To Middle Dalmatia

We drove from Dubrovnik to Split making four stops on the way.  We first took a dip in the sea just a few kilometers from Dubrovnik.  The beach was rocky and full of families.  We did not stay long because it was very sunny and we were not allowed to stay in the shade unless we paid for the full-day rental of a lounge chair.  It felt good to swim in the water.  The tempeature is warm but not soupy like it is in East Asia, and it is so clear that you can easily see the tocks at the bottom and the small fish without goggles.

We then began an unplanned driving adventure.  We thought that it would be a simple thing to find a restaurant for lunch but as it turns out, this is not the case.  There is a long stretch that includes a 5 km stretch through Bosnia where there is very little in terms of tourism, and we could not find a place to stop.  We even tried stopping at a tourist bureau to ask for directions to a winery.  We did eventually find it but not before driving about 20 minutes out of our way.  When we arrived there, my concerns were confirmed because the restaurant only prepared food when there is a recommendation.  We did eventually find a wonderful pizzeria in a beach town about 45 minutes further along the way.  Olive trees grow everywhere in this region, and we saw several roadside stands selling it.  Tired but no longer hungry, we decided to make one more beach stop before arriving in Split.  This turned out to e an excellent decision because the rocks were smaller, and large pine trees arched over the beach providing plenty of free and comfortable shade.

We arrived in Split at around 8 pm and had no trouble finding our Airbnb.  Our hostess' partner Ivano met us and helped us carry our bags upstairs to the lovely little apartment with a fully-stocked kitchen, laundry, and even a common area.  Ivano then gave us fresh peaches from his garden, and then showed us where we were locatd on the map, as well as directions to the old city, and other major tourist destinations.  Alex and Ivano enjoyed swapping stories about living under a communist regime, and thenhe left us to explore.

Dioclesian's Palace, which is perhaps one of the most important destinations in Split, was only a short walk away, and it was easy for us to find our way there and explore the lovely small alleyways.  The old city of Dubrovnik was Medieval, but this palace was built during the Roman Empire, and is in excellent condition.  There is clean and crisp drinking water flowing from fountains all over the place, and live music in every corner.  We enjoyed a beer in a lively square, and then Alex and I shared an octopus soup in a secluded courtyard that was gracious enough to stay open until 1 am.

The next day, we walked through the Palace again until we got to the base of the park area at the top of the city.  This is not a natural park as one would expect but has manicured pathways going through the trees with the biggest aloe plants that I have ever seen.  Some people even carved their names into the leaves of these big plants.  We were very hot by the time we got to the top of the hill and we were very pleased to find a restaurant up there with cold beer and lemonade.  After cooling down a bit, we then walked down again and had lunch near the marina.  That night we went out for dinner at a very nice place tucked away in another secret courtyard.  I admit that I find food expensive here, but it is hard to argue with fresh fish that is unlike any fish you can find in Toronto.

Vali and Alice left to begin their ride home, and Alex and I made our way to the ACI Marina to meet up with our G Adventures group.  Eventually, our skipper Teo found us, and led us along to the 52-foot sailboat that at this moment, is still our home.  Teo is a native Croatian who grew up on the Island of Vis.  After our orientation meeting, we were off to the island of Sorta (pronounced Sholta).  This is the closest island to Split, and is smaller than its big brother Brac.  Teo brought us to an Agri-farm, which in this place is like a homestead where they prepare all of the food and wine themselves.  We had the most wonderful lamb that was prepared under a bell called a peka.  The bell is buried in ash and the meat was so soft and delicious, and was washed down with as much rose and red wine that we could drink.  There were also fresh olives, homemade bread and tapenade.  We were very happy upon our return that evening.

The next morning, it was very rainy and we had to make our way to the island of Vis through a heavy downpour with winds and big waves when we were in the open sea.  We all got a memorable introduction to the powers of the sea, and I was very glad for the ginger tablets that I bought as an afterthought.  We were under motor most of the time because it was too windy to sail, and we were at the mercy of the waves and heavy rain.  Teo did put up the sail at one point, and he navigated us calmly and expertly.  Once the sails caught the wind, the boat then flew towards Vis and we were at a pitch of 45 degrees!  All of the cabinets in the cabins have latches, and we had to put everything away securly to avoid things flying all over the floor.

