We ended the Croatian part of our trip in the city of Dubrovnik, a place with an old town right on the water, surrounded by tall city walls and filled with narrow well lit streets. If you're going to ever go to Croatia, go to Dubrovnik. In fact if you're ever going to Eastern Europe in general, make the effort to stop by this city.
The old town in Dubrovnik is very busy, even is later September, but for a reason. After a day of swimming off secluded rocks into the crystal Adriatic Sea, we would make our way from our hostel (which had a great view of the city and sea) down a long set of marble steps with walled houses on either side. We would reach the "old pile", which is the stunning gate to the old town, and enter the marbled streets with tall buildings on either side and narrow entries which shot off from the Main Street down quiet alleys. With plenty and lanterns and well lit churches + monasteries, in a way it felt a little like walking through Disneyland, we joked.
Our long stay (5 nights) allowed us to thoroughly explore the place and gain energy for our next leg (making the long trek to Istanbul, Turkey). I feel like we're slowly gaining more travel experience and I in particular feel like I'm learning the contradictions of travelling. Like how the idea of travelling is something grand and romantic but when you are backpacking, it can be exhausting and challenging. It's hard to constantly be moving spots, and not getting much sleep, and having to always plan your day. It can be humbling to be a foreigner in a new country where no matter how hard you try to communicate and plan, some things just end up out of your control. I was charged a ridiculous extra for asking for Parmesan at a restaurant (yeah it's funny) but I was told off for asking how much beer was at a different place. When you arrive in a new city, exciting and interesting and full of possible adventures, it can be very tempting to just sit in your hostel all day long to catch up on rest. Travelling is hard work, but at the end of the day, when you're watching the sun set over the Adriatic while sitting on rocks by the ocean outside of tall castle walls- it's nice to feel that moment when you realize the joy of being alive in this world-even if it's gone in the morning when the bus to your trip out of the city never comes and you have to run down a hundred steps to catch an expensive taxi to a coach bus that leaves in 10 minutes.
The old town in Dubrovnik is very busy, even is later September, but for a reason. After a day of swimming off secluded rocks into the crystal Adriatic Sea, we would make our way from our hostel (which had a great view of the city and sea) down a long set of marble steps with walled houses on either side. We would reach the "old pile", which is the stunning gate to the old town, and enter the marbled streets with tall buildings on either side and narrow entries which shot off from the Main Street down quiet alleys. With plenty and lanterns and well lit churches + monasteries, in a way it felt a little like walking through Disneyland, we joked.
Our long stay (5 nights) allowed us to thoroughly explore the place and gain energy for our next leg (making the long trek to Istanbul, Turkey). I feel like we're slowly gaining more travel experience and I in particular feel like I'm learning the contradictions of travelling. Like how the idea of travelling is something grand and romantic but when you are backpacking, it can be exhausting and challenging. It's hard to constantly be moving spots, and not getting much sleep, and having to always plan your day. It can be humbling to be a foreigner in a new country where no matter how hard you try to communicate and plan, some things just end up out of your control. I was charged a ridiculous extra for asking for Parmesan at a restaurant (yeah it's funny) but I was told off for asking how much beer was at a different place. When you arrive in a new city, exciting and interesting and full of possible adventures, it can be very tempting to just sit in your hostel all day long to catch up on rest. Travelling is hard work, but at the end of the day, when you're watching the sun set over the Adriatic while sitting on rocks by the ocean outside of tall castle walls- it's nice to feel that moment when you realize the joy of being alive in this world-even if it's gone in the morning when the bus to your trip out of the city never comes and you have to run down a hundred steps to catch an expensive taxi to a coach bus that leaves in 10 minutes.
The city walls.
Our spot on the rocks, outside the city walls.
The view from our hostel.
Cliff jumping and sun tanning.
Very cool. Good post. yer reflective.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see you walking the walk and sharing the eye of the traveler!:)Thank you L.S.
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