Dubrovnik – Croatia

 Dubrovnik was a very pleasant surprise. I kept expecting to see signs of the war everywhere, but there was no bombed out houses, they had all been rebuilt. Everyone was friendly and helpful. There was no problem communicating with the locals either, they all seemed to speak english well enough to make you feel welcomed. I’m so glad these people were able to pick themselves up and move on with their lives after the terrible war that ravaged their homeland. They are examples of the kind of person I aspire to be, strong  when faced with overwhelming odds, and resilient enough after the conflict to rebuild their lives as well as their homes. I was even more surprised when I learn that this was the birthplace of the necktie. Yes, this is the place where this familiar piece of  gentlemen’s attire originated. Armed with that bit of info we went off in search of the perfect tie to bring back from Croatia. Guess what? Ties in Croatia are incredibly expensive, and since I don’t where ties as much as I used to we figured we’d pass on the tie and save the euros for another treasure. We sailed from Dubrovnik to the Island of Lokrum. We were able  to explore the island on our own after a stimulating hike to the top of the hills. There is a botanical garden, and peacocks roam free. There is legend that the island is cursed, but we felt it to be a place of quiet serenity.There are lots of great pictures in the photo below so check them out.  We set sail at 7:00pm for the for the next stop, Venice.

Dubrovnik, Croatia