea) with a high salt content, walked to the fort and visited the disused monastery. The island was owned by an Austrian viscount and used as his holiday home in the approx. 1800s and was recently one of the filming locations for the game of thrones.
We had a late start today, with Sophie and Will catching up on their blogs and journals. I picked up some baguettes, cheese and salami and we had lunch at home before catching the cable car to the top of the hill above the old town. The views were worth the walk back down. Some people walked both directions but we are starting to overdo our welcome with Sophie and Will with the big walks in the heat, so the cable car option worked well. With some advice from trip advisor we then went to the foundry museum. It was great value, with a guide explaining in detail the process for making iron objects, especially cannon balls. The volcanic molding sand was imported from Italy and the crucibles for heating the metal from Germany - and all of this happened prior to the industrial revolution. They even had a special process for washing and reusing the molding sand, all built into the city walls. Our bags are now packed and we fly to Athens tomorrow.
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| The steps down from our appartment |
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| Map indicating which buildings were damaged in 1991 |
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| Waiting for the clock to chime |
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| Even the lower parts of the walls were high! |
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| Seriously impressive town walls |
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| On the walls with Lokrum island in the distance |
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| Upper corner of the town walls |
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| Views across town to the Adriatic |
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| Upper walls |
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| View from the upper corner tower |
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| Sophie in the upper tower |
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| Keeping Will back from the edge! |
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| Main promenade |
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| Old town water fountain |
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| Southern end of the walls |
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| Looking west towards Parc Gradac where we stayed |
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| Boats around the southern walls |
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| Will on the southern walls |
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| Celebrating a successful hot walk with lunch |
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| Crossing the drawbridge |
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| Banje Beach again |
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| Out to Lokrum the following day |
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| The monastry on Lokrum |
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| The 'dead sea' on Lokrum |
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| The cave at the end of the 'dead sea' |
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| Views back to Dubrovnik from Lokrum |
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| Our ferry from Dubrovbik |
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| Sophie tests her new sun hat |
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| The peacocks and rabbits on Lokrum |
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| Cliff views from Lokrum tower |
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| Game of Thrones chair |
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| Top of the cable car ride |
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| Looking inland above Dubrovnik |
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| Exhibition for awareness af the 1991+ homeland war |
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| On the path back to Dubrovnik |
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| A hot walk back to town |
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| Great views over Dubrocnik |
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| Our cable car |
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| Sophie on the walk to town |
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| A long zig zag path |
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| The oldest pharmacy in Europe in continuous operation |
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| Will balances on the impossible step - harder than it looks |
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| Inside the foundry/metal casting museum |
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| Innovative photo payment options for tourists |
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