Today was our first day of perfect weather, so we spent it walking the wall around Dubrovnik and exploring the old town area. It was sunny and 65 degrees F. The first order of business was to purchase a tourist day pass for 40 €. The pass got us up on the wall, into museums and galleries and passes to ride the bus.

We started the day by walking the length of the wall, approximately two miles. It was fairly busy but everyone was polite. The views were impressive.

Walking along the wall we stopped in at the maritime museum. There were displays of shipwreck artifacts, maps, paintings and documents.

Continuing around the wall we passed the bells, which chimed at noon.

We toured the Rector’s Palace, home to the Cultural History Museum. I’ve included some pictures of my favorite pieces. The stonework was incredible.

After touring the palace we roamed the many streets and found an outdoor table for lunch. There were many cafes to choose from.

On my friend Leonie’s advice, we sought out Peppino’s gelato. It was good advice, and we waited in line for the delicious treat.

After gelato we walked through the Franciscan Monastery, built in 1317. It housed some impressive paintings, artifacts, and silver pieces for church services.

But I think my favorite exhibit of the day was the Early Medieval Sculpture exhibition. The displays were actual pieces of stone from archaeological excavations. In Dubrovnik there existed a stonemason’s workshop for the production of sacral furniture and architectural sculpture. They produced beautiful works of art.

The following is a description on the wall explaining the symbolism of plants, geometric forms and numbers.

The relationship of the Holy Trinity with the “troplet” (Croatian interlace design or “pleter), the round with the square, the cross over the square and the square over the cross are the basic constants of pre-Romanesque stonemasonry.

FLOWERS – spring,accumulated solar energy, the manifestation of life inseparably linked with water and the sun, eternal birth, the permanent flow of new life.

ACANTHUS – eternal love, victory over the Biblical curse.

IVY – fertility and immortality.

THE TREE OF LIFE – the struggle of life and immortality.

LILY – whiteness, purity and innocence, a virgin’s flower.

VINE WITH GRAPES – the Eucharistic rite.

PALM – perfection, harmony and beauty.

ROSE – victory, pride, triumphant love, the flower of Venus – the Goddess of Love.

4-PETAL ROSE – four round, straight or pointed petals placed in a cross – resurrection.

8-PETAL ROSE – a double cross, four round, straight or pointed petals placed one above the other.

SWIRLING ROSETTE – the sun, it’s movement and eternity.

GRAPEVINE- the blood of Christ, represents the relationship between God and man; Christ is the vine, and God the winegrower.

CIRCLE, RING – eternity.

SQUARE – the world.

TRIANGLE – the Holy Trinity.

CROSS – Christ and his sacrifice, faith.

HEXAGON – creation.

OCTAGON – resurrection.

ENDLESS ROPE – A PRETZEL that is ,multiplied in a row or is intertwined into eternity, infinity.

3 – the Holy Trinity; beginning, middle, end; completion.

4 – four evangelists, four seasons, four corners of the world, four elements, four pillars over a tomb or altar.

5 – pentagram; Christ’s five wounds on the cross.

6 – perfection, divine power, magnificence, love, compassion and justice.

7 – love, mercy and the Holy Spirit, perfection, the seven holy sacraments.

8 – resurrection, bliss.

9 – completeness and finality.

12 – perfect harmony between the divine and the heavenly; the twelve apostles; twelve months of the year.

Walking back to our car we stopped in at the perfect spot to watch the sunset, have a snack, and make a toast to a wonderful day full of new discoveries.