On a wonderful Saturday morning we woke up on the Sea Cloud as she anchored right in front of the Old Town of Dubrovnik, often called the “Pearl of the Adriatic.” Dubrovnik is a magnificent city, surrounded by ancient 13th-century fortification walls. We needed to spend our one-day stay wisely, so early in the morning some of us joined a tour of the city walls, while the rest enjoyed the views from the ship. Later we went to the nearby island of Lokrum, all in attempt to avoid crowds in Dubrovnik. And we succeeded! Some of us toured the "cursed" island, seeing the remains of an 11th-century Benedictine monastery and a botanical garden, while the others went on a hike to Fort Royal, that offered a spectacular view of the town and our ship. Later in the day we joined a walking tour of the Old Town itself and were introduced to the history and culture of the small, but incredibly progressive maritime republic that was in existence until the 10th century. And as a cherry on the top was a klapa performance in the cloister of the 14th-century Dominican monastery. A group of men singing local songs in the traditional a cappella way, was a good introduction into an evening out in Dubrovnik.
9/23/2024
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Sea Cloud
Hvar, Croatia
On the last day of our voyage, we spent the morning on the lovely island of Hvar, known for its fragrant fields of lavender and rosemary. Our walking tour started with the Franciscan monastery, featuring a centuries-old cypress tree and a 17th-century painting of the Last Supper attributed to Matteo Ponzoni. We continued on to tour one of the oldest community theaters in Europe (dating to 1612), the Hvar Arsenal (instrumental in building and repairing Venetian ships), and the town’s stone buildings which often feature the winged lion of St. Mark. This afternoon, after a lunch featuring the famous Sea Cloud pasta wheel, we enjoyed a lecture by cultural specialist Zrinka Šapro on the history of Croatia, focusing on the 20th century. Hearing about the rule of Josip Broz Tito and the wars of the 1990s from someone with personal experience was a particularly fitting conclusion to our tour of this region so rich in history. Our final evening aboard included a cocktail hour and the guest slide show on the lido deck, followed by the captain’s farewell dinner in Sea Cloud’s elegant dining room, after which we bid our travel companions and newfound friends a fond farewell.