Day 6 – An unplanned day of fun!
6th Jan, 2023
We decide that this, our last day in Dubrovnik, we shall spend unhurriedly wandering in the Old Town, seeing some museums on our checklist. But first, I want to see the fish in the old port that we have so far only seen at night. We walk there directly after breakfast, and I sit on the steps leading into the water, peering down. I can only see dull fishy forms swimming about. To my disappointment, the fish are not that much more visible now than at night. The sea urchins with their dark spikes are somewhat of a consolation.
Boat ride around Lokrum Island
When we walk away from the water, an old boatman approaches us, and offers a boat ride for a very reasonable 20 EUR. Says it will take 45 mins to an hour, to go around Lokrum island, and see some caves on the other side. We accept. We have to step over other vessels to get into his boat. And we’re off.
The morning is beautifully clear and sunny, the sea calm and blue. A perfect time for the boat ride. Our boatman is old, a seasoned sailor by his account – has visited London and Rotterdam 100’s of times, Amsterdam a few times as crew on commercial cargo sailing trips. His English is quite good. He tells us some local tales about the sights from the boat. He generously gives us permission to smoke (on his open boat). We decline, but he lights up and keeps a steady smoke going throughout the ride.
The promised cave, which he calls “Blue cave”, I later looked up, is referred to as “Purple cave”, apparently so-called due to the purple seaweed that covers the rocks there under the water. Whatever the name, it is a lovely sight with the aquamarine water and the light-colored craggy cliffs out of which it is carved. Limestone, I think.
We are alone on the sea, except for a couple of gulls floating lazily about. It is a perfect morning, more so because this activity was totally unplanned. Soon the boat ride is over. At the dock, we shake hands and leave the boatman, who starts pursuing his next quarry.
In the square in front there, a woman is feeding pigeons. What seems like a hundred of them are pecking feverishly at the morsels. Two cats get in their midst and cause a flutter – the pigeons flap just out of reach but don’t want to give up the food, so they land a few meters away and this dance continues for a while.
Powering through a museums checklist
We happen to be near the entrance of the Aquarium. It is housed on the ground floor of St. John’s fort. We buy the tickets and go in. They have a great giant-sized jellyfish display made of plastic bottles, wrappers, and junk fished out of the sea – to create awareness of pollution. The whole aquarium is small yet delightful. Even if you read all the info about all the displays, you can be done in 30 mins.
Next on the list is the Maritime Museum, on the 1st floor of this same fort. We go up the stairs, and take a small detour into the art gallery of local artist called Duro Pulitika. Actually, it is the studio where he used to paint, apparently. We take a quick peek in – it is one of the few things which doesn’t have an entry ticket – but it is only accessible from the Old Wall. As we go up the stairs, a guard chases after us, but luckily takes our word that we only want to visit the gallery! Its contents are not super impressive. Some forgettable quotes by the artist, some implements and tools he used. Not any prints or originals of his paintings – which I think are at MoMaD – the Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik. Well, there’s no time today to go there, so I come away with not much of an impression of Pulitika.
Right. To the Maritime Museum then. As we stand in a short line to buy tickets, I suddenly feel done with it. Quickly I drag the B out of there, and say we can move on, I don’t really want to see this museum. B anyway is not big on museums – he’s only too happy to leave. I kind of feel done with paying exorbitant prices for entrance tickets at every little fart of a museum.
We breeze through the next two items on my checklist: Sponza and Rector’s Palaces. Sponza Palace does not have an entrance ticket, so we wander into its large hall, randomly read a few of the city’s statutes, and wander out. Check. The Cultural History Museum which is housed in the Rector’s Palace, needs a ticket – we skip.
Amazing, how quickly the checklist is done!
Cold Drinks Café
It’s time for a break and something to drink. The B has been eyeing the signs to a café situated on the cliffs with great views. We saw this café from our wall walk on day 1, and ever since, it has been on B’s list. Its time has come now. We follow the signs for “Cold Drinks” like a treasure hunt, and arrive at this lovely location. There is one other couple there, apart from the shop girl and a cat snoozing in the sun. We order radlers. It’s uncomfortably hot at a table in the sun, so we move to a table uncomfortably close to the other couple, with a muttered apology for intruding into their space.
Hike up Mount Srd
I start wondering if we have time to visit Mount Srd today. Our drink done, we leave the idyllic café and walk to the bus terminus in search of bus 17. And learn that this hell-going bus, which would have taken us part of the way up, and which is scarce even on a normal day, does not run at all today. But… but… but… it is Friday today, right? Not yet Sunday? Yes, but it is a holy feast holiday. And bus 17 apparently needs to celebrate every feast.
This is a public transport conspiracy! To hell with bus 17, now I am determined to go up that hill – which means hiking up. B needs a little convincing, but he is a good sport. It is sometime after 1pm – we do have time to do the roundtrip hike before dark.
The way to the trailhead is paved with a million stairs starting opposite the Pile Gate bus terminus. We set off. It’s boring, steep stair climbing with short traverses along car roads. In 30 mins or so we reach the trailhead. Now the “real” hike starts. This is a beautiful zigzag trail through pine woods. At the end of each zig and zag, they have placed a metal plaque – most of them represent scenes from the Bible, I suspect. There are 10 switchbacks, all on the slope of the mountain facing the sea. We plod, each at our own pace. The sun shimmers blindingly on the sea, the glare too ugly for photos.
In an hour from the trailhead, I reach the top (B has reached some 15 mins earlier). There is a war museum in the ruins of the fort or castle or whatever up there, but today being a holiday and off-season, nothing is open. A couple of Adriaticats are holding the fort.
We curse ourselves for not thinking of bringing water. No shops, nothing up there. We wander around the plateau taking in the views on both sides: the Adriatic with the sun about to set over it on one side, and ranges of hills all in different shades of green-grey-purples on the other side.
We don’t want to hike down in the dark, so we can’t stay to watch the sunset from the top. We head back, and catch the sunset from the trail at various points. Not a bad show, but the other evening at our secret pine park was the best sunset of the trip.
We are off the trail before dark, but we still have to climb down all those tedious stairs to Pile Gate. We reach when it is almost dark. Dinner time! And we’ve earned it today.
Back to the pizzeria Oliva. Alas today, they are out of artichokes too (I suppose I must have eaten the last of them the day before yesterday!). I order a fat 4-cheese pizza. The waiter barely hides his horror when I ask for an extra topping of pineapple 😀 That’ll teach them not to have any vegetables! I think I’ll have aubergine withdrawal symptoms – of all the things we take for granted, I can’t get over the fact that aubergine is not available.
The trip ends (day 7)
The next morning, (day 7) our trip is at an end. For breakfast, we finish all the leftovers collected over the week. Bye apartment! Bye Stradun! Bye Adriaticats!
Nothing noteworthy on this day, except for one small amusing detail: we are the first to arrive that day at the little airport of Dubrovnik. We watch the sleepy airport slowly open its eyes and stretch its limbs. First the essentials like security, then the shops and restaurants, then our boarding gate. We trace our route back via Zagreb, and arrive home without incident. As soon as we land, the boy calls to say we need to pick up backup dinner, as the experimental pasta he made has gone wrong. Ah well, it is the thought that matters. Back to good old Albert Heijn – at least they’ll have aubergine!
