Saturday, June 3rd, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Greetings!

Imagine the coast of Santa Barbara north of Los Angeles, with only rocky beaches, but warm water.  Throw in the climate of San Diego, the crowds of Santa Monica, and the hotels of Miami Beach.  That describes the playground that attracts everyone within a few hours of here.  That's most of Europe and the Middle East, and doesn't seem to deter those from further away.

Today, we sat in the Old Town of Dubrovnik (pronounced by the way on the first syllable, without the "v"), and marveled at the great number of languages we heard, ages we saw, and cultures which had occupied the town over the past 2,500 years.  While the Italians and Slavs still make up the majority of residents and visitors, present-day explorers from Asia, northern Europe, and North America are increasing.

The town's walls are one of the highest in Europe, and were never pierced.  In fact, no one tried.  Only earthquakes in 1667 and 1979, and the War from 1991-1995, have damaged the town.  Several in ur group chose to walk around the entire wall (2.5 kilometers) for a unique view.  Pat and I deferred, choosing to explore more than our guide, Ivanka, showed us.  Game of Thrones fans, are you jealous?

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Saturday, June 3rd, Dubrovnik, Croatia.