Aug. 2, 2022, Dubrovnik, Croatia: The country is between Hungary and France, so I might as well stop in Croatia! Simply… wow. Love love love it here! Having a late lunch in Old Town allows the waiter time to talk with me about his 18 years working on cruise ships, his family, and living in Croatia, recommending fish baked in a deep dish the traditional way. The hotel concierge tells me about the country’s history, showing me his pics of the Serbian war that began a few days after he was born, a pic of a soldier they never knew before who helped them escape to an island and then witnessing his christening. I buy a small painting from an artist selling on the street. The woman playing violin reminds me of Mom playing when she was a young girl. Absolutely beautiful here. Ending the day with a cognac on a terrace near the Adriatic Sea. A local tells me foreigners pronounce the city DUE-BROV-NICK while locals pronounce it DUE-BRO-NICK.