Croatia
Tiha via Cavtat 32nm, 5hrs
Sunday September 30 - Monday October 1
Sunday September 30 - Monday October 1
Arriving back in Cavtat, Croatia, around 1400hrs we immediately had our hands in our pockets dishing out the equivalent of AUD$20 for mooring up to the customs jetty for the time it took us to check in, and $100 just to be a tourist for the week it would take us to return to Biograd. We're not complaining, you understand, just saying.
Although it was free to anchor in the bay, and the harbour master said it was a nice sandy bottom, we found there was very little space to swing on an anchor, and without an accurate depth gauge it was a dubious task, made more frustrating and difficult by the fact it was now 1500hrs and we hadn't had lunch! Nevertheless we had three attempts (sandy bottom my foot!) then cut our losses and motored around the peninsula to Tiha. Following our previous route we were able to be sure of our depth and there was loads of room to set down. Colin likes to be anchored where he can swing and drag without fear of hitting anything, and perhaps wake up in the morning in a new place! We launched the dinghy early evening and moored up in Tiha, which was only a few minutes walk from Cavtat, and walked to the far side of the town to capture the sun setting on the town. Whilst there we saw a set up at the Spinaker Restaurant for what looked like a wedding, and sure enough soon there were finely dressed Irish men and women striding around the boardwalk, followed by the bride and groom. Actually, I couldn't say they were all striding. Some women were struggling to walk in impossibly high shoes, stilettos at that! I saw a pregnant woman in sparkly flats and told her she had the best shoes in the house. She laughed.
Finding somewhere for dinner was tricky. The prices seemed highly inflated compared to what we were used to in Croatia and we ended up at a pizzeria restaurant on the Tiha waterfront where Colin had a calzone and I had a mediocre fish dish. We were back on the boat just as it was getting dark and had the dinghy and motor packed up before 1930hrs, ready for an early take off to Mljet tomorrow.
Click images to enlarge
Although it was free to anchor in the bay, and the harbour master said it was a nice sandy bottom, we found there was very little space to swing on an anchor, and without an accurate depth gauge it was a dubious task, made more frustrating and difficult by the fact it was now 1500hrs and we hadn't had lunch! Nevertheless we had three attempts (sandy bottom my foot!) then cut our losses and motored around the peninsula to Tiha. Following our previous route we were able to be sure of our depth and there was loads of room to set down. Colin likes to be anchored where he can swing and drag without fear of hitting anything, and perhaps wake up in the morning in a new place! We launched the dinghy early evening and moored up in Tiha, which was only a few minutes walk from Cavtat, and walked to the far side of the town to capture the sun setting on the town. Whilst there we saw a set up at the Spinaker Restaurant for what looked like a wedding, and sure enough soon there were finely dressed Irish men and women striding around the boardwalk, followed by the bride and groom. Actually, I couldn't say they were all striding. Some women were struggling to walk in impossibly high shoes, stilettos at that! I saw a pregnant woman in sparkly flats and told her she had the best shoes in the house. She laughed.
Finding somewhere for dinner was tricky. The prices seemed highly inflated compared to what we were used to in Croatia and we ended up at a pizzeria restaurant on the Tiha waterfront where Colin had a calzone and I had a mediocre fish dish. We were back on the boat just as it was getting dark and had the dinghy and motor packed up before 1930hrs, ready for an early take off to Mljet tomorrow.
