[2019]
[Friday 24 May 2019]
Dubrovnik
Grand Hotel Park, Šetalište Kralja Zvonimira 39, 20000 Dubrovnik
Janet had a disturbed night, with coughing fits and consequent trouble breathing. Today was her one day per week of unrestricted eating; and she got out of bed
ca.6am to take medication, then ca.6.30am started morning ablutions. She left the room to go down to breakfast a bit after 7am. I got up not long after that. There was a more than adequate shaving mirror in the bathroom, and adequate lighting. The shaver socket was in the same unit as that to which the hair dryer was wired, and switching on the power to the plugged-in shaver also activated the hair dryer. The switch on the hair dryer itself didn’t work. Showered also. Went down by the multiple flights of stairs to join
Janet, ca.7.50am. I had: red orange juice; cornflakes; then bacon, little tough-skinned Frankfurter/Wiener-style sausages (yesterday, I discovered that they had
HP Sauce, so I made use of that) and fried potato wedges; then a seeded bread bun and some coffee. We went back to the room to get our things; we descended by the stairs; I reported to reception the fault on the shaver socket/hair dryer unit; then we left for the bus stop that we came across yesterday. (It was a warm, sunny day.) We enquired at the little ticket office there, and found that we’d have to buy single-use tickets, four of them. The fare on the bus would be 15 kn, but pre-bought tickets were only 12 kn each.
Illustration on one side of the tickets: the Roland Column at the eastern end of Stradun in the Old City
Receipt, according to which the time of issue was “09:27”
The bus, when it came, was a №6, and rather confusingly had “BABIN KUK” on its front illuminated display. Fortunately, in the folding map of Dubrovnik that I’d picked up at the airport yesterday, we had the help of the “Map of the city’s bus lines”; and I realised that “BABIN KUK” was its point of origin rather than its destination, and that it would terminate at “Pile Station”, outside the Old City.
“Map of the city’s bus lines” from the folding map
So we boarded. One would perhaps intuitively insert the ticket picture-side up, white arrow inwards, into the slot of the machine just inside the door; but in fact, it had to go in other-side up, as the driver demonstrated when he took over the task.
 
The imprint of the machine indicates that we boarded at “09:38”.
The bus was crowded, but Janet found a window-seat next to a woman who was occupying, and who resumed sitting in, the adjacent aisle-seat; and I stood in the area for standees just in front of them. She was Croatian, living in Switzerland but visiting family. Hearing
Janet speak, she started a conversation, saying that she preferred British English to American.
I asked her, “If I were to say to you, ‘Thank you’, how would you reply?”
She replied, “You’re welcome.”
I told her that that was an import to British English from American, and that in the early 20th century, the standard reply would have been, “Not at all!”
Janet and I didn’t recognise anywhere that we passed en route, till we recognised the little park with trees where we’d halted our outward walk yesterday. Yesterday, we’d approached it from the west, but today we came from a more northerly direction.
As we got off, I said to the woman, “Doviđenja!”, and she said, “Dobar dan!”; so I guess that, as in English, “Good day!” can be both a greeting and a farewell.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 09:55:40
Brsalje Street, looking in the opposite direction to Pile Gate
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 09:56:14
Brsalje Street, looking more or less northwards
We crossed the road, and had drinks at Pizzeria Skalin in the building partially out of shot to the right in the “09:55:40” photo. Seeing someone opposite with an
espresso I had the same, and
Janet had “a scrumptious smoothie of fresh fruits,” as she wrote, or a “wild shake”, as the bill says. (“Shake” implies “milk”, but hers was without any.) At last, coffee that tasted like coffee! That person also had a glass of water, so after my coffee was served without one, I asked for one.
Pizzeria Skalin bill, showing the time, not very accurately, as “10:01”
Then we made our way into the Old City, crossing by means of a stone bridge then a short wooden drawbridge over a moat, and entering through a barbican (Pile Gate).
