Storming the City Wall

Day 2: After going to bed at 4:30 AM we woke back up at 10:30 to scale the city wall and wanted to do it before it got too hot. The weather accommodated us. Sort of. The sky was pretty ominous and we were told that it was supposed to rain. There were dark clouds and rain but way behind the direction we were going.


We entered town and found a bakery where we got a ham and cheese pizza pocket (forget what it's called) and an apple strudel for breakfast. Then passed a farmer's market in the square on our way to the stairs for the wall.


There is a fresh spring fountain at one corner of the walk where people will fill their water bottles from the spouts. It's the best water around.
We headed up and around the wall, maybe a mile around, with an amazing 360 degree view of the ocean and the city. There are ruins among people's houses, reminders of the wars, cannons, and various enclosures that were lookouts for soldiers long ago. The stone steps here are just like the ones on the main walk, smooth and slippery.



About 2/3 of the way around we had to stop for shelter from the rain that was now coming down in large drops. The ominous sky had caught up to us with fair warning. Lightning had been cracking through the sky and thunder rumbled for the past 20 minutes or so. During our respite, we tried to get a shot of the lightning but mother nature would not cooperate. So when it let up again, we set out to finish the trek.

Just as we headed down the long stairway to the floor, the storm started again. This time not just rain but hail. Hail the size of peas while it was 85 degrees out! We huddled in an archway with a bunch of other people who had also not prepared for this sudden change in weather. We tried twice to make it toward our car but had to hopscotch to another shelter because it would come pouring down again. It was quite a phenomenon seeing hail bouncing off the rooftops and water flooding the streets. Even though we were huddled in doorways of shops and restaurants, no one was buying anything. Everyone was too fascinated by this strange weather.

Finally, the heavy part was over and people came crawling back out, mostly soaked already. Others still hid like they weren't sure it was safe just yet. Once we crossed the bridge out of town, we saw a river rushing down what used to be the road. Waterfalls were cascading down into the moat. We had to wade back to our car.

By the time we returned to the Kusalos' house, maybe 30 minutes later, the sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. Just incredible. Jason uncle called from another part of Croatia and they had hail the size of golf balls. Cars were actually damaged from the storm.



After a tasty snack of tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers from their garden, we drove with Pero and Caterina to the other side of the cove to have a cappuccino by the water. After that we checked out the new Radisson Blu Hotel and the grounds. Very fancy. We met up with their friend, Mikey and his wife and the Bakery Pardena (?). Yes, also Bay Area residents and this guy actually graduated from St. Francis HS! 5 years ahead of me but still, at this point the next person I meet I expect to have been born at the same hospital as me. We split a really tasty pizza before taking a quick tour of Mato's hometown, Orešac and then home to take a dip in the sea. I'd forgotten how much easier it is to swim in the ocean. We popped out of the water when guests arrived for dinner. So we cleaned up and met the lovely couple, Božo and Vanya.

We had an amazing homemade dinner of veal, filet, grilled eggplant, ćevapi, tomato and cucumber salad, a veggie puree that was really good, rice, and green beans with potatoes. As we enjoyed dinner on the patio, the storm rolled back in. Lightning was exploding in the dark clouds like Zeus was tossing bolts around in his home. Sometimes the sky would light up for close to 10 second spurts. It was an amazing lightshow. By the time dessert came around - a HUGE platter of fresh fruit from the gardens, strusel, and ice cream, the rain was pouring down again. Us kids decided to hide inside and watch Night at the Roxbury instead.

Originally after dinner, the plan was to go across the water and check out a concert. But that was cancelled due to the weather. So we decided to call it an early night since we would have to be up decently early to drive out to Ploće to visit with the family.