Dubrovnik

I can't quite grasp this place--its realities are so in contradiction with each other. Today it is lovely--almost too perfect. The walls are massive and beautiful; the streets and alleys alive and vibrant; night life exciting and inviting. There must be a hundred languages being spoken. It is filled with laughter and good times.

And yet 15 years ago 70% of the town was either destroyed or damaged by war; anyone over 20 has memories as we learned today when Teo, our landlord's son, drove us high into the hills to a very special place for lunch. He was sharing with us his memories from when he was 4, leaving with his mother on the last ferry out of Dubrovnik, escaping to Slovenia after being detoured to Montenegro in order to be processed by the Serbian authorities. He was scared when the sirens began sounding as the day before bombs had dropped on the port. As we drove in the hills, he pointed out the place where his uncle fought as the front line switched between Serbian and Croatian forces and where after the war he played on army tanks. The confusion and fear of children during wartime is the most profound of war sorrows. I cannot believe the memories ever leave.

One of the few undamaged roof lines with old tiles surrounded by the new tiles and repaired buildings. Few roofs such as this exist now.

So, enjoying this lovely area with a history of centuries, a proud city that held the world at bay--Turks, Austrians, other would be invaders—for hundreds of years is easy to do and yet, lurking, is the specter of its most recent history.

As I write, I am looking out over the blue Adriatic and the golden city of Dubrovnik, watching sail boats and small ferries coming in from Cavtet and Lokrum, listening to children’s laughter drifting up from the beach a few meters away and the talking of fishermen below the veranda. So today is the day to transfer to memory and the visual to take home.

The view as I write--pretty nice!

Tomorrow Teo is taking us to Mostar in Bosnia and then Friday we are taking a trip into Montenegro. I know these places will be beautiful and yet will provoke the same kinds of contemplation each day of this trip has delivered. This is a very special two weeks.

An interesting sidelight about writing a blog: I never know where the narrative will lead. Today I had no thought except to share experiences to bring Dubrovnik alive and yet, the typing fingers went elsewhere to thoughts I had not thought to share—very strange, this writing process!