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British Mensa Travel Special Interest Group |
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After
the Bullets We spent our holiday within easy walking distance of Dubrovnik, though there was a local bus too, which had its terminus outside our hotel. What a magnificent hotel! It had been opened early this year, and could not be faulted in its facilities and service. It was built on a cliff, and this caused me some confusion when in the lift we left our floor (3) and pressed 7 in order to reach the reception on the ground floor. We were lucky with the weather and had a warm and sunny week, though we were told the previous week had been wet and windy. It was so warm that I made good use of the unheated, outdoor pool, where I didn't need my usual process of slowly getting used to the temperature but swam straight off to sit on a partly submerged stool - but the bar was closed! From the window of our room we could see liners making for the harbour, and when we walked in the town itself there they were, near the centre! Apparently the water is very deep, and it must make an ideal spot for those on a cruise to disembark and explore on foot. The centre of Dubrovnik is quite small, and a circuit of the walls takes about an hour and a half. Fortunately we set off early in the morning, as by the time we finished the crowds were beginning to slow things down. Little can be seen to recall the recent fighting, just an occasional building with bullet marks on it, so there must have been an enormous effort to rebuild and repair the damage quickly. Nevertheless I did not feel at ease there, but was always conscious of being below the level of the surrounding hills (even on the walls). I usually buy myself a book in the language of the country, but it was more expensive than I expected there. The assistant in the shop explained that Croatia has no printing industry of its own. In fact we were told by our guide that there are no large industries at all except tourism. The many luxurious hotels were built by the Russians for money-laundering but, after three years, they belonged to Croatia. In my ignorance, I had thought that the bit of Russian that I know might be a help with the Croatian language, but it was very different and I was only able to recognise a few words. There were many surprises on this holiday, including the fact that the inhabitants call the country Hrvatska! First published in VISA issue 60 (April 2005) |