For our last stop in the Balkans, we arrived in Dubrovnik. Like Kotor, Dubrovnik is based on the Adriatic Sea and is surrounded by a city wall. Unlike Kotor, Dubrovnik is much larger and has a long-standing history of being an independent nation-state. Obviously nowadays it is part of Croatia, but from 1382 to 1804 it maintained independence.

Dubrovnik actually competed against Venice as a key naval trader. Back in the day, the Ottoman Empire (current day Turkey, more or less) gave Dubrovnik full trading rights within the Ottoman realm. This gave Dubrovnik a unique advantage compared to other Christian nations in Europe.

For most of our time in Dubrovnik, we were pelted with quite a bit of rain. We were able to get some good weather on our last day and could enjoy the views. I spent time wandering around the city, enjoyed a local dancing show, and met some good friends at the local Irish pub. Good times had by all! On our last day we hop on a ferry and cross over to Bari, Italy. This is an eleven hour boat ride. Hopefully the seats are comfy!

The Wandering Shawn