Islands in the Stream, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Lavandar - Croatian spice of life and an ode to the Simon and Garfunkel classic......Magical moments..... Richard Branson sighting makes a family's day and time to Split, Croatia style...

Sailing the Croatian islands (we wish, but, we're actually ferrying) Brac, Hvar and little unnamed ones....

......Sitting on our private terrace, overlooking the harbour/bay of Hvar town, Hvar Island, Croatia sipping a glass of cold, white Croatian wine, watching the evening boats, yachts (small, big, and supersized), along with catamarans, ferries and water taxis all jostle for space in the inner harbor, and this Croation travel postcard is set against a spectacular backdrop of an Adriatic sunset.....well, can it get any better than this? Ah, probably not.......

...but, I digress.,... let's backup a few days.....

.....We left the lovely coastal city of Makarska some days earlier. The town, is literally at the base of the towering coastal mtns that rise out of the ocean. Very similar to the small, quiet beach town of Dhermi, Albania, with its own walled fortress of mountains behind it, Markarska is a nicely developed tourist town for Croatian and traveler alike.

We stayed one night, enough time to want to stay longer......nice, sand beaches, lovely port and a splendid walkway from town to beach, lined with stalls, and places to eat.

Once again, traveling in this off season, rooms are plenty.  We took a full sized apartment - bedroom, living room, kitchen, balcony and all the latest European handiwork.....patio doors/windows that open left to right or top angled out. Along with metal-slatted shutters that allow air flow, while providing security, finishing is always craftsmanship quality. Even room lights turn off/on automatically when leaving/entering a room. Like that.  Anyway, enough on our future house reno ideas... Haha!

We left Makarska and headed to our first island stop of Brac. (Pronounced bratch). About an hour to cross, we got off 30 kms from our destination - the town of Bol.....told there would be a bus waiting, we discover a 6-passenger bus van waits...,and waits..,and waits...until it gets 6 passengers for the town of Bol. Only 45 kuna (abt $$9 Can)..…but....we wait.....need 2 more before we go....we wait...driver says ....OK.... 60 kuna ($12 Can) and we'll go.....Hey, we say ....that's a 30% increase over 45 kuna....No way, we'll wait...and, we can wait...as we have no pressing need to go anywhere fast...in fact we start hitchhiking a ride to Bol. No one stops!.....finally, 2 more tourists show up ...we are off at 45 kuna/person!

Ride to Bol goes up and down and over mountain ranges, winding, narrow, roads. Once again, we marvel at the big bus skills, drivers need to navigate the corners of hills and blind spots. We go by several groups of road bikers.

We have some friends who are doing this same thing later in June through the Croatian islands......seems they live aboard a big boat, get off and cycle from one side/one port to the other side of the island. Meet the boat and get back on the boat....shower, drink, eat, sleep and head to another island ......and finish back on the coast. Sounds like fun...but, the roads are steep, narrow and high..  They deserve a cold drink at the end, along with a swim in some picturesque, quiet cove in Croatia!

                      Typical 'pirate' boat used by these cyclists.

The Croatian islands look as if some fairy tale giant from legends of old, took numerous pebbles, stones, of all shapes, sizes and then scattered them in a wide arc into the warm, clear Adriatic waters that lap up against this rugged, beautiful land. The spell then cast, saw the rocks grow, change into the over 1200 wonderful islands that lie, today off shore, along the Croatian coastline. Impossible to visit them all, although some try...  

...road to Bol.....We arrive at the destination after about 45 minutes over the long and winding road (dun, dun...sing the song, Beatles fans... sorry, just had to say it that way), it has been a familiar song throughout our journeys in Corfu, Albania, Montenegro and now, Croatia!

Bol is a lovely small harbour town on the island of Brac.

