A Park, a Park, and a Gallery

I found the excessive, or should I say oppressive crowds in Dubrovnik old town this morning more than a little stress-inducing. This afternoon, I escaped them and took it fairly easy. Yes, it is possible to escape the crowds in Dubrovnik. But I think you have to stay out of old town to do so. That’s what I did.

I visited two parks, Gradac Park and Bogišićev Park, and an art gallery, the Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik (MOMAD). Once I left old town after lunch, I spent the afternoon outside of it except for a quick walk through it as the shortest route from the gallery to my hotel.

Gradac Park

After a filling lunch, I went to Gradac Park, which is about a ten-minute or so walk out of old town Dubrovnik. I did this in the hope of escaping the massive, claustrophobia-inducing crowds I faced this morning and to settle my food.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. And not in an ironic, George Bush standing defiantly on the deck of an aircraft carrier sort of way. But rather for real. The park wasn’t empty, but few people visited it today.

Gradac Park Is a long, largeish, well-treed park on top of a high cliff facing the sea. Its length is along the cliff edge, but it also climbs a small hill behind it a bit.

A promenade with an inviting tree canopy runs along the cliff top, with one side immediately beside the edge for much of its length, except for the trees that form one-half of the tree canopy. Railings or low walls on the cliff edge assuaged my acrophobia.

The promenade offers great views of the sea and the shore, at least where the shore is visible down below. At some points, the cliff drops pretty much straight into the sea. So if you stand at that point, you can’t see where the cliff meets the sea immediately below unless you lean over the edge. But I’m only guessing you could see it even then because, yeah, like I’m ever going to lean over the edge of a cliff.

In addition to the promenade, higher on the hill, paths wend their way through the park’s trees and one small patch of grassland. Those paths range from well-defined and maintained to barely paths at all. I’m not one hundred percent certain they were intended as paths.

Sitting in and walking through the park and enjoying the views from it provided a pleasant way to pass an hour or so after the intolerable crowds of the morning.

Yes, I know that when I complain about crowds of tourists I sound like drivers who sit in their cars creating traffic and complain about all of the traffic. But I sold my car years ago. So this is my outlet for that sort of nonsense.

Bogišićev Park

Having enjoyed the peaceful nature of Gradac Park so much, I decided to head to another park outside of the old town, Bogišićev Park. Besides, visiting it provides an opportunity for me to practice typing accents.

When I visited, Bogišićev Park was no more crowded than Gradac Park. So, yay!

Bogišićev is farther back from and higher above the sea than Gradac. Getting there involved some stair climbing in addition to more gently sloped sidewalk walking.

The vegetation in Bogišićev is more varied. But my botany knowledge is no better than any of my other knowledge. So don’t expect me to name any of the species of plants.

I’m sorry if that sounded dictatorial. You are free to expect me to name them. But you’d be wise to expect to have your expectations dashed if you do. Except of course for the expectation to have your expectations dashed. That one is certain to be fulfilled. A paradox, that is.

Bogišićev Park is another relaxing park. I spent some time there. Not quite as much time as at Gradac, but not an insignificant amount either.

By the time I left, my nerves had almost completely unjangled (to coin a word) from my encounters with the tourist hordes this morning.

Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik (MOMAD)

The Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik is outside of, but not far from old town Dubrovnik and on the other side of the old town from my hotel.

Regular readers of this journal and people who know me in real life know that I am not exactly enthralled with art galleries.

(I think the set of people who know me in real life wholly contains the set of people who read this blog regularly. If anyone reads this journal regularly but doesn’t know me in real life, please raise your hand.)

Despite not being much of an art gallery lover, I often visit them when I’m in Europe because I think tourism regulations require it. What’s more, the Dubrovnik Pass I bought includes admission to MOMAD. So I had to go to make sure I got my money’s worth out of the pass even if that would be painful for me.

Yes, that was a joke. Yes, I know that doing something you find unenjoyable usually has a negative value. Just accept my exceptional comedic talents.

Yes, that was a joke too. No, I don’t think I have exceptional comedic talents. You people are a tough audience.

Let’s continue before my readers, few though they may be, start throwing rotten tomatoes at me.

MOMAD occupies three small exhibition floors in addition to the ground floor. The public space of the latter contains only the entrance and gift shop.

The first floor houses paintings not of the sort that I think of when I hear the term “modern art.” The painters tried to make their subjects—primarily people, landscapes, and still life—look like they do in the real world. That’s not what the term “modern art” conjures up for me.

Some of the paintings on that floor date from the late nineteenth century. I won’t call them old because a certain art historian who reads this journal regularly would mock me with extreme prejudice if I did. But I also have a hard time thinking of them as young. Middle-age (but certainly not Middle Ages) paintings, perhaps?

I think the second floor contained a temporary exhibition. It displayed Andy Warhol’s works exclusively.

The top floor is dedicated to photography.

The museum has a beautiful tiled terrace off the first exhibit level. It looks out on the sea and features a couple of statues.

This is my last full day in Dubrovnik before I head to my next stop on this trip, Hvar. But I have some time here before I leave tomorrow. Catch you then.