Mary and Norm's Travel Adventures: Aegean Odyssey Cruise - Part 2

Bay of Kodor and Dubrovnik May 13, 2018

Here is part 2 of our May 2018 cruise in the Adriatic Sea -The beautiful Dalmatian Coast: Bay of Kodor, Montenegro, Dubrovnik and Split Croatia, Trieste and Venice Italy.

Each place was absolutely stunning and jaw-dropping. The photos here don't really do it justice, but they do help to relive some great memories.

Dubrovnik

The Bay of Kodor, Montenegro

The fiord-like Bay of Kodor is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated around the bay. The bay has been inhabited since antiquity and is beautiful.

We had a much needed sea day today- our first since being on this cruise. We had gorgeous scenery, some time at the pool and lunch in the dining room. A wonderful day for relaxing! Then we docked in Dubrovnik for an overnight.

There is a tradition in the bay that if a cruiseship sounds it's horn, the church on this little island (Our Lady of the Rocks) will ring it's bells. That didn't happen today as it was Sunday morning and there were church services going on.

People going to church by boat at "Our Lady of the Rock"

Dubrovnik

Pearl of the Adriatic

Along the Dalmation Coast, the city of Dubrovnik has become famous for its pedestrian-only Old Town surrounded by fortress walls, and its historical heft has earned it World Heritage Site status. Known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, this city is like a open-air museum dating back to the 13th century. Part of its allure lies in the fact that it is still a lived-in city, bustling with locals whose homes line the narrow streets

Though Dubrovnik suffered from serious damage during wars in the 1990s, UNESCO has helped preserve the city's Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque monuments. In the summer months, this calm city overflows with tourists seeking its blue waters, rocky shores, historical sites, and unparalleled beauty.

Looking down on the old town from the walls. This inner city is pedestrian only.

"Dubrovnik is a living fairy tale that shouldn’t be missed. It feels like a small town today, but 500 years ago, Dubrovnik was a major maritime power, with the third-biggest navy in the Mediterranean. Still jutting confidently into the sea and ringed by thick well-preserved medieval walls, Dubrovnik deserves its nickname: the Pearl of the Adriatic. Within the ramparts, the traffic-free Old Town is a fun jumble of steep alleys, low-impact museums; al fresco cafés, and kid-friendly squares. After all these centuries, the buildings still hint at old-time wealth, and the central promenade remains the place to see and be seen." ~Rick Steves

As soon as the boat docked for the evening, we went to explore the old city for a couple of hours before dinner. A shuttle bus from the port dropped us at the Pile Gate to the Old City.

Pile Gate

The mighty city walls of Dubrovnik are considered to be among the greatest defensive fortifications of the Middle Ages. Impregnable throughout their history, the walls run for an incredible 2km (1.24mi), encircling the entire old city.

We entered through the Pile Gate and walked along the main street or Stratun.

The remarkable preservation of the neatly contained Dubrovnik centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the result of meticulous reconstruction after the earthquake of 1667. Many renovations were also done to return the city to its former splendour after it was attacked during the civil war of the early 1990s. Today, all new building work is strictly controlled, right down to the shade of green used on the shutters of the buildings in the main street, the Stratun

What was most amazing about our walk down the Stratun was the size of the side streets - so unbelievably narrow and with a lot of stairs leading to homes (no elevators here in any of the buildings according to our guide).

The Venetian Influence - At one time the entire Stratun had this gothic Venetian architecture, but with the 1667 earthquake, most of it was destroyed.

Souvenir shops everywhere!

Beautiful limestone squares and walkways

From Game of Thrones - here are the stairs for Queen Cercei's Walk of Atonement

After a quick and interesting overview of the Old Town, we took the shuttle back to the ship for a late dinner. While waiting on the bus, we got to see the drama play out of what it is like to move house when you have no van, car or elevator (our guide said that people buy a lot of Ikea furniture ;-).

This fellow had to pull his cart with fridge, stove, washer, etc out of the old town and wait at the Pile Gate for a van to pick him up. Not sure if they got it all in one little van, but it was sure fun watching them give it a go.

Next morning we had a walking tour of Old Town, then some lunch in the square, and a walk around the walls for the afternoon. Great Day!