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.
9/22/2022
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Sea Cloud
Hvar, Croatia
It’s hard to believe it is the last day of our magical cruise along the Dalmatian Coast. A visit to the beautiful island of Hvar, the “lavender capital” of Croatia, was the perfect way to end our voyage. Sea Cloud slipped through the narrow channel between the Pakleni Islands and dropped anchor just in front of the old Venetian harbor of the town of Hvar. We tendered into the pier for an early morning walking tour of this delightful town full of Venetian-inspired Renaissance palaces with pointed trefoil windows and ground-floor loggias. Cafes, bars, and lavender stands lined one side of the quay, while yachts and catamaran ferries from the Split jostled for position on the other. Our guides took us along the seawall and out to the Franciscan Monastery to see their little physic garden with its 500-year-old cypress tree and the impressive 16th century painting of the “Last Supper” that dominates the monk’s refectory. This magnificent work was done by a Venetian artist of the school of Paolo Veronese. The artist was shipwrecked on the island and nursed back to health in the monastery. We wound our way back to the main square, then climbed up through the narrow Porta Maestra that was once the main entrance to the fortified section of the town. We stopped in front of the small Benedictine convent, where five cloistered nuns still make lace from the fibers of the agave plant. After a visit to the basilica of St. Stephens on the main square, some of us fanned out on our own to explore the alleyways leading up to the Venetian fortress that protects the city, while others chose to buy a few lavender products or just sit and enjoy a cool drink in one of the many bars along the quay. All too soon, the tenders arrived to shuttle us back to the ship so we could partake in the famous “parmesan wheel” pasta feast on the Lido Deck. As we moved away from Hvar, the captain had the sailors go aloft for one last afternoon under sail.