We awoke early in Dubrovnik to an enormous buffet breakfast. This was a French boat, 80%Frenchies, with the lingua franca being French. Gina we need you! Actually they put up with us English and Germans on board, even with our lack of dress sense, no manners and crass behaviour. Our designated dining seats however leave something to be desired as we are stationed behind the Sous chef and adjacent to the hallway where everyone passes. Fellow passengers do tend to help themselves to our condiments and aperitefs as they pass, which I can quite understand considering our advantageous position allowing for self selection.
It seems we had been booked onto all tours going every day so hope we can keep up the pace. Dubrovnik first, its a 1,000 plus year old city which has managed to keep out of all conflicts which destroyed most of its contempories, apart from a destructive earthquake (wouldnt you know it) in 1667. Massive stone walls dating from the 13th Century surround the old city, which is full of grand houses plus gothic, renaissance and baroque churches and monasteries.
Not a great start however when we delay the bus by Denise not having her passport or photo ID with her, although who would have thought you needed photo ID to go from the port to the city! Made worse by another officious official insisting we go through 'proper channels' to get back on the bus. Everyone on the bus seemed to enjoy the delay (not) and I fear we now have a reputation to live down to. Mental note - must try to speak Aussie henceforth.
The French groups have their own Tour Guide, so we are left with a guide who must alternate between English and German to get the message across. Does well really.
It has kept its original character and stone work where it can, and has obviously made a huge effort to recreate everything as it was prior to the damage. I suspect the tourist trade now drives everything in Dubrovnik, its like a toy town with hordes of gee whiz and wow look at that tourists thronging the streets. There were three massive ( several thousand people each) ships in port disgorging onto a willing partner in Dubrovnik. Only 176 in our wee bateau so we dont really count.
Pretty warm here so we soon catch the bus back. Denise is not well so has a lie down whilst I wander around the port ( with passport).
Superb food for tea (whole fish! Denise does better with this one) and wine with everything. No NZ wines which was disappointing as the whites werent that great. I thought we might be in for a bit of a gastronomic delight when we found most days tours were fashioned around dejeuner and diner. Bon apetit !
Our Ship departed at 2330 for Kotor in Montenegro, duly arriving 10am next day. Noisy where we are however so I suspect the person who selected our dining spot also had a hand in cabin selection. Cest la vie. Slept OK after a late night previously.
Kotor is a town of 500 in fjord type country, so we wind our way in seeing some impressive scenery. Similar to Marlborough Sounds on a grander scale. Dotted along the seashore on each side are numerous villages dating from medieval times, each with its own church, now and then overlooked by an abandoned monastery. The neck of the inlet is only 250m wide so no superliners here. Unfortunately Denise must have picked up an infection with a sore throat and headache so has confined herself to bed, she is dizzy too so is unwilling to go up on top to look so I guess my videos will have to do for her.
We have a tour of the old town of Kotor at 10 - for which I am late! Reputation reinforced ! So I tell em slap another prawn on the barby and crack open a Castlemain XXXX. The town itself is a medieval gem with its churches and monasterys well preserved and a defending fortress perched 200 or 300m above it. Our guide does a good job double describing everything, although there were only four hardy individuals left at the end. Makes it a little difficult avoiding the semi-compulsory tip but I lost him in the Maritime Museum. Which was the greatest little museum ever - Kotor was practically impregnable and sported an intact maritime history as the Venetians gave Kotor a licence to free trade. Protected from pirates they did very well and it shows here.
Back on board and departee 1500 en direction de Sibenik. I wasnt late.
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