The weather today was no better than yesterday, so the red sunset was not the positive premonition we had hoped for last evening. I was, however, able to run on the promenade deck despite the brisk winds. We were slowly cruising into the port of Dubrovnik, as I finished my daily 3-mile run, push-up, sit-up, and crunch ritual that will hopefully somewhat counter the colossal caloric intake of the endless cruise buffet service. A shuttle bus took us to the Swiss-built tram that swiftly lifted us over the ancient walled city originally built in the 7th century. From the top, we had a panoramic view of the limestone defense line and could clearly see the snow-covered mountains of neighboring Bosnia. Because of the elevation of the tram landing platform, there was blowing snow in the air, reminiscent of the freezing temperatures of Amsterdam a few days ago. (See Post #464)

Our next stop was the village Cavtat, known as the training grounds for the Croatian Olympic gold medal water polo team. At least three of the London champions were from Dubrovnik. There was also the 172 step climb to the Racic family mausoleum built on the former site of the chapel of St. Rock. There was no beach activity today with the icy cold winds off the water. There were a lot of stray cats in Cavtat, making me wonder if the city name shouldn’t have been spelled Catvat. We bought some souvenirs, visited a couple of places of worship, and chatted with our fellow travelers.We all agreed that fortunately, we will soon continue south towards warmer Greece. Once again, I don’t want to wish either my life or my days on this cruise away because there’s always the food to make everything better.

There was little magic in last night’s “Magic Show,” causing us to exit quickly for the solitude of our stateroom. Maybe we were just too tired to be entertained, as my wife continues to not sleep soundly (or at all). We did find the “Explorer’s Bar,” a little glass hideaway that looks over the bow of the ship and provides a quiet place to watch the world pass by. Tonight, we’re back in the “Chef’s Table” restaurant for an encore 5-course gourmet meal with wine pairings. The twelve laps (4 to a mile) around the deck tomorrow morning will be a bit of a hangover challenge, but the 3,372-day continuous running streak will persist.