Incident at Dubrovnik

Sunset with couples. We had taken a cable car and then climbed onto the top of Srd Hill looking over ancient and beautiful Dubrovnik, Croatia.

We got onto Srd Hill near sunset. Leaving the area of restaurants we ventured out, a fair way, onto the top of the hill. It seemed to be populated only by couples. Not sure whether we had unwittingly entered into a local Croatian custom, I took Elizabeth’s hand: we could play at that too, as needed.

In the next few minutes, as the sun began to set, each couple found seating remote from every other couple, as if by some hidden rule. Feeling a bit like a paparazzo, I moved closer to Elizabeth, but still really just taking pictures. That’s right, we’re a couple too, nothing to see here.

Then, a squeal of delight from a female voice as a young man took out a small jewelry box and kneeled down. Moments later, a young woman simultaneously laughing, crying and hugging a relieved looking young man. We couldn’t speak Croatian, but the story was clear.

The sun dipped down on another day, somewhere in the world, where people live out their lives. People just like us.

Dubrovnik, September 2015. Photo by Geoff Beggs