Sometimes it was a little bit scary to consider how steeply we were pitched, and still rising and falling on the waves, with the rain pouring down and seeing lightning in the distance, but Teo has been sailing for his whole life and he was never concerned for our safety with the exception of asking all of us how we were feeling and whether we were feeling seasick.

After about 4 hours, we finally pulled into the Vis harbour.  After hardly sleeping the night before because it had been hugely hot with noisy fans, and then surviving the crossing from Solta to Vis, we all fell asleep in our cabins for a couple of hours.  It was a very, very sweet nap.

Vis is Teo's hometown, and he was able to secure a mooring for us in a semi-legal spot because he knows absolutely everybody in town.  Actually, everywhere we have been so far, Teo's friends have saved us parking spots.  After my nap, I went for a swim and then had a lovely hot shower.  That evening, the group went out for dinner at a restaurant in the harbour.  I had a lovely fish soup on Teo's recommendation that went a long way to settle that feeling of gentle swaying feeling that I seem to have all the time.  After our dinner, we spent some time debating where to go next, and a teenager ran out of the nearby ice cream shop and tried his absolute best to convince the group (of mostly women) to come into his establishment.  He even went as far as bringing out a cup of the delicious stuff that was flavoured with nutella.  In the end, we went to the only bar in town for a drink and a gander at the local colour.  The Bejbe Bar (prouounced baby) played some solid 80s music and served questionable cocktails, and was full of people.  Alex was happy because it brought him back to his youth in Romania.  We ended the night by walking along the shore to take a look at the Franciscan Monastery that is featured in many photos of this island.

In the morning, we woke up to fresh croissants from the bakery that had been picked up fresh by Teo along with fresh fruit.  In fact, There is always fresh fruit and crusty bread and coffee to be had, and in the mornings there is cereal and yogourt.  Teo takes excellent care of us and even prepared us an exquisite lunch on the boat as we traveled from Vis to Hvar.  Rather than docking in the marina, we dropped anchor in a secluded bay near the village of Milna.  We had a relaxing afternoon of jumping off the boat and swimming, and just generally lounging around.  I have a feeling that this bay will turn out to be one of those secret and special places that G Adventures always seems to bring you too.
For dinner that night we went to an outstanding restaurant and four of us shared a very special fish.  Apparently this fish is only found at certain depths and at certain distances from the shore.  This fish has a big mouth with pointy teeth and eats whatever it can scrape off of rocks.  I think that it is safe to say that I will probably never find this fish in Toronto.

After dinner, we explored the Medieval town of Hvar.  Or, I should say, we took a taxi to the town and were blown away by how absolutely stunning it was.  There is Renaissance architecture mixed with Venetian buildings, all looking down on a stunning bay.  The problem is that it is overun by drunken young Europeans every single night.  There was hardly any room to move around the throngs of nubile twenty-somethings getting more drunk by the second.  It is too bad in a way because it is not an easy thing to find a nice place for a coffee and to enjoy the scenery.  We made our way to a 'Jazz Bar' which really just turned out to be a windowless club with loud hip hop music.  Ho hum I thought to myself.  After a while we caught a taxi back to Milna, and then Sophie texted Teo that were were nearby.  Teo is so lovely that he had borrowed the restaurant's boat to be able to shuttle us back to the boat after our foray into Hvar (it is no surprise that he did not want to come with us...).  When he pulled up to the shore, a group of drunk girls charged past us and begged him to take them to their catamaran.  He only agreed to do it after they told him the name of their skipper.  It was a good thing that he did that because they had no idea which boat in the bay belonged to them!  It was actually a bit tricky to figure out our boat as well...

This morning I went for a morning swim, and then we had a leisurely morning enjoying our breakfast.  Teo returned from town with another batch of fresh pastries, and we then began the longest journey of the trip from Hvar to Korcula.  Teo made us another delicious lunch on the boat, and we are now approaching the town.  I am looking forward to this town because it has such an excellent reputation for food, beaches, architecture, and art.  Teo also tells me that this is where people can buy good souvenirs, and wine to bring home.  I think that I will sign off now and bring in my laundry, and prepare for our walking tour that will precede what I am sure will be another excellent meal at a family homestead.

As always, there is so much more that I am sure I have forgotten to mention.  And Croatia is the perfect mix of old and new.  I am enjoying this holiday very much, and I am also particularly happy to see how much Alex is enjoying it too.

Thanks for reading!

Leslie