After getting settled in our Air bnb room, we headed to the famed Croatian beach called Zlatni Rat (Zee Rat beach) a half hour walk through a pine forest manicured pathway.  This pebbly beach that occupies two sides of a point is a bit over rated in our minds. Looks like it had been a gravel pit pushed over on the shore line. Beach loungers go for 100 Kuna ($20 Can)/person/chair (ouch) for the day!

Decide to see the north side of the island, so take the island bus to the port town of Supetar. Of course, it means another steep, winding road, along narrow, pine-tree lined roads.

Got in and out of Bol before the summer madness descends in the form of Europe on summer holiday. As elsewhere on this trip, locals tell us, everything gets full, gets busy, gets crazy.  We are lucky to be here before the storm hits.

Our great, little apartment is close to a locals only beach and spend a day there. In sight of a church, there's even a nude-optional beach with great sight lines from the bell tower.  No wonder the bells are rung so often here. The view from the tower can be pretty spectacular for the men of the cloth!

We leave Bol and take a catamaran to Hvar Island. The ride is a fast 20 minutes to the port-village of Jelsa.

......about the ferry service...   Croatian islands have regular access with car or passenger-only ferries. Catamarans are generally cheaper and way faster, and usually the best option for travelers without a car......

Problem is, regular service varies from daily during high season to once a week in low season. Islands that seem to be 'right over there', have service only by going an hour in another direction first, then hop on a ferry going to that island.

A lot of the routes go through Split on the mainland, and then back out.  However, with time and flexible schedules, getting around by a ferry is easy, quick and inexpensive. They run on time, are clean and have comfortable seating.

We take a cab from Hvar ferry to Stari Grad. It is the oldest settlement in Croatia, and in the top 3 oldest in Europe.

First settled about 300 AD, subsequent empires, rulers all left evidence of hanging around for some time. Romans, Venetians, Greeks etc  all used this location.

Stari Grad, today, is a sleepy, small town, at the head of a long, sheltered inlet. It still provides safe, secure anchorage for the many vessels that ply these generally calm waters.

Many of the vessels, both private and tour boats, look like they are straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean.  This pirate theme is prominent all through the Adriatic along with the striped shirts, dresses, purses, pants that are available in stores.

Our room is mere steps from the town's main church/square. Of course, ringing starts on the hour at 6 am. And, for variety, the bells ring at random times (but, way too early).....,like 6:04 am and go on and on.  Our highest ring count was 185 times!!!  This same square was the location of a school concert we happened on one night.

Rooms in the 'old town' are often dark when you wake up due to the narrow streets and high thick walls where wooden shutters are used.  Sometimes its difficult to tell the weather... Keeps everything cool too!

As a change of pace, we rent bicycles and spend the day riding the pathways along the inlet, swimming, then riding through the small walkways, narrow alleys of the old town.

These narrow streets are often only about 2 metres wide with the occasional ones being even less. This of course presents its own problems for the delivery of wares when conventional cars cannot access these areas.  Scooters, wheelbarrows, bikes and manpower are most often used.  We have, however, seen very narrow 3 wheeler vehicles also reaching some of the inner city.

Another example of a concrete beach....(with some pretty 'solid' sun tanners!)  Not bad!

We encounter no one as we wind our way up, down, this way and that. We reward ourselves with cold beer stops and ice cream treats. En route, we discover unique windows, doors and stairwells.

At one beer stop, an English family is convinced that Richard Branson (owner of Virgin Records, Air, among other things) has just gotten off his bicycle to have a pint. They whip out cameras, want photos with him as proof and do believe the 'tall tale', that it is actually  Branson's half brother....same mother, BUT, different fathers.. too funny!

 Next morning, we head by bus to Hvar Town.....polar opposite to Stari Grad... Hvar town is  busy, loud, crowded, and vacation destinations for the rich and famous. And, it is still not the busy season. Within minutes of wandering along the waterfront, we find a room. And, what a room! One level up, with a private terrace, great views of boats, people, sunsets and action around us. Again, no one is staying in this small, family run set of apartments.

