Scenes from Stari Grad, the Old City sector of Dubrovnik. (I'm up knowing about to about seven words of Croatian. And Stari ("old") and grad ("city") be two.)
From top to bottom:
(1) The small craft harbor outside the Ploce Gate of Dubrovnik. This used to be "the" harbor, bt times (and ship bottoms) change. Now, the big cruise ships dock out in the water and land their troops with numerous small ships. The Jadrolina ferries that ply the coast dock on the west side, in a suburban area named Gruz.
(2) The harbor, shot from a concrete pier, so that I'm facing the walls of Stari Grad. (Accidentally reposted and I don't know how to edit these posts.)
(3) A cannon that used to defend the city. Now it merely decorates it.
(4) Orlando's Fountain, outside the Pile (PEE-luh) Gate, the west side entrance into Stari Grad. I think the water coming out of the fountain might be drinkable. At least I saw someone drink from it confidently. And I think that might have been the historic purpose of this fountain. Sort of like those little "Water Mills" kiosks you see all over Las Vegas. Only historic.
(5) The cathedral. It contains relics of St. Blaise, the patron saint of Dubrovnik. Interestingly, St. Blaise's Cathedral is a block away and contains no S. Blaise relics. (For you Catholics who keep up on your saints, he's also the February 3 annual blessing of the throats saint.)
(6) And we end with the door to my apartment building. This really is the way to see Dubrovnik. From within the walls of the Stari Grad. Yes, it's touristy. And, yes, I'm a tourist. But there's a charm to the place to the transcends that. It is clean. There a few small discreet trashcans about, and people use them. There are plenty of dogs and cats (only the cats run loose, for the most part), but no feces! And there's ice cream aplenty. Tonight's flavor: coconut.
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