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:28:40
Pile Gate
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:29:00
Looking north: Minčeta Tower
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:29:18
Looking south: Fort Puncjela
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:30:10
About to enter Pile Gate
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:31:30
Within Pile Gate
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:32:38
Stradun or Placa
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:34:12
The Large Onofrio’s Fountain
“Dubrovnik Old City”, also from the folding map
Janet was a bit worried that she’d not been able to pee at the café, for we were about to start the 1¼-mile walk around the top of the city walls, and didn’t know whether we’d find toilets up there. Just to the right, as we emerged from the inner portal of Pile Gate, in the St. Clare
Convent[i] building complex, was the ticket office. The cost of tickets for a single entry to the walls was a bit steep: 200 kn each (nearly £24 each).
- [i] Called “St. Claire Convent” on the folding map, which is incorrect, for although there is the English given name “Claire”, derived from the French, in English the saint’s name is spelled “Clare”.
Receipt for admission to the walls, printed at “10:35:42”
Tickets for “one admission” to the walls, issued at “10:36”
On the inner side of the St. Clare Convent, in the north-west corner, were some public toilets. Entry to these was 10 kn or €1, which also was steep (typically, in the EU, one is charged 50 cents).
Janet didn’t have much success peeing here either.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:48:30
Entrance to the walls between Pile Gate and St. Saviour’s Church
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:48:30 (detail)
Entrance to the walls between Pile Gate and St. Saviour’s Church
We had our tickets scanned as we passed through the booth at the entrance to the walls, and mounted the two flights of steps to the top of the wall. There, we found a “one way system”; we had to turn left, and proceed around the walls southwards, then eastwards, northwards, westwards, and southwards — or anti-clockwise (as viewed from above).
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:52:34
Looking north towards Minčeta Tower
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:53:30
Looking south
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:54:10
The Large Onofrio’s Fountain
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:54:46
Looking east: Stradun or Placa
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:54:56
Corner of Stradun and Poljana Paska Miličevića
On Pile Gate, the path turned 90° right then left; that’s why the continuation of the wall is offset to the right in the “10:56:14” photo.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:56:14
Pile Gate (right); Fort Puncjela (left); Fort Lovrijenac (background, centre)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 10:57:50
Fort Lovrijenac (St. Lawrence), seen from atop Pile Gate
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:00:36
Canoeing in the Western Harbour
Midway between Pile Gate and Fort Bokar there’s a quite substantial tower, unnamed on the folding map, which I later found named “Fort Puncjela” on another map. We mounted the steps within that to have a look around from the top. The only indication that the city suffered heavy bombardment during the 1991–1992 Siege of Dubrovnik was that many of the terracotta-tiled roofs were very shiny, bright orange. (Whether the ruins in the “11:09:16” photo were caused by that conflict, or whether the buildings have just fallen into ruin, I cannot tell.)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:02:06
Fort Puncjela
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:02:36
Fort Puncjela, steps to the top
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:03:46
View from atop Fort Puncjela, north-northeast
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:04:08
View from atop Fort Puncjela, west-southwest: Fort Lovrijenac
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:04:30
Atop Fort Puncjela
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:05:06
Views from atop Fort Puncjela: south
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:05:16
Views from atop Fort Puncjela: east
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:05:26
Views from atop Fort Puncjela: northeast
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:06:36
Fort Puncjela: steps down
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:08:38
The walls beyond the corner-fort Bokar
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:09:16
The walls beyond the corner-fort Bokar
The substantial corner-fort Bokar below us to the right passed unnoticed as we turned left and proceeded along the next stretch of the walls.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:10:16
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:10:56
The walls beyond Fort Bokar
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:11:18
About midway between Fort Bokar and St. Peter Bastion is another tower, unnamed on the folding map, but found on another map to be named “St. Mary Tower”.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:13:38
Looking back to Fort Lovrijenac
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:15:52
Fort Lovrijenac (left); Western Harbour (centre); Fort Bokar (right)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:18:18
St. Mary Tower
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:20:38
Dwellings within the wall
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:22:18
St. Peter Bastion, ahead
On St. Peter Bastion there was a café, and just beyond it a stall selling ice-cream. I had a scoop of pistachio, and
Janet had three scoops of different flavours. There was also a loo for patrons there, and
Janet finally relieved herself satisfactorily.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:24:18
Cannon on St. Peter Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:28:48
Refreshments on St. Peter Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:34:40
Refreshments on St. Peter Bastion
From there, we proceeded more or less eastwards, crossing the St.