Click images to enlarge
Okuklje, Otok Mljet 26nm, 4hrs 30min
Monday October 1 - Tuesday 2
Monday October 1 - Tuesday 2
Okuklje, one of our favourite bays with one of our favourite restaurants and our all time favourite waiter, Rajko. He remembered us from last year when we were here with Kris and Davey, having the most succulent and delicious Hobotnica Peka (Octopus under the Bell). He had started a conversation with us about why we had learned Croatian, but what he remembers is not my extremely impressive Croatian or Colin's expert bagpipe playing, but the fact I called him prekrasan muškarac, or 'pretty man' as he translates it. He was still laughing about it, and every time I said something from my limited Croatian vocab he would shake his head and laugh. We had a lovely meal, safely moored up in front of the restaurant, and got back on the boat just as the rain started. It was light at first and so neither of us thought to bring in the towels or seat cushions, but at 0330hrs when it was bucketing down I thought about it quite a lot. Should I get up and bring the cushions in before they get completely soaked? In fact I thought about it long enough for the rain to stop then brought them in. Whilst in the cockpit I was privy to a thick bolt of lightening that split the sky and knocked out the town lights, then an alarmingly loud thunder boom that could wake the dead! I quickly scuttled back to my warm bed and pulled the covers up, watching and listening as the storm passed over.
Click images to enlarge
Click images to enlarge
Lumbarajsko Račišće Bay, Otok Korčula 28nm, 5hrs 15min
Tuesday October 2 - Wednesday 3
Tuesday October 2 - Wednesday 3
We've been putting in long days to make the distance to Biograd before a northerly wind blows up, predicted for the weekend. I've been making use of my time by refreshing my chart work and navigation skills, completing some online training for work, practising guitar, and of course updating the website.
Tuesday night in Račišće Bay was much less eventful than last year, when we had to weigh anchor and move into the lee of the island late at night due to a thunderstorm that arrived without warning. Not so this year, It was a calm, peaceful night once the bulldozer on land stopped work for the day.
Tuesday night in Račišće Bay was much less eventful than last year, when we had to weigh anchor and move into the lee of the island late at night due to a thunderstorm that arrived without warning. Not so this year, It was a calm, peaceful night once the bulldozer on land stopped work for the day.
Uvala Vela Garška, Otok Hvar 37.5nm, 6hrs
Wednesday October 3 - Thursday 4
Wednesday October 3 - Thursday 4
Wednesday morning was glassed off and sunny, and almost warm enough to jump in the water. Colin waited until 0800hrs to log in on the MedNet via SSB radio, then we continued our journey north, past the stunning town of Korčula, and up to Hvar. We moored up in Vela Garška where we stayed last year with Colin's family. Such a pretty bay with lovely clear water, and 'free' to moor up if you eat at the restaurant, Konoba Mareta. We did jump in the water there and swam to shore, though Colin thought it was about time to put a stop to swimming in such cold waters. I love the bracing feeling though, and the sensation afterwards when your body is so cold the air feels warm. It's what I love about swimming during winter at home.
'Free' mooring turned rather expensive at dinner, but you get that on the islands. I'm embarrassed to say what we paid for a fish, and we remembered why we can't spend a lot more time cruising Croatia as we would like. Most bays charge you to moor, either by a direct fee or by making it a condition to eat at their restaurant with inflated prices. Ah well, it will be the last time this season.
Click images to enlarge
'Free' mooring turned rather expensive at dinner, but you get that on the islands. I'm embarrassed to say what we paid for a fish, and we remembered why we can't spend a lot more time cruising Croatia as we would like. Most bays charge you to moor, either by a direct fee or by making it a condition to eat at their restaurant with inflated prices. Ah well, it will be the last time this season.
Click images to enlarge
Uvala Mirine, Oštrica Peninsula 40nm, 6hrs 30min
Thursday October 4 - Sunday 7
Thursday October 4 - Sunday 7
Once again we returned to this lovely safe bay. Although we had planned to stay only one night and get back to Biograd the next day before the southerly jugo blew up, we soon decided this was as good a place as any to sit out the strong winds. After a week of early starts and long miles it was great to be able to relax, sleep in, and get off the boat for a while. Having been mostly sedentary for the past few days I made the most of the calm conditions on Friday and climbed the mast, did yoga, and rowed the dinghy to shore so Colin and I could climb the wall (literally, not figuratively as we've been doing the past few days). We were happy to have the perfect opportunity to do so, having been thwarted by time and weather the previous three times we were here, and it was well worth it. Not only was it an interesting medieval wall but we also saw two deer! They looked like European Mouflon judging by the fluffy butts and rounded horns. I don't really know if a fluffy butt is a defining feature of the Mouflon, but that's certainly what I saw bounding through the scrub. The joys of a morning stroll!
