Tea at Trianon: Dubrovnik

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Dubrovnik

From Lynne's Travels:

Dubrovnik, originally called Ragusa, was founded in the 7th century, as a refuge for coastal residents - fleeing the advancing barbarians; and from its beginnings, it was protected by defensive walls. Nowadays, it is famous for being a distinctive medieval town, encircled with these massive stone walls. As part of a tour of the Dalmatian Coast, I was lucky enough to spend 2 days there and it was my favourite part of the trip. I knew it would be busy (that is an understatement); the City has stopped 25% of cruise ships coming this year, but that still meant up to 4 ships could call every day, bringing thousands of visitors to flood the city, for some or all of the day. I started my first day bright and early, catching a local bus into the town; you can either buy a ticket at one of the countless shops or kiosks for 12KN or get one on the bus for 15KN. All buses stop by Pile Gate, the main entrance to the town. This is where you will find the Tourist Information Office and is the meeting point for many of the guided tours, walking tours, and coach trips. (Read more.)