Since we were not in a rush, we were able to sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast in the 

Grand Dining Room. Rob always has Eggs Benedict there and I have the really short stack of 

blueberry pancakes, one plate sized pancake.

 

We sailed into Dubrovnik's harbor earlier than expected and were docked by 11 a.m. What a

 beautiful bay with small islands and red tile roofed houses climbing up the hills. They 

have a relatively new suspension bridge spanning the mouth of the river which runs into 

the bay. There was already a Regent ship, the Seven Seas Mariner, at the dock, but since

 we are both small-mid sized ships it did not make us think that the city would be swamped 

like it had been in Venice, when there were 5-6 ships docked, all larger than ours. Our 

deck looks down on the dock so we could see all of the procedures necessary to provide 

shuttle buses for those going into the Old City independently and 14 tour buses of various 

sizes for those of us taking excursions. While they got set up, we were entertained by a 

9 piece brass band who looked high school age but knew a lot of familiar pieces like “Hit 

the Road, Jack.” When we went to get our bus assignment, we found out that they were really

 serious about us having photo ID with us today. Apparently there is a gate check and if 

someone on a bus has no ID (we all always have our card which gets us back on board and 

opens our cabin door and allows us to charge wine, etc.) they were sending the bus back 

and delaying departure until everyone had ID, which starts the day off poorly. Our young 

guide, Nada, said that they are no longer Communist and will be in the Euro Zone in 2013, 

but there are still some remnants of old ways in place. 

We had opted to take some excursions that were arranged for groups of 10-16 only so that

 we could see and hear more, and this was one of them. We were to spend 3 ¾ hours, with 3 

hours of walking in the Old City after a short drive in the hills to get a panoramic view 

of the harbor and the walled Old City. We saw a group of BMW riders from Finland at the 

view stop and the coastal road looks great for riding. Croatia in general and Dubrovnik in 

particular have suffered through a number of catastrophes, both natural and man-made. The 

city was destroyed by a large earthquake and completely rebuilt in the 15th century, and 

there have been somewhat less destructive earthquakes since. Of course, the most recent 

damage was suffered in 1991-2 during the Serbian attacks. Most of the roofs in the Old 

City had to be rebuilt after damage from the bombing. As you enter the Old City by going 

over the original moat and wooden drawbridge there is a map showing all the bomb damage by

 marking every place the pavement was destroyed or a roof blown up or an historical building  damaged. 

There has been a concerted effort to restore everything according to UNESCO guide

lines which require the use of old methods and materials. What you now find is a 

double-walled city with forts at the corners and several monasteries, churches and a 

basilica within. Nada ran through the history of Croatia on the bus ride including the 

Romans, the Greeks, etc. and showed where the various parts of the Croatian culture came 

from. As a people they have been prosperous and continue to be, so prices are a little 

higher than in other Eastern European countries. We walked through the City to the 

Dominican monastery which has a fantastic collection of church art, including a Titian, 

and is maintained by 6 elderly monks and 6 young “trainees.” Nada was married in the 

church at this monastery and was eager to show the various artworks which were saved from 

damage over the years. On the way we passed the Franciscan monastery which boasts 4 elderly 

monks and one of the 3 oldest pharmacies in the world. The four monks earn a steady stream 

of cash by charging entry fees to the pharmacy which is still in working mode. 

We also viewed the Basilica which boasts a large pipe organ which still plays, a treasury full of 

gold work which contains all of the relics of a number of saints, including Blaise, the 

patron saint of Dubrovnik (they have arms, legs and the head encased in ornate gold

 containers.) We had free time for the last hour and visited the lovely harbor and viewed 

some of the small shops selling tourist stuff and also native wares, and had a Croatian 

coffee before heading back to the ship. No one checked our papers coming back through into 

the harbor, so obviously they didn't care who got out of Dubrovnik, only into the city.

We decided to skip the Captain's cocktail reception, which will be packed, since it 

is unlimited free drinks and canapes. Tonight we will be dining at the Polo Grill, so 

filet mignon for Rob and a whole lobster for Daryl are probably on schedule.