Margaret,[ii] St. Stephen and St. Saviour Bastions (there was a café on this last one, too), till we came to Fort St.
John.[iii]
- [ii] Called “St. Margharita” on the folding map
[iii] Called “St. Ivan” on the folding map
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:44:16
Lokrum Island
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:45:22
View eastwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:46:26
View eastwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:47:20
Proceeding eastwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:48:06
View northwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:48:42
Proceeding eastwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:51:58
St. Margaret Bastion, ahead
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:54:10
St. Margaret Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:54:52
Looking ahead from St. Margaret Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:58:14
Proceeding eastwards, looking back to the north-west: Church of St. Ignatius
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 11:59:10
Proceeding eastwards, looking back to the south-west: St. Margaret Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:00:02
Proceeding eastwards towards St. Stephen Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:03:30
On St. Stephen Bastion, looking back towards St. Margaret Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:04:30
On St. Stephen Bastion, looking ahead towards St. Saviour Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:04:54
Proceeding towards St. Saviour Bastion
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:07:32
On St. Saviour Bastion, looking ahead towards Fort St. John
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:08:14
Proceeding east-north-eastwards towards Fort St. John
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:09:08
Proceeding east-north-eastwards towards Fort St. John
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:09:54
Proceeding towards Fort St. John: Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, to the left
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:11:38
Cannon on Fort St. John
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:13:08
Atop Fort St. John
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:13:48
Fort St. John, view west through an embrasure in the wall
From Fort St. John, we descended flights of steps to the top of the wall leading us westwards beside the Old Port, then northwards (with a few twists and turns) beside the same.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:15:32
Leaving Fort St. John westwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:16:00
Proceeding westwards
At the bottom of the flights of steps in the “12:16:00” photo (above), there was a gateway in the wall (not visible in the photo), and beyond it a second way up to the walls with a checkpoint. All we had to do here was show our tickets.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:17:14
Proceeding westwards: view left along the west wall of the Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:16:00 (detail)
Detail of “12:16:00”, showing the continuation of the walls westwards, then northwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:18:18
Proceeding westwards: panorama of views (1): Fort St. John
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:18:34
Proceeding westwards: panorama of views (2): the Old Port
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:18:50
Proceeding westwards: panorama of views (3): the Old Port
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:19:00
Proceeding westwards: panorama of views (4)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:21:08
Proceeding westwards: Fish Market
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:22:54
Proceeding northwards: Fort St. John, across the Old Port to the east
After we turned right into a northerly direction, we came across a fortified place with a cannon (as St. Peter Bastion and Fort St. John had). When I started writing this account, I felt that this must have a name, but I’ve been unable to find one.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:23:20
Proceeding northwards: fortification just east of the Rector’s Palace
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:24:08
Proceeding northwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:24:38
Left turn westwards: ahead, the city Bell Tower
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:26:14
Right turn northwards: ahead, Church of St. Sebastian
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:27:44
About to turn north-eastwards: Church of St. Sebastian (far left); Tower of St. Luke (right); Fort Revelin (behind, centre)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:28:22
Proceeding north-eastwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:29:02
Turning eastwards, and after that northwards
To the right of the “12:29:02” photo (above) can be seen a third way up to the walls, with a checkpoint. We had to present our tickets for scanning here.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:30:04
