Our driver, Nick, turned out to be quite a good guide as well as driver! We stopped in Ston (means salt) for lunch. It was DELICIOUS! We each had something different and everything was spectacular. Barb had mussels in white wine and garlic sauce that were awesome! I have never had mussels before but I tasted hers and they were wonderful! Bill had a steak and fries. The steak was as good as our country club at home serves! I tried the pasta with seafood. It too was delicious, but it's probably best that I couldn't identify all the seafood in my pasta!😊 It was followed by fantastic desserts! My crepes with vanilla ice cream were yummy. Everyone else was also "oohing and awing" over their choices! When STOL was founded, it was a Greek settlement. The area became famous for salt, which at that time was as valuable as gold. It was a shipping lane and salt was a big export. Eventually, the Greeks were invaded and they moved further up the coast and founded Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik was a neutral port. During its medieval period from the 13th -17th century, they built a wall around the city and decided to include the valuable city of Ston because of its salt exports. The wall became the 2nd longest in the world-- only the Great Wall of China is longer. Ston still mines salt today using the ancient ponds . They have 48 ponds that they fill with sea water. When full, they close the water off and hope for hot summer months for the sea water to evaporate so they can farm the salt! The village is also famous for its oysters and mussels! There are mussel farms through out the river leading to the sea. This means a floating fish basket with a rope that is anchored at the bottom with mussels that grow up and down the rope. They pull the ropes up to check the size of the mussels. It takes about 4 years for them to be big enough to be harvested.
Interestingly enough, Dubrovnik became its own city state and managed to survive the plague in the Middle Ages because they were one of the first to institute a quarantine. The wall around the city also helped protect them. Those that came be sea were "quarantined " for forty days on one of three small islands just off the coast of the city. The Phoenicians heavily influenced the area. The port was considered a "neutral" port and they also traded with the Ottoman Empire.
Dubrovnik is a small city-- only 45000 people and it heavily depends today on tourism. In the "old city"-housing is very expensive. It costs $11,000. Per square yard to purchase housing in the old city.
The hotel we are staying in is lovely and brand new. It's the Villa Dubrovnik. It's very modern with every amenity. The rain has obscured the view, but we can see enough to know it's amazing. The hotel sits on the cliff down by the water and every room faces the sea! Dinner was scruptious! My lamb chops: Outstanding! Barb's pressed duck: Fabulous! Bill's steak:Excellent! And Tom had seafood spaghetti which he pronounced very good! We topped our meals off with vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce!
Tomorrow is a walking tour from 9:00am to 5:00pm! It's supposed to still be "showery" tomorrow so we may be walking between the raindrops! However, the forecast is for it to clear up by tomorrow evening.
At lunch with Nick, our driver/guide!
Lunch at the great restaurant.
My shrimp cocktail.
Dessert!
Another dessert selection!
Salt harvesting from the 48 ponds.
Part of the wall around Ston and Dubrovnik.
Sometimes the weather goddess gets it wrong. I have sent a text to get it corrected.
ReplyDeleteI see Tom did not have his hand wrapped I do hope he is feeling better.
Love the hotel glad you do too.
Arlene