Another day in paradise

There were no cruise ships in port when we awoke this morning so that should mean that the Old Town will be less crowded.

Less is a relative word as we found when we entered through the city walls.

Usually historic type cities are rather dirty places with only the historic sights kept in any sort of reasonable maintenance whereas Dubrovnik is different.

The buildings fronting the main streets in the city are very well maintained.











The inside of the church seen in the first photo was a stunning sight with large religious photos all around the church walls


This is one of a couple of parrots or similar that were in the city to entertain passers by.


And here is the other


Another church in the city and the photo below shows the time in one of





the towers - it is 12.40 pm and the time changes every five minutes.


Outside the wall with the area for boat trips in the background and again outside


the wall with the Adriatic behind Sherry (note the shopping bags:)).

One shouldn't forget that Dubrovnik was also caught up in the conflicts in the





90's.

After we left the city walls we climbed many many stairs up the side of the hill to get a photo of the walled city from above and the effort in doing so was well worth it in


our view

I have posted two videos taken today - the first from outside the wall in the same area as where I was standing in the photo above and which can be viewed here and the other from where the above photo was taken can be viewed here

I know I am repeating myself but Dubrovnik is an absolutely stunning place and is well worth visiting if you ever get the chance.

When we were at Sarajevo I made a video from above the city - it is now posted on YouTube and can viewed here You will gather that I have a little to learn re using the focus button on the camera!

Some interesting facts we learnt from our waiter at dinner tonight:

* every restaurant pays central government 80 kuna to be provided with a complaints book for disaffected customers to record their issue in
* if the restaurant does not provide you with a printed bill then you are not obligated to pay for the meal
* if you as the customer walk out of a business without a printed bill for your purchase then you are liable for a 160 kuna fine (I can't recall the number of times in the last 3 days I have paid and left the bill on the counter!)
* the computerised system in each restaurant has to record exactly what was sold & this is transmitted to a central agency - if they do an audit of the business and find that there is more stock in the shop than there should be then the business is liable for a 50000 kuna fine and be closed down for 10 days

All of this in the interest of ensuring that the government collect the correct amount of VAT (the term the waiter used was Fiscalisation)

Tomorrow we move further north up the Adriatic coast to Split.