Walk along the waterfront pathway that takes us past little coves, rocky beaches, lonely deck chairs waiting to be stretched out on, apartments and resorts. Find a tiny, pebbly lined beach perfect for a swim and snorkel. Spend the afternoon checking out the clear deep waters. Lots of fish, schools, varieties, colors. Good spot. Chat with several others on holidays.

........we are in the waters at least 3-4x a week now. Good, long swims that combine some exercise with a bit of aquatic sightseeing. Nice for the body and wonders for the soul....do this all time......

We sit in the late afternoon sun and watch the boats, supersized and more come and go. The fast ferry docks directly below us....we need to take this ferry off the island, and can easily lounge in bed until we see the cat round the bay, before racing down our stairs to the water's edge.

Hvar old town fills up in the evening.... people stroll, big boats, party boats all tie up for the night.... main plaza is busy...people sit drink, sip coffee and get ready for a late evening meal......

......not sure how locals here handle the incessant summer party crowd.....from relentless techno club music pounding all night, to boats filled with noisy tour groups docked under the stars.... one thing, they can't get any more sleep than we did..Ha-ha!

 Decide to explore one more little island offshore of Hvar town. Hop on a water taxi and make a 20 minute ride across the channel. 

Wander some of the pathways, swim, hang out on the rocks,  check out the windy, wild side..... See more interesting concrete beaches with chairs to rent.  We choose the rock slabs plus mat.

Next day, we leave for Split on the fast cat ferry. Hour later, we dock and see old town/palace of Split are steps away. 

Instead of heading to Trogir right away, we decide to explore the ancient palace-city of Split. We leave our packs at the entrance gate ticket booth and wander around with a climb up the bell tower for a city scape. Great little, medieval city (as compared to Dubrovnik). Originally, a palace city, now a mix of shops, apartments, residences. It is a real, walled-city, working city!

Underground passageways show how well things were constructed way back when. One sees why it is an UNESCO heritage site. It is an old city, not glossed up and polished. Real nice feel wandering around....

Our entrance to the palace from the port side was actually a waterfront doorway for rulers on their boats in the palace's heyday. Now, the water's edge is at least 50 metres away. Even spotted some guards...

.......the port area of Split is so well arranged as a transportation hub......ferries dock, water taxis arrive and mere steps away is the bus terminal with hourly, daily schedules to all points in Croatia, as well as Bosnia Herzegovina and elsewhere... 

........walk through the bus station and across the street is the train station.... while not as extensive a schedule, the trains will get you places...  

......everything arranged all so handy, easy to access, relatively inexpensive and so many options.. Europe has it figured out!...

After several hours of walking around the Split Palace inner city we decide to head out. However, a request to 'could you take our photo, please?' leads to great conversation and many beers later chatting with a Canadian couple from Ontario with family ties to Bosnia. 

As the afternoon wears on, we  say our goodbyes, retrieve our packs, still waiting were we left them, like 2 patient dogs, next to the palace-ticket seller, and find the bus up the coast to Trogir...

Trogir!.... .what a great old city..way smaller than Dubrovnik, lots of narrow passages and less crowded. It is everything you'd want to see in an ancient medieval city. We wander in from the bus station and look for rooms.....after several rejections. (too old/dirty, too expensive, footboards on the bed - Shayne's long legs don't like them!)...we find a glorious, 2 floor apartment, tucked into a private courtyard, private terrace at the end of a small, quiet alley. 

As the evening crept on we attended yet another performance... this time a symphony/opera within the walls of the ancient fortress.

Ah, a delightful spot to stay before moving on along the Croatian coast. We sit in our quiet oasis, listening to birds chirp, distant church bells chime, footsteps echoing over cobblestone streets and the gentle rythm of Croatian spoken among family and friends. 

We clink our glasses, savoring the cold, white wine and enjoy the calm.  

Time is against us now on our remaining days of travel before returning home. We look to head north.

Greetings from us to all of you... happy travels!

