Another cloudless dawn met Sea Cloud as she approached the old walled city of Dubrovnik. The air this morning seemed to carry the first chill of autumn and the few guests up early enough to watch the sunrise resisted the temptation to don some long sleeves. As soon as the sun broke over the hills, we warmed right up.
As we were warming up, so was the old city within the walls of Dubrovnik. By the time we stepped off the tenders at 9 a.m. the polished limestone walkways were already warm. The best way to begin a day in Dubrovnik is with a guided walking tour. Walking through the main square, past churches and bell towers, then up the narrow alleys, you can easily imagine yourself inside a bustling 15th century metropolis, filled with commerce and tradespeople and seafarers from all corners of the Mediterranean.
The tops of the city walls are like wide avenues, affording grand views of the both the hills above and the city below. Just to the east, the Sea Cloud’s tall masts and golden figurehead only add to the illusion of living in the past, where sailing ships would have filled the port. The modern yachts that surround her in the anchorage seem so out of place here.
After lunch, the ship’s crew assembled our swimming rig, and the cool Adriatic waters give us some refuge from the midday sun. Most of us found a place to relax in the shade with a book, or a siesta.
Cocktail hour is spent ashore so we can attend a private performance of a local singing group, Klapa Ostro. The venue is inside the garden of a monastery, and the acoustics are perfect for their stunning a cappella harmonies.
As the sun sets, we make plans for dinning ashore or back on Sea Cloud. In either case, we will all have one last chance to explore Dubrovnik tonight under the stars.
