THE ROAD NOT WRITTEN ABOUT

TRAVEL UH-Ohs OVER THE YEARS

UH-OH

Not every plan comes to fruition. Not every destination is epiphanous. Very rarely traveling is smooth and without flaw, unforeseen mishaps and detours are more commonplace than we would have you believe here at VFH Central. Since we joined forces in 2006 Janet and I have traveled quite a bit, and dodged a couple of “bullets”, but we tend to only write about the good bits. So, as a little exercise between us we decided to chronicle some uh-ohs from all our years of getting out there.

NOTHING VENTURED…

One can spend their entire life traveling to the same favored destination and never consider anywhere else and live comfortably knowing they are safe and happy. Venturing forth to see different parts of the world comes with a whole different set of rules than the yearly trip to say, Lavallette, NJ. Some people just don’t want to go through the hassle and are happy being here and not “there”. 

Before you cringe from our tales of ineptitude, naivety or bad luck, we here at VFH Central say it’s better to have uh-ohed and lived than to never have experienced at all.

UH-OHs? 

Uh-ohs are real and they happen all the time. A knuckleball if you will. In life they happen all the time, and being on the road is not an excuse to cower under the covers. Sometimes uh-ohs occur from poor planning, or a confluence of circumstances and poor luck. Sometimes we cause the uh-ohs, sometimes despite fastidious preparation they happen beyond our control.

The important point is to first plan for the unexpected, and if uh-ohs still occur, just roll with it rather than having it become Armageddon.

No worries, we’ve never really experienced real danger, just a couple of uh-ohs.  

So, here’s a few tales of travel uh-ohs from over the years.

HOTEL UH-OHs

As mentioned before traveling is not simply stepping off the plane (or boat) and winging it. To truly enjoy your travels, do research, read reviews, if needed scour google maps for further details. My first trip abroad was to hitchhike my way around France. There were a lot of uh-ohs on that trip, as I didn’t plan very well. I don’t really speak French also, but I wouldn’t trade those three weeks for anything!  Fond memories even with all the uh-ohs

Seriously though, a lack of preparation can negatively impact your travel experience in either of two ways.  It can cause you to miss out on deals, particular sights of interest or even in reaching your destination. (Think government required documents, and train, bus or boat schedules). A lack of preparation can also get you a scary room near the train station in Brussels.

Brussels On Edge

Flying from Edenborough, Scotland to South Charleroi Airport near Brussels, we opted to get a hotel near the train station as we were leaving early the next morning for Bruges. Not checking the area, or the reviews and going only for convenience we stayed at some hotel that seemed like it rented by the minute. A bunch of seedy looking men stood near the door and the front desk was shielded from everyone by a plexiglass cage. This was nearly a decade before COVID. 

CAFE VLISSINGHE

We paid for our room, chortled up the clanky elevator and proceeded to get a restless night’s sleep lying on top of the covers fully clothed, afraid of catching some skin affliction or lesion if something touched our bare skin. When I thought that it would be interesting to take a walk in the neighborhood Janet stopped the conversation with a well-aimed love tap that just knocked the wind out of me for a few minutes. 

To this day Janet rates this as the number one “uh-oh” in our travels.

CAFE VLISSINGHE

The rest of our trip to Belgium was wonderful, although, pub crawls in this land of strong beer are short-lived. This is a bit of a frivolous nitpicking uh-oh, but after drinking at the Cafe Herberg Vlissinghe, a beautiful pub that first opened in 1515; that’s not military time; the strap on Janet’s flip-flop broke and she had to walk back to our bed and breakfast while just wearing one sandal and smoking a cigarette.

CAFE VLISSINGHE BRUGES

Austin City Limits  

We have enjoyed AirBnB all over the U.S. and in Europe, but one place in Austin Texas had us reconsidering the whole approach to traveling in this way. The room we had for a few days was through a warren of corridors and then through a courtyard. To reach our bathroom we had to go outside into the courtyard to reach the facilities! Flushed toilets from other rooms were loudly heard through the thin walls. Though in a great location very near the bars of 6^th (or Pecan Street), it was not a good place at all. Not sure if the reviews revealed this particularly yucky uh-oh.