Random shots...

Game of Thrones.....10,000 off the boats (kid you not!)....Croatia Coastal Spectacular.....Richard Branson sighted in Croatia.

Croatia Bound....

Left Kotor, Montenegro and headed to Croatia. With bus routes/schedules,  it was easier and made more sense to head that way, rather than for Bosnia.

We arrived in Dubrovnik by bus after an uneventful crossing of the border.  It took 20 minutes at the Montenegrin section and 10 minutes entering Croatia a minute further down the road. They barely looked at our passports.

The view approaching the famed city of Dubrovnik is stunning and as you draw closer, the magnitude of this walled city becomes even more evident...

Met by people at the Dubrovnik bus station wanting to rent rooms to us.  We chose one whose place seemed to be in old town, or close to the walls. Didn't end up taking it, but we got to the center without any hassles and ahead of the thousands of cruise ship passengers that were slowly offloading for their day in the town.

Walked through the gates of old town looking for a room. Within minutes, we had found a room, after asking a waiter, if they knew of any rooms available. Room was clean, basic, with private bathroom, but oh so close to the tourists strolling through old town Dubrovnik.

And then off we descended into the chaos on the streets of OK Town...  The town was built in a bowl so you are constantly climbing stairs except at the bottom of the bowl.  This is definitely not a place for people with knee or mobility issues!

                       And, certainly not during a rain storm!

What can we say to describe Dubrovnik... gorgeous, restored, medieval.....a contradiction, bloated, over priced, overdone, victim of its own success.

It is a beautiful rendition of an ancient medieval fortress town, well preserved, restored buildings line narrow, shadow filled cobble stone lanes and alleyways or a caricature that gets used as a backdrop/centerpiece on the Game of Thrones series?

Don't mess with the Queen of Thrones!

While we were there, 7 cruise ships stopped by on one day. Estimates ranged that approx 10,000 passengers were in town... and we can assure readers, most were inside the walled city just wandering around, shopping or eating.

We couldn't wait to leave the place....we've seen more authentic/real old fortress cities elsewhere.... and with less crowds, shopping, food & drink places etc.....10,000 tourists!!! And, prices to match their bank accounts. Things were sky high in town - food, drink, lodging. One could easily go broke staying there. Cost us $20 Can each to walk the fortress wall for an hour or so. Outrageous but you do it to get the spectacular views of what its UNESCO status is for...its roofs.

It was very humid and 32+ C while we were in the city so we needed to find water to cool off. Where do you find this in a city of virtually no beaches and in a region of mainly limestone coastline?  Concrete beaches of course!! These brilliantly constructed  areas are beautifully designed to incorporate the natural rocks of the area and often include restaurants or bars. Just grab your food or drink then jump into the water and climb up the stairs for more snacks. Fabulous!

For first timers to Dubrovnik, the place is pretty impressive, but not for us and not with hordes of tourists!

So, headed to the bus station and got a bus to Makarska, up the coast, just south of Split.  Nice little beach town, on the Adriatic, set against the towering Croatian coastal mtns.

Again, this stretch of coastline is fabulous. Cute, quaint Croation towns hug the shoreline. Clear, rocky beaches abound. Mountains, seemingly, stepping out and up from the water's edge. At one point, we leave Croatian borders and cross through Bosnia Herzegovina. 10 minutes later, we reenter Croatia.

Seems when political-border lines were redrawn, they gave Bosnia Herzegovina a slim, sliver of water/coastline access. Odd thing, it seems to separate Croatia at that point. 

Stayed the night in Markarska, even had a Richard Branson sighting here by a waiter at a local restaurant! Haha!

Makarska is another beautiful coastal town with remarkable limestone cliffs overlooking the area

Next morning, caught the ferry to the Croatian island of Brac and the town of Bol.

Greetings from us to you...until next time....the islands of Croatia and back to Split!

Some random shots...

                                                     Ciao!!!