Maggie's Farm

Dear BD:

Please do choose one with a port stop in Dubrovnik and send many pictures!

It has a very interesting history. For hundreds of years it was the only neutral seaport in that area. For me the other interesting thing is that if you look at it on the globe and you do a little heavy digging beyond the wikipedia listing, you will see that from this port was a very important overland trail. Way back in time it was the safest route overland to Ukraine(grain,etc.) Nice to avoid having to use someone else's ship. Because of the libraries and their content, during the 1991 break up of Yugoslavia, it was immediately agreed that this city was off limits--though there was some damage done. What I find interesting was that in a time when no one in the region would commit to anything--outsiders were able to get agreement almost immediately that this place should be protected.

One of the libraries contains a record of every ship and every load of cargo that came into the port. If memory serves me this record begins somewhere back around the 1400's.

Google it on maps and click here for two good summaries.
For a summary of things to see/do:
http://www.apartments-vela-luka.com/dubrovnik.asp

For Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is on my to do list, the one that probably won't get done. So go. Listen to the experts as I know you will, and bring back a great report!