AIRBNB

Not So Grand?

Where the first two uh-ohs listed here are definitely due to a lack of proper research this last accommodation uh-oh happened because at the time in 2008 there weren’t many other options on Grand Isle, Louisiana.

I had somehow convinced Janet to go on a three-week road trip through southwest Louisiana. After eating our way through New Orleans and before we explored Bayou Lafourche and the towns of Huma, Iowa, Lake Charles, Thibodaux and Lafayette, I insisted we visit the barrier island in the middle of Barataria Bay, from where the pirate Jean Lafitte led many raids in the early 1800s.

This was in 2008 just a couple of years after the twin devastating hurricanes of Katrina and Rita in the summer of 2005 and many of the citizens and restaurateurs were very thankful for our patronage.

At best, Ricky’s Motel and RV Park was convenient as it was right on the Gulf of Mexico and there was a lot of fishing and crabbing. But it was dingy and dirty and cheap and we were lucky we had a reservation, because every room was sold out. Soon after we checked in a family had hoped to just show up without a reservation and were turned away. They ended up camping out beneath our room in their cars. In deference to the frequent flooding everything is on stilts on Grand Isle. Every time we emerged from our aerie, they eyed us angrily.

Every morning when we awoke, I exclaimed sarcastically “another day in paradise”, but we had a great stay (as long as we didn’t make eye contact with that family). At the time the Tarpon Rodeo was going on and we were able to blend with all the fisherman and families for free drinks and the best jambalaya we had anywhere in Louisiana. So, despite the uh-oh it was a great time.

Sadly, Ricky’s Motel is now permanently closed due to the devastation of last year’s Hurricane Ida. We watched the news reports about Grand Isle sad to realize what we had enjoyed was mostly underwater.

I wore my Ricky’s Motel t-shirt proudly until it fell off my body in tatters.

TOWN OF GRAND ISLE, LA

Drone footage of the Grand Isle devastation:

READING THE ROOM

Just because you’re on the road doesn’t mean you’re immune to crime and impervious to danger. It took us awhile to figure out that just because you sunk some money into a trip, people won’t see you as an easy mark. Here’s a couple of uh-ohs from that skewed vision that being on vacation means everyone is happy to see you and wants to keep you safe.

Cavalier in Castries

One of our earliest trips was with the now defunct Windjammer Cruises and we sailed roundtrip from St. Lucia to Grenada. We got to St. Lucia a few days before departure and decided to explore Castries, the capitol and where our ship was docked. As we ambled about the streets not knowing where we were and seeing some edgy individuals near the proud Yankee Clipper that would soon be our home someone stopped us on the street. In a grave voice she told us not to keep heading in our current direction, that there is trouble up in that neighborhood. We wheeled about on our heels and soon headed back to our hotel.

Turns out that crime in St. Lucia is a real issue then and now, with armed robbery, sexual assaults and murder making the news. Even the UK issues warnings about St. Lucia.

UK WARNINGS ABOUT ST. LUCIA

Split Dzeparos

Always be vigilant and aware of your surroundings, no matter how festive the moment. Though we didn’t get robbed in Split we did get violently bumped while in a crowd within Diocletian's Palace, the main tourist draw for the Croatian city. We had paused to listen to a performance of Aida being held at the Peristyle, which was once the main entrance to the Emperor's living quarters when I got pushed very aggressively. Coming from NYC area that's not good and it had all the trademark actions of a pickpocket. I protested the woman protested and she melted into the crowd. Though the crime is rare in Croatia, pickpocketing is prevalent everywhere and one must take steps to protect your valuables. Nothing lost, but I had taken precautions before wading into the crowd.

