Sunday (Dubrovnik)…

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vernight downpours relented, and we awoke to warm sun. Ventured out a bit for breakfast…Cele Brunch and Bar. Sure, the perch right on the Stradun probably adds a few dollars, but the entertaining view of passers-by is worth every penny. Visitors here run the gamut from beach-bound college students to bus-tour seniors. Strong café americanos with warm milk. Jeff’s omelette was jammed full of ham, cheese, onions, and mushrooms. Church bells rang out at 11:30…time to get the rest of the day going.

We spent some time talking with Anamarija, the charming Croatian ceramic sculptor with a gallery in the apartment entryway. She shares this cozy space with a painter. Anamarija delighted in describing her work, her methods, and her motivation. She laughed as she told a lengthy story about how she crafted rough display boxes from old window frames. She also delved into the ups and downs of cruise ships, and a bit of local politics (today was a mayoral election).

A nibble of “religious tapas” for our morning walk. The lone Orthodox Church in the city, with a traditional gilded, painted iconostasis altar screen. Colorful icons adorned the simple interior. Tall, thin candles for offerings stuck in sand. Next door, the church’s icon museum…although the museums entire holdings were on the road in another country…but their gift shop had miniature replicas for purchase.

On the other side of the Stradun was the tucked-away synagogue museum. The second-floor held displays of manuscripts and robes. Upstairs, the synagogue–the second oldest in Europe?–had blue ceilings, carved wooden altars and furniture, and several metal lanterns of various shapes and sizes.

We took a long afternoon walk out the southern gate of the city along the coast. Five-star resorts hugged the hills. Sea kayakers dipped in and out of craggy coves below. Dubrovnik sat glowing on the horizon, an inviting reminder of our return. Passed a Islamic-inspired garden and building that spilled down the hill towards the sea…villa?…resort?…not sure, but beautiful with it’s turquoise dome shimmering in the sun and easily picked out amongst the white stone and orange terra-cotta buildings on the coast. As we were about to turn around, we happened upon a rocky beach at the bottom of some non-descript concrete stairs. A tucked-away restaurant with a covered terrace and a half-dozen tables served us freshly grilled meat and beer. A feral cat charmed us out of some morsels. Lady Gaga greeted us with Alejandro. But soon we hit the Jose Feliziano portion of the mix tape with Feliz Navidad and Little Town of Bethlehem. It wasn’t THAT chilly last night. 🙂

The sun beat down hard on our return walk. Two kittens distracted us with their playful wrestling. (How would Dobie feel about THESE two tiny souvenirs?) We stopped into eastwest for a cool drink and a shady respite. The lounge music blended with the light surf just outside. Sunbathers caught the last rays of the day.

Continued our seaside pub crawl with a return to Buža. Dozens of chirping swallows were having a field day swooping and diving around the cliffs and walls, scooping up invisible (to us) sunset insects.

For dinner, we returned to another favorite: Kapon, on the serene square I front of the towering Jesuit church. Tonight, the weather was just perfect. An acoustic guitarist played quiet tunes that echoed across the entire square. Another local wine, this one a syrah…fantastic. Shared a pesto spaghetti with goat cheese and almonds. Jeff had a wonderful rolled chicken with prosciutto and cheese and a savory mushroom sauce. I risked another beef dish and felt rewarded: tender rare-ish beef with shrimp and a truffle sauce.

After dinner we wandered and soaked it all in. A bite of gelato. Another beer to listen to music. Spotted stars outside the gate in the old harbor.

We must come back to Dubrovnik. What a perfect day.