Some things to see in Dubrovnik

The Rector's Palace is just inside the Ploce Gate just past the gate to the old harbor. There is a huge square when you enter the old city with Orlando's column and his sword (used for a measurement standard). On one side of the square is the palace which served as a residence and office for the "mayor" of the city.

The bell tower chimes the hour and half hour. The original bell strikers, Maro and Baro, are recently back in Dubrovnik from restoration in Zabreb where it took over 18 months to rebuild them to their former glory. They no longer work, but are on display at the museum. Photography is not allowed but because my friend Carol is well known to the people there, we had permission to take pictures.

Rooms inside the Rector's Palace are mostly empty but you can still see that, in its day, the finishing was the best there could be. One hall was filled with art, again, dark with age and in need of restoration, but worthy of many a museum. The meeting room on the first floor had amazing wallpaper. All of us found the handrail for the stone steps leading up to the second level amusing.

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The Monastary is the site of the second oldest apothecary in Europe. Althought the historic drugstore is a museum, there is actually a working apothecary near the entrance
to the museum.

The altar of the cathedral is pretty ornate and the artwork. although needing restoration because of years of soot darkening the canvas, is still pretty amazing, as is the architecture.

Restoration of the frescoes in the monastery is in process. Scaffolds are set up with workers on each one, carefully and meticulously cleaning and then painting the old frescos.

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The Synagogue in the Old City is the second oldest in Europe, with Prague having the oldest one. Jews first came to Dubrovnik as traders in the 1300s but started coming to live there in the early 1400s. The synagogue was built in 1408 and at one time there were over 5,000 Jews in the Dubrovnik community. Many were Sephardic Jews and Marranos from Spain and Portugal following the expulsion in 1492.

The street is very narrow, of course, as all side streets off the Stradun are, and this one is called "Jew Street". There was a ghetto at one time, but my reading has not established when...the history line implies the Middle Ages. The top of the street was closed off and there was a gate at the Stradun. Although most of the Jews living in what is now Bosnia were exterminated, during World War II most of the Jews living in Dubrovnik survived by escaping to the nearby Elafiti Islands, which were under Italian control until the Partisans retook them. Most families left after the war, going to Israel, England or the US. At this time there are only 45 Jewish people left in the community, most are elderly and a rabbi comes only during the high holidays.

In the museum there are Torah covers and other celebratory artifacts.

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The Island of Lokrum (pronounced Low-krum) is located very close to the Ploce (pronounced Plo-cha) side of the Old City. There was a monastery there but now it is a park and a nature preserve with beaches and walk ways and several small restaurants. Access is via a short ferry ride. No smoking, no pets, no overnight camping. Peacocks strutting around.

The typical Croatian beach has no sand. Usually there are small rounded rocks and large pebbles. This beach area, however, was very rocky and the waves were pretty strong. The water, however, called to us...it was so hot...about 85-90 degrees, and we managed to get into the water. It felt very cold but soon we got used to it and it was refreshing. Both Graham and I had on water shoes but Sam went in barefoot and managed to step on a sea urchin.