MARCO….
POLO….
I had been to Korcula decades before. It was after the Sarajevo Olympics when I
visited Trpanj on the Peliesac Peninsula with my friends Hana and Zeljko and
we took a side trip to this island. Janet and I are going to stay with these
dear friends after our island-hopping adventure is over and I’m hopeful we’ll
be able to visit Korcula again. Sadly, a place like Korcula catches your heart and imagination, but our time on this beautiful island was so short. After a quick tour, a spin around the walled city, some free time that was frustratingly fleeting, it was nearly time for a dinner in the hills overlooking the port at a restaurant that specialized in traditional Croatian food. Korcula was charming and fascinating and we barely knew her. I'm hoping we'll be able to get there when we visit Trpanj next week.
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| KORCULA 1984 |
MARCO
You see, logistics of traveling by boat gets in the way of traveling for pleasure. With the distances between islands and the machinations of port entries it takes a lot of time to get anywhere and we are always moving forward. Of course, the captain and the crew of the Infinity are very efficient. When it’s our turn to enter the port, the Infinity goes into a swirling, impossible waltz as this great ship alights into place. No time is wasted.
You see, logistics of traveling by boat gets in the way of traveling for pleasure. With the distances between islands and the machinations of port entries it takes a lot of time to get anywhere and we are always moving forward. Of course, the captain and the crew of the Infinity are very efficient. When it’s our turn to enter the port, the Infinity goes into a swirling, impossible waltz as this great ship alights into place. No time is wasted.
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| COFFEE IN MLJET |
So far, our daily pattern of travels has been a morning departure with a breakfast. Then it’s a long relaxing sun soak on the top deck as we pass inlets and marvel at the rugged coast of the Peljesac peninsula. Then we stop somewhere to swim off the back of the boat. To do this, the captain backs into a cove, a crew member in a launch ties a rope to a rock on shore to prevent the ship from drifting. They then lower the ladders and we all jump into the blue crystalline clear water. Floaties and masks and even a kayak are available for use. Visibility is infinite and one feels especially buoyant in this salty water which makes it easy to stay afloat and to swim around. This morning I slowly circumnavigated the Infinity, admiring her lines, the ship floating proudly in the blue serene waters. The water was so clear I could see her keel!
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| FIND THE BOAT |
Today we
had two stops to swim; the second stop was because of logistics. We had some
time to kill before we could make port in Korcula. We had a great vast view of
the rugged, mountainous coastline of Peljesac looming over us in the distance
while maritime traffic scooted back and forth past the Infinity. We swam for
about an hour before we got in formation for the docking at port. We were
number four on the moorings. There’s not enough docking area in the ports, so
ships moor up against another and to reach shore passengers have to weave
through all the other ships. Not all the corridors line up so it is a maze
turning this way and that.to finally reach the gangplank and the shore. We were
fortunate in Mljet for we were first in line. That meant Janet and I lingered in
port over a cup of coffee in our favorite konoba in Pomena, the Adriatic.
Sadly, in Korcula we were number four and so our time on this beautiful island
was lessened because we had to leave earlier.
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| KORCULA 2019 |
Throughout
this trip one spends a lot of time hoping for more time as each of these beautiful
islands offer tantalizing views and unique experiences, but the next
destination is already on the horizon for the captain. Our time in beautiful Korcula was
fleeting and hopefully we will be able to revisit.
Peliesac looked foreboding beyond the narrow strait from this very popular island stop. There were plenty of boats moored at the pier and we heard a lot of
American accents passing us on the streets. This is a long way to come to hear
snippets of “home.”
Korcula
is a walled city is on a small peninsula and the enchanting streets are
designed in a curved way like fish bones to catch the cooling winds. There is a
promenade lined with both pine trees and restaurants and wine bars on the side
opposite of the dock and we settled on Bokar just up a small narrow winding set
of stairs for some local wine, Posip and Grk. We had asked our tour guide where
we should go when she spoke of these delicate whites and she recommended Bokar.
They had an extensive list of wines and several beers and the waitress offered
suggestions. They are very pleasant and patient with tourists in Korcula
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| BOKAR WINE BAR |
POLO
The tour
was just 45 minutes and we covered the entire peninsula and all of
her history in that time. Marco Polo may or may not have been born on the
island, but they are renovating his house. This part of the world was once part
of Venice. There were plenty of bars and souvenir shops and restaurants in
town and many streets to meander along and admire, but our cruise director, Ida, arranged a dinner for all who wanted at a wonderful
family restaurant with authentic Croatian cuisine. We could have opted to linger in Korcula proper but this dinner seemed too good to pass up.
Just a 5 minute taxi ride out of the old city was Agroturizam Grubinjac. This farm-to-table restaurant grows all their own food like capers, olives, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini as well as lamb and veal….and three types of grappa. We sat at long rustic tables overlooking the harbor beneath a pergola covered with grape vines. It was cool and pleasant and the sun had that end of day glow. They began our visit to Agroturizam Grubinjac with three types of grappa; one had herbs, the other figs, and our favorite, carob. Our large party drained all three bottles. Our cruise director Eda (actually it’s Ida but pronounced Eda) showed us the BBQ pit where our meat was cooking for hours. Similar to a Dutch oven the lamb and veal are covered by a large bell-shaped pan which is then covered by coals. Simmering for hours, this main course was a typical Croatian meal, but first, several plates of anchovies, zucchini cakes, olives, smoked ham, cheese, bread and olive oil, several carafes of red and white wines greeted us.
Just a 5 minute taxi ride out of the old city was Agroturizam Grubinjac. This farm-to-table restaurant grows all their own food like capers, olives, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini as well as lamb and veal….and three types of grappa. We sat at long rustic tables overlooking the harbor beneath a pergola covered with grape vines. It was cool and pleasant and the sun had that end of day glow. They began our visit to Agroturizam Grubinjac with three types of grappa; one had herbs, the other figs, and our favorite, carob. Our large party drained all three bottles. Our cruise director Eda (actually it’s Ida but pronounced Eda) showed us the BBQ pit where our meat was cooking for hours. Similar to a Dutch oven the lamb and veal are covered by a large bell-shaped pan which is then covered by coals. Simmering for hours, this main course was a typical Croatian meal, but first, several plates of anchovies, zucchini cakes, olives, smoked ham, cheese, bread and olive oil, several carafes of red and white wines greeted us.
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| GRAPPA FOR ALL |
As we
dined and laughed a full moon graced us and the night just seemed perfect. We were
in Korcula for a relatively short time but we were managed to do a lot.
Agroturizam
Grubinjac’s phone number is 385 98 203 016
POLO.
...POLO.
POLO
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