Proceeding northwards, passing Fort Revelin on our right
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:30:18
Approaching Asimon Tower, the north-east tower of the city walls
The north-east corner tower, “Asimon”, is not named on the folding map. To get to the northern stretch of wall, one mounted the steps shown on the photo (“12:30:18”), and a further flight on its far side.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:32:26
View south from Asimon Tower: Fort St. John and Lokrum Island
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:32:46
View east from Asimon Tower
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:33:46
View south-west from Asimon Tower: bell-tower of the Dominican Monastery
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:34:24
Proceeding westwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:34:48
Proceeding westwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:36:40
St. James Tower
The next tower along the wall was St. James Tower. There were steps up to this and the next section of wall. The structure, of inner and outer walls, on the north side, was seen to good effect from here (especially “12:39:24”). It was perhaps here that
Janet began to feel distressed; in her words: “At one place I was really struggling again to breathe and ended up in tears. I was in such distress. My chest really hurt too, with all the ‘deep throat’ coughing [which has been occurring].” This is perhaps why the succession of four further towers between St. James and Minčeta are not individually photographed. After a few minutes, she rallied and was able to proceed.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:38:24
Views from St. James Tower: south
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:38:32
Views from St. James Tower: south-west
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:38:38
Views from St. James Tower: west-southwest
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:38:52
Views from St. James Tower: west — ahead
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:39:24
Views from St. James Tower: north-west
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:43:52
Proceeding westwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:45:24
Proceeding westwards
Janet was sufficiently well recovered, after adopting a slower pace, by the time we reached Minčeta Tower, to go up the internal steps to the top.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:49:30
Approaching Minčeta Tower
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:50:50
Ascending Minčeta Tower
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:52:32
Views from atop Minčeta Tower
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:53:44
Views from atop Minčeta Tower: southwards towards Pile Gate and Fort Bokar
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:55:14
Views from atop Minčeta Tower: view from the watch-post southwards towards Pile Gate and Fort Bokar
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 12:55:54
Views from atop Minčeta Tower: view from the watch-post eastwards, back along the north wall
We walked around the base of the tower (not photographed), before proceeding on the last leg southwards back to Pile Gate.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 13:01:14
Back at the entrance to Minčeta Tower
There are two further towers between Minčeta and Pile Gate, neither of which is named on the folding map, nor could I find names for them elsewhere.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 13:01:50
The remaining section of wall back to Pile Gate
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 13:04:12
Views from the first of two towers between Minčeta Tower and Pile Gate (1): south
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 13:05:00
Views from the first of two towers between Minčeta Tower and Pile Gate (2): north
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 13:07:24
Descending from the second of two towers between Minčeta Tower and Pile Gate to the level of the top of Pile Gate
To descend to the exit just before Pile Gate, there was a choice of stairways down to a landing, and thereafter a single flight of steps down to ground level.
Janet went down the nearer one (the farther one in the “13:09:46” photo) and I down the other one.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 13:09:46
Descending by flights of steps to ground level
Then we headed out of the Old City.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 13:12:50
Pile Gate, between the inner and outer gateways
We found nearby, set well back from Brsalje Street, an open-air restaurant:
Restoran Magnolia. We decided to have lunch there, despite a waitress hovering next to us while we examined the menu, displayed outside book-style on a lectern. I fancied on the drinks menu “Karlovačko Crno” (“crno” means “black”). I was expecting a Schwarzbier; but when it came, (to continue the German idiom:) it was “dunkel” not “schwarz”. It was a pleasant-tasting strong brown ale; and indeed, I had a second 500ml bottle of it.
