Oct 20.2009 - Dubrovnik, Croatia

DKP : Ahh, the beautiful medievil walled city of Dubrovnik... it's great to be back. Having done the historic walking tour in 2005, we opted for a more random approach this time. For some reason, we are not compelled to attend the port talks in the main lounge, or to read the port information left in our cabin, nor to do any type of research prior to walking the 3 football fields to debark the vessel. I think there is a need for raw discovery right now... a more organic approach, "let the experience come to us."

On our last visit, my father arranged a boat ride to the old city. I have pics of my him drinking some of the strongest Croatian grappa you can imagine while our little boat pitched and rolled it's way around the choppy Adriatic towards the old marina. A stunning approach for sure, but not for the weak of inner ear :-))

This time we took one of the prearranged CCL Shuttles and were dropped right in front of the old draw bridge where we entered the city wall to the upbeat groovy strums of Krunoslav Duricic... a today's Troubadour but appearing from another time. His Acoustic Steel String Guitar, perfectly accompanied by harmonica, kazu and foot tamborine, gave the sense of a full band and drew us in immediately. We are always on the lookout for new music, especially music that relates the local color, but most street musicians are predictable at best. There was a different spark about the "Troubador." He was heartfelt and passionate while he gave us a wink and we gave him a listen and a little something back in appreciation for lifting our spirits as we begin the Dubrovnik experience.

The old town walls are still riddled with bullet holes from the War. The area has been designated a UNESCO site, to be preserved as a reminder of what happened here. The architecture is very old and classicaly gorgeous in it's dilapidated state. From this entry point, where the Roman built water fountain forms an inviting piazza, the initial feeling is one of community, something Europe really gets right in my opinion. Because of this vibe, we are excited to begin wandering, taking shots around every corner.

One of my favorite parts of the old city, is the spaces between the buildings. Something you do not see very much in our modern cities. The locals use these small alleys to create anything from outdoor dining, to cafe's to entry ways to other small spaces or just simply, to hang the colorful landry above. These small scenes make for intriguing photos and I love discovering each and every one.

We found some of the creamiest, thickest gelato imaginable (fresh strawberry with ebony dark chocolate - wow). We found little things in little shops, but the pinnacle of the day was spent resting in the sun in a large outdoor cafe with our 3 cheese paninis and a local pilsner style brew finished with espresso. The perfect European afternoon, doesn't matter what day of the week, it's the lifestyle. We found some of our best new ideas at that cafe as we watched the people come and go.

Another amazing thing to me... in Europe it is perfectly acceptable to simply walk by someone's table, take a cigarette from your neighbors pack and use their lighter to light your new found smoke. No one asks, they just do... can you imagine this in the US?? I love when cultural differences deconstruct our routine thinking. This is the true beauty of travel for me. To try on a different culture, different food, different drink, music, ways of moving in the world. The trick is to find your groove so the travel and the exploration doesn't become a job in and of itself.

Trying to learn the Euro Loungin' way of moving through the world, no matter where I am.