There was a catamaran moored up near the base of the wall with a crew of what in Australia we would call "dickheads". They had set up a flying fox from their mast to a tree on shore and were whizzing down it into the water. While that in itself may not have been that foolish (though questionable due to the strain on the mast) leaving it tied up overnight was! Luckily for them the night stayed calm and no emergency measures were required to remove the rope quickly. Colin did concede the next day that their dismantling operation was very professionally done. Perhaps they weren't dickheads after all!
Whilst Saturday was windy and a little bit wet it was Sunday morning that the skies really cracked open, and I mean cracked! I woke to lightening penetrating my eyelids and was trying to ignore it when right on its heels the boat shook with a deafening crack of thunder. That was close I thought, until the next one when the thunder and lightening happened simultaneously! Colin saw that bolt and found on the meteo website it had struck just on the other side of the hill from us. "I might not turn on the SSB radio this morning" Colin said, "And I might not climb the mast" I said. Colin had the tin foil and wire hanger all ready for me to take up there with me too, but I reminded him I hadn't signed my will yet.
Farewell Uvala Mirine. See you next year with all your wonders and delights.
Click images to enlarge
There was a catamaran moored up near the base of the wall with a crew of what in Australia we would call "dickheads". They had set up a flying fox from their mast to a tree on shore and were whizzing down it into the water. While that in itself may not have been that foolish (though questionable due to the strain on the mast) leaving it tied up overnight was! Luckily for them the night stayed calm and no emergency measures were required to remove the rope quickly. Colin did concede the next day that their dismantling operation was very professionally done. Perhaps they weren't dickheads after all!
Whilst Saturday was windy and a little bit wet it was Sunday morning that the skies really cracked open, and I mean cracked! I woke to lightening penetrating my eyelids and was trying to ignore it when right on its heels the boat shook with a deafening crack of thunder. That was close I thought, until the next one when the thunder and lightening happened simultaneously! Colin saw that bolt and found on the meteo website it had struck just on the other side of the hill from us. "I might not turn on the SSB radio this morning" Colin said, "And I might not climb the mast" I said. Colin had the tin foil and wire hanger all ready for me to take up there with me too, but I reminded him I hadn't signed my will yet.
Farewell Uvala Mirine. See you next year with all your wonders and delights.
Click images to enlarge
Biograd na Moru 30nm, 5hrs
Sunday October 7 - Sunday 14
Sunday October 7 - Sunday 14
Back in Biograd we enjoyed familiar surroundings at a quiet and cool time of year. Ahead of us we had a week to pack up the boat before flying home, but Sunday was for relaxing...and showering! The last time we showered on shore was at Gouvia Marina at the beginning of August. Since then we swam every day and showered on the boat a couple of times, but it was a treat to have a real shower. My hair was so matted I found a contact lens in it as I combed the conditioner through!
Along the Riva we heard church bells ringing and watched a religious procession, much like a mobile mass complete with four men of the cloth carrying a Virgin Mary and a call and response from the clergy and procession. Shop keepers came out to pay their respects, standing quietly as the entourage passed. We still don't know what the celebration was for but Andrija told us each town has its own local deities and ceremonies.
I finally had a chance to try a margarita I'd seen advertised in July before we left Biograd. It looked so delicious, but for those of you who watch The Checkout and are familiar with the "Product vs Packshot" it was pretty much like that - the product did not match the poster. This sent me into fits of the giggles after my initial disappointment.
