Monday, July 22, 2013

The waving nuns of Dubrovnik

It’s the little things that you learn about a new place that often stick with you, and on our day in Dubrovnik, that held true.  We began with a drive towards the Old City. Our guide parked us several blocks from the Old City to facilitate our departure later in the day and because it gave us a scenic overview of the area around the Old City.  But before we left from the parking area, he pointed out an old church down the hill and through the greenery and told us the story of how for hundreds of years, the nuns watch and wave to ships passing by, offering a blessing to the seafaring people, and how even today they can be seen as cruise ships leave port.
 
We left Dubrovnik around 7:00 PM; the sun was still out but beginning to fade in the late afternoon light.  As we were sailing out, we stood on Deck 4, straining our eyes to find the church to see for ourselves.  Unfortunately, we were far enough out that our naked eyes could barely make out what appeared to be the church, but a fellow-passenger had a honking-big camera lens and was able to tell us that what we thought was a church looked like one.
 
After we got home, I Googled “nuns Dubrovnik” and the first result let me to the Dubrovnik Tourist Board’s post about the Bell Blessing for the Seamen of the world.  This site is full of information about the area and one I hadn’t come across before we made our trip.  If you’re planning a trip to Dubrovnik, whether by land or sea, be sure to look for the little things.

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