Dzeparos is Croatian for pickpocket.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Thinking it was a good idea we decided to attempt to walk into Bosnia. Our rental car agreement forbade us for taking the car we had rented to drive to Plitvice Lakes in Croatia to go across the border. So, thinking it was a good idea, we decided to park the car near the border crossing and walk across, just to say we were in Bosnia. I had been there to Sarajevo in 1984 for the Olympics, and again in 1987. We thought it might be “fun”. Ignoring the burnt-out vehicles nearby and the general desolate look of the place, as well as the bullet hole scarred buildings leading to the crossing, still not fully repaired from the turmoil of the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, we got out of our car and timidly walked through the glass strewn parking lot towards the customs building.

Men in the kiosks stamping passports angrily waved us away and then the pack of feral dogs approached us. Seeing nothing “fun” in this we hightailed it back to our rental car and left the menacing scene behind.

The only way we could have prevented this uh-oh was to have our heads screwed on tighter.

Ne Ne In Mljet

Shore excursions should be fun. Feeling hale and hearty on the Croatian Island of Mljet (like "nyet") we rented bicycles and tootled around the lakes and the National Park on this beautiful island. Popular with tourists and locals alike the park was crowded in places, especially near where our ship the M/V Infinity was moored. 

Resting in Mljet

Near the end of our ride I was moving too quickly given the amount of people milling about and had to take a dive to avoid hitting a little girl who stepped into my path. It was either me or her and my elbows and my dignity took the brunt of the impact. It could have been a lot worse, but I swear Grappa was not involved in this accident.

UH-OH KNUCKLEBALLS

No matter how much you prepare for travel, know that plans can change. You can get sick or hurt while on the road or get into a car accident. Always make sure you have travel insurance for your safety. It will save you money in the long run. Here’s a couple of examples of utilizing that insurance.

A Myriad of Shit

  A few years ago, we lost a family member and had to delay a trip. The airline was going to charge us a lot to change the ticket, but insurance took care of it.

  I had a dental emergency in England a few years back. It was taken care of by a local dentist and paid for by my insurance carrier.

  I had Poison Ivy to such an extreme it looked like chemical burns while in South Carolina and insurance covered the cost of the steroids needed to clear it up.

  While in Hilo Hawaii I backed into a palm tree that admittedly was growing at an odd angle, but my car insurance purchased with the rental company covered it without question. We dropped the damaged car off at the airport and the rental car company said, “Mahalo.”

  A recent trip to beautiful Sedona Arizona had us sequestered in our rooms for a few days because of a stomach ailment. We spent Thanksgiving sipping chicken broth and saltines. The Grand Canyon was not that spectacular for us.

No insurance needed, but we had to make a trip to the local store for more toilet paper!

  While getting PADI certified in Antiqua for scuba diving I discovered that eating bacon the morning of a dive is not a good thing. This greasy meal, combined with diesel fumes and a churning boat made for chum through my regulator.

  None of our trips were ruined. Everything worked out money-wise and health-wise so chalk them up to good planning.

ABIDE

We leave you one last tale of uh-oh from the road, and the philosophy behind it should extend to every facet of your life. The world doesn’t revolve around you and we are all in this together.

In February 2019 we were on an early morning flight to Miami. We were going to the Florida Keys, stopping in Big Pine Key and Key Largo on our travels to Key West.

We were anxious to get out of snowy Philadelphia as I suspect as everyone else on that plane. Air travel is convenient, you get to travel great distances, but it’s not like sitting in your Barcalounger. Safety is the main concern for all the protocols in place and flight attendants aren’t there to make your life miserable, but safer.

When a gentleman refused to put his seat back in the proper position for take-off after several requests (it doesn’t matter what his reason was), the flight was delayed and eventually law enforcement was called in, the plane had to be vacated and then he was escorted off in handcuffs. As the impatience of the passengers grew by the minute as we waited in the gate area, some calculating missed connecting flights, we finally got our revenge when he was led off the plane and we all jeered loudly.