For dinner we ate at one of our favourite places, Konoba Barba. It was booked out inside but we managed to get a table outside, which was just fine since it was a lovely warm evening. The two waitresses got a workout serving the whole restaurant and doing it extremely efficiently. We recognised one of them from last year. When she came to serve us she rattled off a number of languages and asked which one we spoke. The Croatian hospitality and service staff are astounding in how many languages they speak. I spoke in my best Croatian but let her know I spoke only a little. Even on such a busy night with the girls run ragged they managed to bring us gratis grappa. I thought it would be a good idea to eat there every second night as there were still a few things on the menu I needed to try.
Time to get the boat packed up for overwintering.
Monday - Pickled the water maker, washed and packed the SUPs and dinghy, flushed the outboard motor, started packing clothes and bedding, organised new instalments to be done while we're away such as another Raymarine Chart Plotter that will communicate with the new one.
Tuesday - Packed away the sails and dinghy motor
Wednesday - Met Andrija for coffee before rushing to the bus station, only to find the 1040 bus was delayed by an hour. Caught the bus to Zadar, picked up rental car and shopped for things that broke, were found wanting, or got eaten by the rat! I also bought new snorkelling fins.
Thursday - Met Branka at Marina Kornati to sort out payment, went swimming to try my new fins for size, took our washing to Sanja, scrubbed the deck, did more packing, collected the washing
Friday - Spent the morning in Paklenica National Park north of Zadar, packed up the bimini and dodger, had drinks with Andrija and other Burin staff after work, take away pizza and salad for dinner
Saturday - Said farewell to our market ladies, gave money to Andrija for stove repairs and said our farewells for another year, bought anti-itch cream. Colin made a joke about 'Stop Itch' being a Croatian product (a pun on the pronunciation of Croatian surnames), but the pharmacist had actually said the cream I bought was invented by a Croatian so I totally missed his joke. Final pack of linen, final clean, then off to beautiful Zagreb. Farewell and thank you Loch Fyne Lass for another amazing season of sailing.
Click images to enlarge
Along the Riva we heard church bells ringing and watched a religious procession, much like a mobile mass complete with four men of the cloth carrying a Virgin Mary and a call and response from the clergy and procession. Shop keepers came out to pay their respects, standing quietly as the entourage passed. We still don't know what the celebration was for but Andrija told us each town has its own local deities and ceremonies.
I finally had a chance to try a margarita I'd seen advertised in July before we left Biograd. It looked so delicious, but for those of you who watch The Checkout and are familiar with the "Product vs Packshot" it was pretty much like that - the product did not match the poster. This sent me into fits of the giggles after my initial disappointment.
For dinner we ate at one of our favourite places, Konoba Barba. It was booked out inside but we managed to get a table outside, which was just fine since it was a lovely warm evening. The two waitresses got a workout serving the whole restaurant and doing it extremely efficiently. We recognised one of them from last year. When she came to serve us she rattled off a number of languages and asked which one we spoke. The Croatian hospitality and service staff are astounding in how many languages they speak. I spoke in my best Croatian but let her know I spoke only a little. Even on such a busy night with the girls run ragged they managed to bring us gratis grappa. I thought it would be a good idea to eat there every second night as there were still a few things on the menu I needed to try.
Time to get the boat packed up for overwintering.
Monday - Pickled the water maker, washed and packed the SUPs and dinghy, flushed the outboard motor, started packing clothes and bedding, organised new instalments to be done while we're away such as another Raymarine Chart Plotter that will communicate with the new one.
Tuesday - Packed away the sails and dinghy motor
Wednesday - Met Andrija for coffee before rushing to the bus station, only to find the 1040 bus was delayed by an hour. Caught the bus to Zadar, picked up rental car and shopped for things that broke, were found wanting, or got eaten by the rat! I also bought new snorkelling fins.
