A Croatian cat welcomes me …
… to the old city of Dubrovnik. Have returned to the Balkans, where, as a reporter, I had some fortunate escapes, including getting to Canada and decent medical care before a life-threatening infection took hold.
In 1991-92, Dubrovnik was under siege.
At the old city’s entrance, a sign shows where Serb and Montenegrin shells landed …
… the effects still evident.
From lookouts in walls, first built in the 12th Century …
… can easily be seen the hills from where the Serbs directed artillery fire. But ancient defences, constructed for warfare that could never have been anticipated, limited casualties. And those same defences attract bzillions of tourists, many because the city was a filming location for Game of Thrones. But it’s mid-November and Dubrovnik relatively quiet. For more than an hour, I walk alone. The walls are mine.
One of the great attractions - especially for a nosy-parker like me - is the walls allow inspection of domesticity ...
... and past mishaps.
A hat irretrievably lost in another building lacking a roof.
Towards the end of my solitary ramble, I realize how fortunate I was. Now to explore less frequented parts.
Waiting for a local bus back to the ship, I share the stop with this lady and a pigeon. I think the picture’s more interesting in black & white.