Janet had two Fanta orange soda-pops. Deciding what to eat was easy for me: pizza! The “pizza ‘gourmet’” was a pepperoni pizza with thin, whole, curly green peppers on top. I expected these to be very hot, but they were mild and sweet. It was a large pizza, and I could only manage to eat about half of it. “It has defeated me!” I declared to the waiter, when he took the plate away. We’d seen “čevapčići” on menus, so
Janet asked what they were — pieces of minced pork and beef — and decided to have them. They were like small, thin, skinless sausages, and were served with French fries, chopped raw onion and a mildly spiced tomato sauce. I tasted a sample, and although it was much less spiced than, say, a Lincolnshire sausage, I opined that it would be eminently more suitable as an English-sausage substitute at breakfast time in the hotel buffet than the Frankfurters were.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 13:27:00
At Restoran Magnolia, Ulica Svetog Đurđa 4
Restoran Magnolia bill, issued at “14:26”
Going the loo involved going down a ramp (behind the balustrade in the “13:27:00” photo), turning right into an alley and going down steps, then entering a door on the right. When we left the restaurant, and both of us visited the loos, as I waited for
Janet I found myself standing outside, directing people to them!
We decided that we needed more cash, so withdrew 1,000 kn from a nearby ATM. (There was such an abundance of ATMs in Dubrovnik. Everywhere you looked, just about, there was one!)
Then we went back into the Old City via Pile Gate.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 14:41:56
Heading back to the Old City: Minčeta Tower (left) and Pile Gate (right)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 14:43:08
Heading back to the Old City: Pile Gate
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 14:47:24
Approaching Pile Gate
On leaving the inner gate and carrying straight on, one finds immediately to the left the entrance to the city walls, then a small Renaissance-style church, St. Saviour, then a larger single-aisle, Baroque church belonging to the Franciscan Monastery. We visited this.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 14:56:54
Franciscan Church, east end, towards the main altar
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 14:57:58
Franciscan Church, main altar
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 14:58:36
Franciscan Church, west end
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 14:59:14
Franciscan Church, ceiling
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:00:54
Franciscan Church, pulpit
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:02:50
Franciscan Church, one of the side altars on the north side
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:03:44
“Hope for the hopeless”
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:04:36
Franciscan Church, one of the side altars on the south side
After we left, Janet pointed out the door. I was getting annoyed because of people loitering in the way of the camera in front of me, but
Janet asked them to move aside.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:10:10
Franciscan Church, door on the south side
The church was destroyed by the earthquake of 1667… The only element remaining is the decorated portal… It was sculpted in 1498 in Gothic style by the workshop of the brothers Leonard and Petar Petroviċ. The almost life-sized Pietà in the central lunette, decorated with flamboyant leaves, is flanked by the figures of St. Jerome (holding a model of the pre-earthquake church) and St. John the Baptist. On top of the lunette stands the figure of the Father Creator.
(Wikipedia)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:11:46
Franciscan Church at the west end of Stradun
From there we walked to the far end of the main street, Stradun or Placa, where ahead was the city Bell Tower and to the right the Church of St. Blaise. (One thing I realise, as I write this, is that we missed observing the Roland Column, pictured on the bus tickets we bought. It’s just visible, lower centre, in “15:15:38” and at the extreme left in “15:18:06”.)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:15:38
The city Bell Tower at the east end of Stradun
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:18:06
Church of St. Blaise on the corner of Stradum and Ulica Pred Dvorom
We turned right into Ulica Pred Dvorom and walked to where it ended at the Cathedral.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:20:28
Proceeding southwards along Ulica Pred Dvorom
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:21:16
Interesting feature on the south-east corner of the Church of St. Blaise
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:21:32
Interesting feature on the south-east corner of the Church of St. Blaise
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:31:58
Rector’s Palace (left) and Cathedral (right)
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:32:34
Rector’s Palace
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:33:28
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
We looked in the Cathedral, but I immediately lost interest when I saw a “no photos” sign.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:35:14
Looking back northwards along Ulica Pred Dvorom
We skirted around the Cathedral to the right, carried on westwards 70 yards or so, and found ourselves at a grand, monumental staircase leading up to the Jesuit church.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:36:40
Wandering through streets and alleys
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:38:22
Steps up to the Church of St. Ignatius
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:40:52
Church of St. Ignatius
From there, or after there, we turned right and went more or less westwards for a time.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:45:16
Proceeding westwards
In an alley, which headed northwards, a German tourist was trying to get a cat on a wall to look at her for a photo. I was somewhat more, though not completely, successful.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:52:26
View northwards
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:52:26 (detail)
Attempting to photograph an uncooperative cat
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 15:53:58
Somewhat more success!