Thursday - Met Branka at Marina Kornati to sort out payment, went swimming to try my new fins for size, took our washing to Sanja, scrubbed the deck, did more packing, collected the washing
Friday - Spent the morning in Paklenica National Park north of Zadar, packed up the bimini and dodger, had drinks with Andrija and other Burin staff after work, take away pizza and salad for dinner
Saturday - Said farewell to our market ladies, gave money to Andrija for stove repairs and said our farewells for another year, bought anti-itch cream. Colin made a joke about 'Stop Itch' being a Croatian product (a pun on the pronunciation of Croatian surnames), but the pharmacist had actually said the cream I bought was invented by a Croatian so I totally missed his joke. Final pack of linen, final clean, then off to beautiful Zagreb. Farewell and thank you Loch Fyne Lass for another amazing season of sailing.
Click images to enlarge
Paklenica National Park
Friday October 12
Friday October 12
Having been told Paklenica National Park was worth a visit we headed off early for a day of hiking. We didn't realise until we got there that it's really a climbing canyon but we had a pleasant enough walk to the Foresters' Hut and back, and I got to have my photo taken with a cute ass so what more could you ask for? The stone paths were very slippery, but I found odd piles of brown stuff and told Colin if you rubbed your shoes in them it gave you better grip. I guess that's what the smell was in the car on the way home.
Click images to enlarge
Click images to enlarge
Zagreb
Saturday October 13 - Monday 15
Saturday October 13 - Monday 15
After a three hour drive to Zagreb we went straight to our Air BnB where we met Bruno (our host) and his daughter Kristina, aka Kika. They were very helpful in giving us the lay of the land and we found our way easily to the tram station and into town. We ate at Otto & Frank, home of the delicious crispy poached eggs we enjoyed last year. Dinner was just as sensational - salmon with yellow beans and sesame oil.
The walking tour we had booked for Sunday morning had to be brought forward an hour due to a marathon starting at our planned time of 1000hrs. Luka (our guide) was a young, friendly, lively chap who gave us fantastic insight into the city's secret spaces as he took us to nooks and crannies we would not have otherwise found. Calling Zagreb his "office" he gave us history mixed with interesting tales, which added value to the places we'd seen last year and increased our appreciation of this wonderful city. We learned that:
- The gift of a heart with an embedded mirror was a symbol of affluence, and the giver was saying 'the person in the mirror is always in my heart'
- The red 'tie' around the necks of many statues symbolises a red cravat worn in war times to differentiate your men from the enemy. 'Croat' comes from the similar sounding 'cravat', the French for tie
- Zagreb has a U-shaped 'green walk' or parkway through which you can stroll and see the city
- The city is divided by a river (which now flows underground on the main coffee and food strip) into a religious and a civilian side. A demarcating church stands prominent on each side
- There are a plethora of fountains in the city as they were a main love of the current mayor of 18 years. When people object and say money should be spent on worthier causes such as schools, he defends his fountains by saying beautifying the city will bring tourists and therefore money.
After the tour we brunched on those famous crispy poached eggs at Otto & Frank. We had then planned to visit the cemetery and Maksimir Park, but as the trams were not running during the marathon, which was not due to finish for another few hours, we decided to walk to the park. By the time we got there we had no capacity for further exploration so we headed straight back to our digs for a rest then back into town for dinner. Luka had recommended a couple of places but we couldn't find them so we returned to Otto & Frank. Unfortunately they had only burgers and breakfast fare available and no sensational salmon. The waiter knew this was no problem for Colin since he'd ordered a burger the night before anyway, and as for me, well, I settled for a truffle burger and drank some fine organic wine to aid digestion. Last night we had miscalculated the tip and left a paltry sum, so we were glad of an opportunity to make amends. The waiter was delightful and chatted with us, helping me with my Croatian and telling us where the restaurant name came from, even showing us photos of Otto and Frank (the owners' dog and cat). We loved the blurb about them both. So cute.
Monday we got a reasonably early start and headed straight to the cemetery, a strikingly beautiful area with creepers in fall colours adorning the entrance. We wandered through the magnificent grounds for a while, remembering Luka's descriptions of all denominations resting peacefully side by side. There were some impressively massive memorials, and we finally saw what the red lanterns are for that are sold in every shop we entered, from the smallest deli to the largest supermarket.