After we reboarded, the plane had to be de-iced again, stretching this interminable delay. Had he only complied for just a bit we would have made Miami. We took it in stride as Miami was our final flight destination, and giggled at the growing anger of the crowd.

Thanks for reading and may your uh-ohs be laughed off as easily as ours.

Love Janet and greg

© 2022 by Gregory Dunaj

TRPANJ

JUST LIKE I PICTURED IT

After the Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984 and our work with ABC television was finished, my Yugoslavian co-worker, Zeljko, and his girlfriend Hana, decided to show me some of their beautiful country. We traveled from Sarajevo to the coast driving through the mountainous terrain of Bosnia I Herzegovina. We visited the destroyed Neretva River railroad bridge whose destruction during WWII in a battle between Yugoslav Partisans and Axis forces was recreated for a movie commemorating the event. We heard the call of the imams from scattered minarets calling the faithful to prayer. We visited the town of Mostar and admired the Stari Most, or Old Bridge. First constructed in the 1500’s the soaring beautiful structure was at the time of its completion the widest man-made arch in the world.

BRIDGE OVER THE NERETVA

We eventually reached the Peljesac Peninsula. We didn’t take the ferry but drove from Mali Ston. After stopping to buy some homemade wine at a farmhouse we finally reached Zeljko’s summer home in Trpanj. It was mid-March though and it was cold and Trpanj was empty and dreary. During the high season the town is vibrant and alive, but there are fewer than one thousand year-round residents. I remember all the restaurants in town were closed and the shelves in the market were empty. But his modest house was fascinating and inviting and had incredible views of the Adriatic. It was a nice trip that late winter trip, but returning this past July was a completely different experience.

 

STARI MOST, MOSTAR

YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE

The house was built by Zeljko and his father over the years. Perched on a steep incline on the rugged Peljesac coast, the house, especially the topmost floor, has a clear view of the invitingly blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. Across the bay is the equally rugged Croatian coast and to the left the island of Hvar gracefully dives into the water after its 42 miles and a galaxy away from the revelry of Hvar City. From this sunny perch you can see the ferries that make Trpanj a transit point from the mainland as well as a summer destination. From Trpanj one can travel across the peninsula and get another ferry in Orebic to cross over to Korcula and from there travel to Mljet and Hvar city and Brac. Each of these islands we visited via the Unforgettable Croatia cruise line earlier on this three-week adventure in Croatia.

 

TRPANJ AT SUNSET

Our week in Trpanj was so very different than our travels the first two weeks in Croatia. Rather than tourists we were now residents, living here with good friends. Although we did take a few side trips and went out to dinner a couple of times, most of our time in Trpanj was hanging around the house, swimming in the Adriatic, tooling around in Zeljko’s little motor boat visiting nearby beaches and coves, and reminiscing over all the time that had passed since we last met. Of course, Janet learned how to curse in Croatian, between sips of wine, much to the delight of our hosts.

 

ZELJKO'S HOME IN TRPANJ

Their house is on an impossibly narrow road, about a mile from the town’s center and the harbor where the ferry docks. This little road, with houses like Zeljko’s lining both sides, dead ends about a quarter mile past his place where there is a small rocky beach with enough room to stretch out a mat to bask in the sun. Zeljko keeps his little motor boat here.

Our days in Trpanj were simple and relaxing. Each morning we strolled into town to take coffee at the Buffet Zalo on the quay and from the little tables watch the world slowly pass. There was always a constant stream of people strolling the quay to watch, or the moored bobbing boats held our interest. Nearby, Pozora Beach, in front of the Faraon Hotel was forever crowded and when the cars began to line up to await the ferry along Ulica Kralja Tomislava there was a lot of bustle. Market shelves were filled and after coffee we would go to different places to buy our produce or bread or meat or chocolate for the day. Often, we would fill gallon jugs with red or white wine at one of two winery stores located in town for $8.00 The peninsula is renowned for its wine, especially Dingac and Postup. Along Tomislava there were several touristy stores brimming tacky souvenirs like toys and t-shirts catering to the families that lined up along the road to await the ferry.  

