sunbeams

It is interesting to consider what it feels like to live in a tourist zone. I have heard similar comments from residents of Martha's Vineyard, for example, who love the income they earn from the tourists but say there is a trade-off of numbers and the value of the tourists' experiences.

I visited Dubrovnik for 9 days and barely scratched the surface. My visits to other cultures tend to be an more in depth visit in a few places instead of a day here and a day there. I prefer to get a sense of not only what made a place the way it is but who the modern citizens are and how they live.

It takes many people who live in a place that attracts tourist to make and keep that place clean and attractive to visitors. Many people to clean up the trash and the bathrooms. Many people to repair the wear and tear that occurs in ancient places.

Money collected in entrance fees go to all that overhead as well as government offices which use tourist dollars as a way to fund other programs for people throughout the country, not just in that town. I have heard that proportionately, Dubrovnik actually gains very little of the entrance fees that are collected.

That is why this concept of eating in local restaurants that locals go to, not just tourists and buying local artisan crafts, instead of mass produced items often not even made in the country visited is important.

This is a constant no matter where you visit.

Terry-great pictures. For the few hours you were there you did a great job skimming the main areas. That's probably all that can be done without a local guide to show you the back streets that have the gems and to give you explanations of what you saw, like The Green Men in the bell tower and the actual name of the place where the people were jumping into the sea. Yes, you can see all the things, but learning about what you see can only be achieved with a LOT of reading or having the benefit of a local resident to explain in the short time you have.

I was in Dubrovnik in early July. My 15-year-old and I took the ferry to Cavtat and visited the shops and kiosks, walked around the peninsula there and joined the locals at a beach. A reminder that most beaches have no sand and there can be sea urchins so wear water shoes or sandals. The water feels very cool at first but almost immediately it just feels refreshing. When it is 90 degrees out, 68 degree water is great! Feeling much cooler, we continued our walk and ate at one of the restaurants back at the main docking area. The food was fresh and a good meal.

Sunbeams