I had a few last photos I wanted to take in town and Colin planned an efficient route for us to cover all of these. On the main strip there is a museum with a private collection of Naive art, artists who supposedly did not understand perspective but, as Colin said, it seemed more naive in its sense of the world and a bit simplistic in its form. I really liked it, particularly as there was a high representation of chickens.
Returning for a quick lunch before heading to the airport, we whittled down our supplies leaving only a few consumables.
Click images to enlarge
The walking tour we had booked for Sunday morning had to be brought forward an hour due to a marathon starting at our planned time of 1000hrs. Luka (our guide) was a young, friendly, lively chap who gave us fantastic insight into the city's secret spaces as he took us to nooks and crannies we would not have otherwise found. Calling Zagreb his "office" he gave us history mixed with interesting tales, which added value to the places we'd seen last year and increased our appreciation of this wonderful city. We learned that:
- The gift of a heart with an embedded mirror was a symbol of affluence, and the giver was saying 'the person in the mirror is always in my heart'
- The red 'tie' around the necks of many statues symbolises a red cravat worn in war times to differentiate your men from the enemy. 'Croat' comes from the similar sounding 'cravat', the French for tie
- Zagreb has a U-shaped 'green walk' or parkway through which you can stroll and see the city
- The city is divided by a river (which now flows underground on the main coffee and food strip) into a religious and a civilian side. A demarcating church stands prominent on each side
- There are a plethora of fountains in the city as they were a main love of the current mayor of 18 years. When people object and say money should be spent on worthier causes such as schools, he defends his fountains by saying beautifying the city will bring tourists and therefore money.
After the tour we brunched on those famous crispy poached eggs at Otto & Frank. We had then planned to visit the cemetery and Maksimir Park, but as the trams were not running during the marathon, which was not due to finish for another few hours, we decided to walk to the park. By the time we got there we had no capacity for further exploration so we headed straight back to our digs for a rest then back into town for dinner. Luka had recommended a couple of places but we couldn't find them so we returned to Otto & Frank. Unfortunately they had only burgers and breakfast fare available and no sensational salmon. The waiter knew this was no problem for Colin since he'd ordered a burger the night before anyway, and as for me, well, I settled for a truffle burger and drank some fine organic wine to aid digestion. Last night we had miscalculated the tip and left a paltry sum, so we were glad of an opportunity to make amends. The waiter was delightful and chatted with us, helping me with my Croatian and telling us where the restaurant name came from, even showing us photos of Otto and Frank (the owners' dog and cat). We loved the blurb about them both. So cute.
Monday we got a reasonably early start and headed straight to the cemetery, a strikingly beautiful area with creepers in fall colours adorning the entrance. We wandered through the magnificent grounds for a while, remembering Luka's descriptions of all denominations resting peacefully side by side. There were some impressively massive memorials, and we finally saw what the red lanterns are for that are sold in every shop we entered, from the smallest deli to the largest supermarket.
I had a few last photos I wanted to take in town and Colin planned an efficient route for us to cover all of these. On the main strip there is a museum with a private collection of Naive art, artists who supposedly did not understand perspective but, as Colin said, it seemed more naive in its sense of the world and a bit simplistic in its form. I really liked it, particularly as there was a high representation of chickens.
Returning for a quick lunch before heading to the airport, we whittled down our supplies leaving only a few consumables.
Click images to enlarge
Zagreb Cemetary
Monday October 15
Monday October 15
Thwarted by a lack of trains in our attempt to visit the cemetery yesterday we reembarked on our mission early Monday and were rewarded by magnificent fall colours wrapping around the historic buildings. All souls lie here in peace together regardless of denominations. It was strikingly beautiful and fittingly opulent.
Click images to enlarge
Click images to enlarge