PATIO IN TRPANJ

Hana and Zeljko did a lot of cooking for us. Zeljko was proud of his bbq pit that he built himself. On the top floor patio, he grilled whole fish one night. Another night he made a Peka of beef and lamb another, and another night he made more cevapcici a man could ever eat in a lifetime. Peka is a method of cooking in Croatia in a fireplace where a metal dome is placed over the meal and coals on top of that to slow cook the ingredients. We had a few Peka meals during our travels in Croatia, but Zeljko was very proud of his fireplace and Peka dome that he was using for the first time with us.

 

A BOY AND HIS PEKA

We also went out for dinner a few times. We had pizza one night at Pizza Veslo that is right at the ferry landing and a great view of the sunset. Veslo means oar in Croatian, a nod to the fishing industry that was once very important to Trpanj. It was at Veslo we observed a very peculiar habit of our hosts, they all put ketchup on their pizza as readily as we would put garlic on ours.

We treated them to a meal at Konoba Trpanj, run by Mato Nesonovic. Hana said it was the best restaurant in Trpanj, and how could we disagree. Served family style we shared a massive array of seafood and several bottles of local wine.

 

AT SAINTS HILLS

One night we took them to the Saints Hills winery for a tasting and a dish of Balkan meats and cheeses. Set in an old stone house with lovely views of the valley Saints Hills was and elegant yet surprisingly inexpensive experience with very good wine. Saints Hills is a short drive from Trpanj.

SAINTS HILLS WINERY CROATIA

UTRKA MAGARACA

We also walked into town several evenings to mingle with the modest crowds, sometimes to hear a live band on the beach or to have a drink or cool ourselves with a refreshing gelato. One night, Trpanj hosted their yearly donkey races. We watched the riders try to coax the stubborn beasts to the finish line sometimes unsuccessfully sometimes with a pat on their haunches by seconds. We watched several heats before melting into the crowd on the quay where traditional singers were performing for the crowds and sipped wine from temporary stands. It was a delightful night, and without our hosts we would never have experienced this summer pastime in Trpanj. 

DINNER AT KONOBA TRPANJ

MORE TRPANJ PICTURES     

To travel is one thing but to live with friends in their country is a blessed time. We were very fortunate to have such dear friends and so many happy memories. . 

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SPLIT HAPPENS

HAPPY TRAILS

Travel destinations are personal things. You want to visit a place because you’ve read about it or heard about it or have seen pictures. Perhaps, a destination is alluring because it was a location of a beloved television show or movie or a sporting event. Perhaps you’ve heard the vistas are spectacular or the color of the water is exquisite. Perhaps wine is the magnet, or the people, or the food, or the history, or the siren song of long-lost friends is calling you to a particular place. Well, Croatia has all of that for this humble traveler, but Split was not on my radar at all.

It’s a busy port city after all. Ferries and cruise ships to all the islands depart from here, and buses and trains stop here, and seemingly everyone is scrambling to leave Split to get to somewhere else in Croatia as soon as they arrive. Personally, I would never have considered Split as anything more than a transit point, but thankfully Janet insisted on lingering here to see the city.

 

BEFORE

Even Diocletian’s Palace, a massive Roman edifice built in the 4^th Century as a retirement home for the first emperor of Rome to voluntarily abdicate his position, and is today Split’s most important tourist destination was effectively called a “dump” by the tour guide arranged by Unforgettable Croatia. Still this palace that also housed a military garrison in the 300’s remains the best-preserved example of Roman architecture.  

 

AFTER

We ended our trip with the Unforgettable Cruise line in Split. It is an attentive, small ship luxury cruise line that had us stopping at several islands in Dalmatia. The trip began in Dubrovnik and ended in Split. As alluring as Dubrovnik, Mljet, Korcula, Vis and Hvar were to me, Split was just not there at all. We remained on the M/S Infinity for a final night while in port, checking out early the next morning. Then after a two-day drive up to the Plitvice Lakes National Park we returned to Split for a final night. Yes, Split is a very busy port city, with the area down by where the Infinity docked having all the charm of Port Newark in New Jersey. It was a bustle of trucks delivering supplies and passengers going back and forth and it was almost too much frenetic activity. But, I have to admit, by the time we left Split, the second largest city in Croatia, I had changed my mind about it and when we left I wanted to linger there a while longer.