We descended along this alley, and ten minutes later found ourselves by the Pile Gate.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 16:05:10
Back at the inner portal of Pile Gate
Before going out through Pile Gate, we had a look at the nearby St. Saviour’s Church. The door within the porch was locked, but I was able to look through the glass.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 16:06:42
A glance through the glass in the door at St. Saviour Church
Then we went out through Pile Gate.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 16:07:50
About to leave the Old City through Pile Gate
We went to the bus stop on the right side of Brsalje Ulica, and boarded the first bus that almost immediately came, a №4 to “HOTEL PALACE”. There were only a few people boarding, both there, and at stops as it proceeded.
 
The imprint of the machine indicates that we boarded at “16:14”.
In contrast to the bus this morning, this one, when it got to the “the little park with trees”, continued on the road along which we’d walked yesterday.
Saturday 25 May 2019 — 16:21:04
Returning on the bus
It did turn left, though, before the location where we boarded this morning, so we got off at the first stop on that road. The precise way northwards back to the hotel, seemingly indicated by the map, was not apparent to our eyes, but it didn’t take long to see ahead the
Tommy supermarket. “I wanted something to take home,” Janet wrote in her journal. “I bought some fig biscuits (local) and some (local) fig cake. Perfect.”
“Smokvenjak”, the name of an uninhabited island off Croatia in the Adriatic Sea, is a type of cake made solely from dried figs with an addition of walnuts or almonds and other aromas.
Supermarket receipt, according to which the time of issue was “16:42”
“Napitak” = “drink” (two items)
Back at the hotel, up in our room, Janet had a cold drink on the balcony. I had a lie down on the bed.
Janet didn’t wake me, even though the ATM receipt she had, had 2,000 kn as the amount of the withdrawal, although we had requested and received 1,000 kn. When she finally did show it to me, it upset me greatly — till I saw that the card used for the withdrawal was
Mastercard not Visa Debit, and the last four digits were different from those of my card. So what happened to our ATM receipt I don’t know, but this was someone else’s. Relief!
Ca.6.30pm, we went down to the bar, where I had two Campari and soda and
Janet had a non-alcoholic cocktail called a “Pussy Foot”). A fairly large party of orientals was crowded round the restaurant entrance, impatient for it to open at 7pm. Again, there was the choice of whitish soup (not sure whether it was labelled differently from yesterday; or am I harking back to Kuşadası on
13 July 2013 and successive days, when identical-looking soup had different labels, till the last day, when it was different?!) and beef broth, so I had the latter. Again, later, I had bread and a couple of slices of blue cheese. I had a beer and
Janet perhaps a Fanta. Back in the room, we had to close the balcony door, because nicotine-ridden neighbours on the balcony next door were stinking us out with their filthy fume. [I have deleted from this write-up an execration of them.]… When I connected the camera to the computer,
MyFinePix Studio didn’t start up as it ought to; so I removed the SD card from the camera, and plugged that into the computer, upon which
MyFinePix Studio did now start up. Transferred 143 photos to the WD Elements
HDD (20:37–20:38) — or so I thought: because I’d accidentally removed the
MyFinePix settings, the files were copied but weren’t deleted from the source device. And when I looked at the images, I discovered that the file-names were the ones assigned by the camera; I’d accidentally removed the setting, whereby
MyFinePix assigns file-names based on the date and time of the photo. So I adjusted the program settings, and did the job of transferring 143 photos again (20:46–20:47). Viewed them all in
Windows Photo Viewer, and rotated 39 that needed it (20:50–21:00).
Janet went to bed meanwhile. I shut down the computer, ca.21:05, and got ready for bed.
[Sunday 26 May 2019]
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