So, it's a little over a mile long, right? Even at my slowest pace, I should be done in a half hour, right? Strike that. I may have actually completed my most recent half marathon in a faster time than we walked the wall. How in heavens name could you possibly take that long to walk a mile? Well, you've seen my photos of this town. It is anything but flat. That means the wall goes up and down (although what feels like mostly up) just as the landscape does. Also, if you've been around me much, you know I take about a gazillion (actual number, and not an exaggeration) photos. Plus, there's the stopping to look for key points along the wall, spotting cats, listening in to identify the song you hear a distant choir singing ("Bridge over Troubled Water"), searching around the tower for Khalessi, taking photos for strangers, posing for photos, waiting for crowds to pass and taking water breaks.
The wall was truly a highlight, with its irresistible views of the city, and true feelings of awe felt at every twist and turn as we continued to gawk at the enormity of this creation.
For the evening, we once again got to spend a wonderful night with Ana at Dubrovnik Food Story! I had booked two different tours through Trip Advisor and did not realize at the time that they were both through the same small organization, but I was so glad that I did! It was a treat to be with Ana once again, and she had done such an incredible job leading our tour a few days before that I was immediately at ease that today would also be enjoyable, and it was! (Not only because there was a kitten there!)
Our tour was for a cooking class at a family villa out in the country. That was truly about all that I knew, but all of that sounded good to us! We were picked up in the city with another family of three and three couples and driven about a half hour into the countryside. If you had blindfolded me and dropped me in the backyard, then asked me where I was, I would have guessed Tuscany. The rocky hillsides, fertile valleys, "wine trees," olive trees, stunning villas and tall narrow cypress trees made me feel transported into the familiar Italy. And if that didn't remind me enough, the amount of alcohol we consumed, the large, tight-knit family, and the large kitchen that smelled divine were just enough to tip the scale in that direction.
Ivo was our host for the evening, a large, boisterous, man with olive skin who loved to tell stories, in particular about the family he was so proud of. He is the middle of three brothers who live in the home where they grew up with their mother (who still cooks dinner each night), their wives and the ten children amongst them. Their family was given the land hundreds of years ago by the government and has worked it ever since. He said several times, "this is our piece of the world." The land is passed down through male heirs, and he had the family tree to show just how far back! While their acreage is rather small compared to what I might imagine for a working farm, they make their own wine and olive oil as well as grow crops for their family to eat. They all have office jobs in the city, and then come home each evening to host a group, like us.
We started the evening with some grappa and dried fruit and learning a bit about Ivo's family and their history. Then, the women kneaded dough while the men learned how to cut and divide up whole chickens (don't worry, they had been plucked and extremities had already been removed!). Next, we moved to the garden where we picked a few things from the beautiful, well-lined garden rows and sampled fruit fresh off of the tree branches. While gathering eggs from the hen house, a three week old solid black kitten wandered up. She had apparently been abandoned by her mother, and Ivo's youngest daughter had been looking after her. But, in a country where there are virtually no predators, not even hawks, the kitten freely roamed around. Well, not after I found her! She was not much help in the cherry seed spitting contest, but otherwise, I'd say the black kitten only brought good fortune.
We went back to the kitchen and cut up vegetables and prepared a sponge cake, then watched as the skilled matriarch carefully and effortlessly began to combine all of our prepared ingredients. While it was cooking, we went down the hill to Ivo's cousin's house where I got to cuddle with a baby rabbit. I'm quite confident that was not our main purpose there, but when one is given an opportunity to cuddle something small and fluffy, one should not give up that opportunity! She had goats that we milked to add to coffee later, and provided us with some freshly made goat's milk cheese.
Just as at any good party, the crowd gathers in the kitchen. When we returned, we all gathered into the expansive kitchen with beautiful stone fireplace that would have cooked enough meat for all of Dubrovnik. We had the freshly cooked bread we had baked, fresh goat cheese, proscuitto, bites of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables from the garden, and of course another glass of wine before Ivo told us more of his wonderfully energetic and enterprising family.
Our meal that evening was around a large table where the thirteen of us could sit and enjoy an exquisite meal that we played a small role in preparing! We had flavorful chicken soup with soft bread, a fresh, simple salad from the garden and tender chicken in a rich, flavorful gravy with a side of polenta. To finish, we had freshly brewed mint (from the garden) tea and sponge cake. The food was delectable, but what I enjoyed just as much was the company.
I urge you, when you travel, to sign up for small tours or classes, because you'll get to meet fellow travelers, and this is truly a gift. The group was mostly American, or married to an American, but from all over the country and in different phases of life. What a joy to share a meal with complete strangers in a foreign country!
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