UNFORGETTABLE CROATIA CRUISES

HISTORICAL and VIBRANT

After Diocletian’s death, the massive palace was eventually abandoned by the Romans and people in the surrounding area made it their home. The outer walls were kept intact, but many interior walls were torn down or added to by people moving into the former palace to create homes.

 

SPLIT

Today the interior of Diocletian’s Palace is a mish mosh of narrow curving streets filled with shops, cafes, wine bars, restaurants, sobes and apartments and is home to roughly 3,000 people. Countless tourists stumble along this warren of haphazardly arrayed network of alleys where over time apartments were built wherever possible. The tourist hordes choke the walkways and locals working the shops have a withered look to them and greatly appreciate a simple “dobra don,” or ‘good-day’ from the relentless babel of foreign voices that fill this choked, but fun area. If you can say “Doviđenja” to them or ‘good-bye’ faces light up into huge smiles..  

One large open area in the middle of the former palace grounds is the peristyle. A peristyle is a columned veranda, sort of like a front porch, that would lead to the house. Usually decorated with plants or shrubs or even fish ponds, Diocletian’s peristyle was within the palace grounds and the entrance was guarded by several sphinx imported from Egypt. Over time many of them have been lost or destroyed, but one remains at the peristyle still protecting the apartment area of Diocletian.  

 

PERISTYLE SPLIT

Music and shows are performed nightly at the peristyle. During our last night in Split we watched for a time a performance of the opera Aida with a full orchestra before the stage. We actually just walked slowly past the stage. We couldn’t move very quickly because of all the people; it was that crowded. The alley that our sobe, Croatian for room, was on, actually led to the stage. So rather than being a part of the show, we had to walk around to reach it from the other side. When we got to the door of the Base Rooms Sobe there were several members of the chorus hanging on the steps of the Temple of Jupiter which was right at our door, waiting for their cue. Dressed in appropriate Egyptian garb, one woman started singing the Bangles, “Walk Like An Egyptian.” Janet slapped me when I started to dance with her and pulled me inside the Sobe.

 

BASE ROOMS & TEMPLE

Despite the proximity with the thick walls of our very centrally located sobe we heard none of the opera. Base Room Sobe wasn’t fancy, but it was clean comfortable and very reasonably priced. We stayed in Room 201

BASE ROOMS SPLIT

PARTY OUTSIDE THE PALACE

The palace was the main attraction of town, but the spacious quay beyond the walls was festive. Palm trees lined the walk-way near the water and were also interspersed among the many busy tables of cafes and restaurants. It was cooler here with the sea air, although the sun was fierce and the umbrellas were needed. Sitting at a table made for good people watching as people still incessantly walked around. We walked along this area our final evening and a traditional band was playing and women in folk dress waited their turn to take the stage to dance. It was a good relaxed breezy feel to this area which contrasted to the stifling air inside the palace.

DRINKS AND FOOD

Any café or restaurant in town is good. Here are three notables for us:

PORTOFINO  

Located in a little courtyard near the Silver Gate of the Palace. Outdoor seating and serving pastas, steaks and seafood. We got a 10% discount with our Privilege Card from Unforgettable Croatia. Great wine list and attentive staff.

 PORTOFINO SPLIT

PIZZERIA BOKAMORRA

This is also a 10% discounted place, but this is a restaurant that specializes in pizza. Fancy atmosphere and the place got extremely crowded after we were seated. They had an extensive listing of toppings and had drink or wine recommendations with each. We dined with another couple from the Infinity, Simon and Maureen from Fremantle, WA, and Simon and I had a dram of Ardbeg after dinner.

