Walking Tour and Über Tourist Blues: Wednesday, September 18th!

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. -Theodore M. Hesburgh, educator (1917- )

Up at just after 5:00 am as I'd had a grand sleep on perhaps the most comfortable bed we've slept in since starting our trip. Did my shouldares, accompanied by Lady Dar's gentle susurations, aka snoring! I'd finished by 6:30 am and stole downstairs to put on a pot of java. No Café Turk as there is both a coffee machina and ground coffee! Lady Dar came down the stairs at around 7:30 am to have her mug of tea. Clan Sutherland joined us half an hour later and managed to find CNN on the TV, not having been able to do so when we first arrived. Caught up on some world news and after a small yogurt I had my shower. 

[One of the new gates (3 redone) Gate looks great. Corinne]

Just sitting down to a pickerel supper after a run into Kenora. Having to get by with the local fish not European species like some! Been painting up a storm & replacing rotten gates so they’ve working correctly & look good. I figure at this rate I should likely qualify for a Much bigger cut of the profits from the eventual sale! 

No activity now as everyone has left except for the locals and a few cottages that are still open TIL the long weekend in October. Bye for now George Mom says hope you are feeling better. Trip sounds like great time! Thanks for the update. I’d trade any fish dish here for pickerel. Mainly tuna and sea bass here. I’m sure all the painting and new gates will help sell the place in the Spring. Is it off the market now? We move on to Prague tomorrow. Are you staying in Falcon for the winter? Love Corinne 

We headed out at 9:30 am and Flamin' and I stopped to buy a couple of cheese pastries for breakfast. We were to meet the guide for the walking tour outside the Pile Gate, near a fountain in a small park in what was once part of the city's moat. Our tour guide, Marko, checked-off all the individuals who had registered, [Our own personal tour guide, Flamin', had already done that, light years ago!], for the morning's tour and once he had done this, he started, outlining the early history of the region and Dubrovnik, in particular. 

He provided a scintillating wealth of information on the social, political and economic development of this rather unique republic while we criss-crossed the inner city, contained within the two kilometre encircling walls, commenting on individual monuments, buildings, churches, fountains and the like, bringing to life what would otherwise have been, in the main, 500 year old blocks of stone.
 

Tour lasted about 90 minutes and once we'd thanked and tipped Marko, The Gang of Three wanted to have lunch somewhere. I preferred to pick up a few vegetables, [tomatoes and two small peppers for tomorrow's breakfast omelette], and some grapes and cheese for appetizers for tonight, before we headed out for dinner, at the daily "green" market, no fish or meat. 

[Did this and then stopped to buy a bottle of white wine to chill for my companions for this evening. I planned to chip away at the bottle of Šljivovica, Badel 1862, [Nobody in the group likes this tasty drop!], I picked up last night before we open the Medvid from Ivo Duboković, a farewell toast to Clan Sutherland, off to Roma domani! 
 

Once back at #24 I made myself a tomatoe and Feta salad with the last of the lettuce from Hvar, topped with olivettis from Vienna, Dear Reader! Read a few chapters of Amor Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow, our next book club selection. Lady Dar "purloined" a hardback copy of the work in Vienna, left in our apartment, and I've been "muling" it ever since! Remarkable work and I can hardly believe that we stumbled upon it, Dear Reader!  

Hi Kara! Trust you are well. Do apologize for not being in touch sooner. No excuses but plenty of reasons. Too, too many things on our collective plates after we saw you and Angela at Poplar Grove and Upper Bench. [I'll send along some of those snaps when we are back home.] Arrived in Dubrovnik yeaterday afternoon. Must away as we are planning on taking a walking tour of the city at 10:00 am and then hope to visit The Fort Imperial on Mount Srđ, the site of a permanent exhibition dedicated to Dubrovnik during the Homeland War 1991-1995. Displays include the fall of the Republic of Dubrovnik, the Serbian aggression in 1991, the victory of the Croatian forces in 1995 and the devastating toll it took on the local population and the city’s rich cultural heritage. Fondestos to you, Kara, from Lady Dar. Hello and best wishes to Angela. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Patrick Good to receive your 2nd email. And also your 1st communique to which I did not reply. Your epistles are so long -you must start writing a book! Sounds as if you are having a great time and covering a lot of bases. I was surprised to hear from you as I thought you were travelling in October.  

And thanks for attaching Peter cook’s note about Branco. It sounds as though things may be really improving for him and for the longer term. Not too much to tell you but I’ve made out on to the squash court and still able to beat a few guys nearly my age! May try Van Squash League after Xmas.

I think you knew both Barry Gilmore and Ted Blair, well they both have recently passed on. I will miss them. Chatted to Bruce Macfarlane on Labour day and he was about to fly off to Scotland and do a lot of golfing and touring. Afterwards I wondered just how does he swing a golf club.

Not surprised in your interest in Croatian wine. You’ll be near the big leagues of fine wine when in Valence -enjoy it there. Our last cruise (Windjammer) sommelier was from Croatia and boy was he ever keen to promote his country. I’m hoping he will phone me whenever he comes to Vancouver. You are missing some pretty crappy weather -must be on track for the rainiest September ever in Vancouver -think it’s not much better in Penticton. We’ll be thinking of you in Penticton when we are basking and swirling in the Barossa Valley next month. Hope your travels go well. And best wishes to Chloe! Bill.