We all awoke early today to beat the heat for a hike up to the highest viewpoint above Dubrovnik. We could have taken the gondola up but, we... shall I rephrase and say, Clint and I, wanted to take the opportunity to stretch the legs and get a sweat on! Sweating is easy to do when it hits 81 degrees by 9 am! The views on top were well worth taking on the heat but the most rewarding part was discovering a nondescript, recently-opened Homeland War Museum on top.
This museum pieced together and answered our many questions about the war that devastated Dubrovnik in the 1990s—a war we kept hearing tidbits about and seeing evidence of around town. Civilians and cultural monuments were bombed for four consecutive years even when Dubrovnik was supposed to be under UNESCO protection. All this was happening while Clint and I were in high school, oblivious to it all. Half of the beautiful streets we walk on every day here and the medieval buildings we see out our apartment window were damaged or completely destroyed less than two decades ago. It is absolutely amazing how well preserved and gorgeous Dubrovnik looks after all the incredible destruction it endured. We all four learned a lot and walked away with a greater understanding of the resilience and strength of the Croatian people.