 

SPLIT

BLACK DOG

Located outside the palace, also near the Silver Gate, the Black Dog was a craft beer bar, of both domestic and foreign brews and a number of specialty cocktails. This place was quite the find.  

BLACK DOG BAR SPLIT

ZLATNI RAT

THE GOLDEN HORN AND SPLIT

Again, the captain of the M/S Infinity knew what he was doing and we left Hvar early to make Zlatni Rat before the crowds descended on this remarkable beach. It was our last full day of traveling with Unforgettable Croatia, a small ship luxury cruise line. We had traveled from Dubrovnik and had stops in Mali Ston, Mljet, Korcula, Vis and Hvar and Split was the end of the line. But before we would make the very busy port in Split, we had one last swim stop at Zlatni Rat, or the Golden Horn.

Do an internet search for Zlatni Rat and you will be amazed at this strikingly beautiful (and extremely popular) beach. Located on the island of Brac near the town of Bol, this 2,000-foot spit of white pebble beach extends into the cool clear waters of a current that runs through here called the Hvar channel.  This current and the different winds that grace this land, like the Jugo, or south wind, and the westerly Maestral can over time transform the direction of the Golden Horn so it will bend to the west or east.

I have wanted to return to Croatia ever since I saw the breathtaking aerial pictures of this impossibly beautiful beach and when the M/s Infinity anchored offshore and I took the launch over I had carved another notch on my bucket list. Like all beaches in Croatia it is comprised of rocks and pebbles and we wore water shoes to navigate on land and in the shallows, and I have to admit that was somewhat disappointing, but plenty of people lazed about Zlatni Rat like it was a fine talcum powder-like sand and negotiated the land barefooted. The swimming was wonderful, even at the early hour we arrived at the beach. There is a steep descent into the clear water and it got deep very quickly. Off the very tip of the Horn the current is swifter than the sides, and there is a grove of pine trees where early arrivals stake their claim to a shady spot. There are restaurants and playgrounds deep in the middle of the pine grove and there are chairs available for rent on the left side of the spit.

We were told anchoring off shore like we had done with the Infinity was going to be prohibited next year. As we swam on the right side of the horn there were several other boats anchored and evidently this traffic was ripping up the sea bottom. Next year the ships would have to anchor in Bol and then take a tram to Zlatni Rat. I was glad we didn’t have to do this, because we had finite time on the Horn and we had to back onboard the Infinity by 11 a.m. Team VFH took the last possible launch and by that time Zlatni Rat, one of the most popular beaches in Croatia was filling up. Yeah, that Calendar Captain (see other entries of this blog) has got his act going in the right direction!

Došao sam, Vidio sam, Pobijedio

Sadly, after this stop it was off to Split our last stop. Thankfully we had one last night on board the M/S Infinity before having to disembark by 9 a.m. the next day.

 

At the tip of Zlatni Rat

Thanks for reading…. I know this is a bit late… but there’s a lot of Pobijedio to do in Croatia. Come back I’ll catch up!

VIS

HERE WE GO AGAIN…

Though the tourism industry has swelled and property prices have soared quite a bit since the Meryl Streep movie Mamma Mia was filmed on the Croatian island of Vis a couple of years ago, you will not see pictures of the lovely Ms. Streep anywhere on this outlying island. That is because the citizens of Vis would rather keep their island quiet and not overrun with tourists. Yeah, I guess the influx of tourist Kunas is great, but the citizens don’t want to suffer for the hordes. How do I know this? Why, our cruise director Ida offers us bits of information on all the islands we are visiting that day during our expansive lunch sessions aboard the proud luxurious M/S Infinity. On the day we visited Vis she told us that the good citizens of Vis would rather have a quiet little island.

