Ships ahoy!

Our trio became four in Croatia with the arrival of Jason for our final leg of the tour. Together, we embarked on a week long sailing adventure along the gorgeous Dalmatian coastline. With about 30 others, we joined a "Busabout" island hopper tour on the vintage sailing boat Viktorija. While the spinnaker was up for about an hour during the trip, we relied on the motor to ship us to our destinations.

Situated in the Adriatic Sea, Croatia is a beautiful country with warm turquoise waters and around 1,185 islands to explore. The definite advantage of this type of sailing is the ability to stop in random bays for a dip. Our trusty skippers made sure that we had a couple of hours a day anchored in various locations to enjoy the waters. During this time we were able to jump off the above deck of the boat, floating around on lilos and simply relaxing in the buoyant warm waters! It was the hottest week of the season yet with temperatures consistently in the high 30 degrees.

Every afternoon we docked at a local town either on the mainland or on one of the islands... here are some of the highlights:

• Hvar is a funky town with a fortress overlooking the harbour. We docked near the rich & famous with their massive cruisers, but their luxury definitely overshadowed our boats.
  
• Mljet is a gorgeous island where we spent a relaxing afternoon canoeing in the island's largest lake. We paddled our way to the Monastery of Saint Mary located on an island in the middle of the salt-water lake. On our return we relaxed the muscles with a swim in another lake nearby.

• Korcula is the home town of Marco Polo, the medieval Venetian traveller. It is also the island where my neighbours from home immigrated from many decades ago and still return for several months of the year. It was great to see their island. We had a great sunset dinner followed by a twilight cocktail on the roof of a medieval fort turret (bottom left). Skirts were definitely not recommended tonight as we had to climb a ladder to get to the top.

• Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World heritage site and has a great combination of culture and history. Despite heat of 40 degrees, we walked along the 1.8km city loop of the walls in the afternoon. The views over the red-roofed buildings & rocky shoreline were amazing. The photos below include a large water fountain which provides cool fresh drinking water, views from the city walls and a uniquely designed basketball court.

• Makarska is a popular seaside resort, famous for its long pebble beach, water sports & palm fringed promenade. We relaxed in the afternoon and watched a little local waterpolo with the Blovoko Mountains as a dramatic backdrop.
• Omis is known for the pirate activities of the 1000 years ago where the local sea captains would 'supervise' navigation of trading vessels and refuse to pay taxes to their Venetian rulers. In the afternoon we ventured inland for white water rafting on some easy going grade 2 rapids. It was fantastic floating & manoeuvring down the Celinto river; toppling out of the boat whenever we wanted; and even partaking in a little rock jumping along the way. The following morning, I rose early for a walk up to the top of the Starigrad Fortress built in the 15th century. From the top I had fantastic panoramic views over the coastline & the sleepy city below.
  
• Our week of summer sun ended in Split. While the city traces back to Greek settlement in 200BC, Split is largely built around Diocletian's Palace which was built in 300AD. Today Split is the second largest city in Croatia and is a major transport hub with a large port & airport. We were able to explore the palace which is home to many apartments & shops today. On a windy morning we gingerly climbed the stairs in the Belfry and were treated to fantastic 360 degree views of the city. Below are photos from the palace's belfry of nearby Marjan Hill as well as a photo of the bell of St Nikole Chapel.