 

STRINIVA BEACH, VIS

Still, there seemed to be plenty of tourism at the port of Vis with luxury ships like ours and yachts galore moored in port and several more anchored in the harbor. There was a stretch of konobas catering to visitors along the busy quay. Okay, there were no posters or shops offering Mamma Mia tours or Meryl Streep bobbleheads, like the Game of Throne shops in Dubrovnik everywhere we turned. Turns out Vis doesn’t need Hollywood. It is already a busy island with ferries coming in from Split and Ancona, Italy and is known for its raw pristine beauty, and for having some very incredible beaches and coves to explore. In fact, Stiniva Beach at the end of a long narrow cove on the southern side of the island is considered by some as the best beach in Europe!

 

PORT OF VIS

Yet, despite the tumult of the port, steps away down some of the streets I could see the serenity of a toddler riding a tricycle in the, his father hovering nearby, and old men smoking cigarettes ignoring the glitz that loomed in port. As I walked along kids played in the street and people stood in doorways talking about a life unblemished by my appearance. Some kids were entrepreneurial though and had set up a table to sell knickknacks to passing tourists like we used to with lemonade stands. It was cute and Vis was as laid-back as we had seen since we arrived in Croatia.

BEACH PRILOVO, VIS

BEACH PRILOVO

Before we were able to dock the Infinity had to sit off shore for nearly two hours to wait her turn to dock. As Janet decided to give her body a respite from the sun and took a nap in our room, I watched people frolic on a pebble beach near a Franciscan monastery and church on a peninsula that stretched into the port. It was so tantalizingly close and by the time we docked we had just a short time to ourselves and I insisted we hoof it over to Prilovo beach for a swim. The water was clear and cool and saved us from the oppressive heat. The pebbles seemed uninviting, but families were splayed out all over the gently sloping “beach”. There were showers and places to change and there was a konoba serving drinks and there were games like pool and table soccer on the lawn. There is a cement promenade that goes around the peninsula, but we had really no time to dawdle. Again, we had another tour on Vis and we wanted to make it.

ISLAND OF VIS BEACHES

Leponovic cellar 

STAND TALL

I had mentioned earlier, the pristine, untouched beauty of Vis, is not without an interesting history. Because it is the furthest island from the mainland, Vis has always had a strong military strategic value. During World War II Josef Broz Tito, the savior of Yugoslavia, made the island his partisan hideout from the Nazis and after the war much of the island became a closed military installation. Vis was prepared as the frontline to any naval assault and many tunnels were burrowed to ready the island for an attack that fortunately never came. For decades the entire island of Vis was off limits to foreigners and many Yugoslavs and even island residents were not allowed in certain areas. This lasted until 1990 when Croatia gained her independence and much of the military facilities on Vis were then abandoned. Today, some of the facilities are tourist attractions, but some serve a much greater purpose....housing wine.

WINE NOT

Part of our visit to Vis was a wine tasting with Lipanovic Winery. Wine making on Vis is very prevalent. The tour of Lipanovic and the tasting were arranged through Unforgettable Croatia and we walked about 15 minutes away from the port to reach this refurbished military tunnel. Along with an array of snacks like anchovies, peppers, bread soaked with olive oil and topped with capers, and cheeses we were served first their Viski Opal Rose, then the white, Vugava, and then the powerful full-bodied Plavac Mali which means “little blue” but weighs in at 15%.

Later when we dined in the enchanting 16^th Century garden of Vila Kaliopa we drank a number of bottles of the Lipanovic Vugava white with our new friends, Beth and Dave, Mary and Ralph, as we had grilled John Dory flounder and grilled Red Scorpion. Never heard of that ugly ass fish before but I’d eat it again. Before we picked our fish the waiter came around to show us what fish were available.

Fish Boy

To reach Vila Kaliopa keep walking from the quay until you think you’ve gone too far. Their number for reservations is: 385 (0) 91 27 11 755.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow we’ve got an early start. First, we visit the serenity of the Blue Cave and then hope to survive the shock and awe of Hvar.

KORCULA

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. 

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.

 

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!

FIND THE BOAT

POLO

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.

 

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.

MARCO 

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.”

POLO

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

 

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.

 

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