A Week of Beauty, Relaxation and Good Company

Having spent two wonderful days taking in Dubrovnik - the jewel of Croatia, I was having sensory overload and was looking forward to a restful weeks cruise north along the Dalamation coastline.

It was Sunday morning, and my from arrived at my hotel right on schedule for a brief back-street ride to the Dubrovnik’s principal harbour at Gruz. Immediately I was taken back by the level of activity taking place along the length of the dock. Gruz is not just the home of the Croatian ferries arriving in Dubrovnik, but also home for the many commercial and private yachts which cruise or are visiting the Dalamation coast from around the world.

The Nikola which is chartered for summer cruising was a welcome site and I was made most welcome by John, who was one of five crew members on the vessel for the weeks journey. After being shown to my cabin on the upper deck I returned to the aft common area on the main deck to meet my fellow passengers.

Although the Nikola can accommodate 30 passengers in comfortable ensuite cabins, I was delighted to learn that the weeks cruise there would be only 13 passengers, I breathed a sigh of relief as I’m notorious for not remembering names but 13 – that’s a breeze!!!

The remainder of the day was spent on board and along the harbour foreshore where the open market was a buzz, to say nothing of the activity surrounding the loading of supplies on board the many cruising yachts moored at Gruz.

Looking back it was excellent planning to be docked at Gruz for the night. It afforded a pleasant relaxed atmosphere to develop amongst fellow passengers and to enjoy our first meal on board.

Rising early and after breakfast, I thoroughly enjoyed the sites of leaving the harbour as Nikola sailed north for Pomena on the island of Mljet. Distances and cruise times are not long and after some 3-4 hours of enjoying the beautiful water, coastline and dotted islands we arrived at Mljet which includes the National Park. The island park is unique as it contains a beautiful lake and its island monastery. A visit there is a must as we all enjoyed a relaxing swim and coffee after visiting the 12^th century building before returning to Nikola through a wonderful forest along the lakes edge.

Leaving Pomena the next morning, we continued our journey north to Vela Luka, the second largest urban settlement on the Adriatic islands. Not to worry, the settlement is still town size and is a real gem with incredible 16^th century architecture. The harbour boasts a myriad of wonderful waterside cafes for a relaxing coffee, cleansing ale or just people watching. To my surprise, the evening in Vela Luka proved to be a highlight of my time in Croatia as it was Festival time. The local folk group was performing traditional Croatian dance and music in the town square, which was beautifully lit and attended by most of the town – in addition to a few welcome “visitors” from the Nikola.

Each day we were treated to some wonderful swim stops, and the next days travel to Hvar was no exception. There are some wonderful islands just off Hvar and after a few hours of exploring the waters we motored on to the wonderful harbour that is Hvar. Now recognised as one of the ten most beautiful island places to visit in the Mediterranean, I was still overcome.

The harbour area was literally alive with cafes, walkways, ice cream parlours and just gave the most wonderful feeling of being alive - this is Dalamatia at its best!!! Visiting yachts, large and small filled the area to the point of overflow, adding to the Mediterranean feeling of beauty and relaxation. Hvar is principally known for its fortress overlooking the town and its lavender. It’s a must to make the gentle walk, up the small streets filled with small shops and wonderful tiny restaurants to the fortress for its magnificent views. Oh yes, buy some lavender its everywhere !!!

The evening moored in Hvar was again a highlight. Indeed getting a seat along the harbour wall late in the evening can be a challenge but well worth it - ice cream in hand and just people watching, as the locals, visitors and yachties traverse the entire harbour foreshore.

It was sad leaving Hvar and heading south, but the next days arrival in Korcula was breathtaking. Korcula for those who have forgotten their history (yours truly - guilty as charged!) was the home of Marco Polo, the famous explorer who travelled east opening up new trading routes. The town is somewhat like Dubrovnik, in that there are intact city walls and an inner square. The stone streets are narrow and alive with shops, hanging flowers and cafes overlooking the sea. A cool drink at a café on the cedar tree lined walk around the town is to be recommended.

The next day saw Nikola visit the small island villages of Slano and Sipan. Slano is a village of some 500 inhabitants and has some wonderful vegetation, colourful flowering trees and sandy beaches. Again a gentle walk along the foreshore gives you a wonderful calm feeling of Mediterranean life.

The island of Lopud was our destination on a final full day of cruising before arriving back at Dubrovnik. The island is simply magic and is known for its easy access for the residents of Dubrovnik eager for a day’s relaxation. The walk over the surrounding hills to the small isolated beach of Sunj, is again to be recommended if you want to experience the crystal clear sea in an idyllic Mediterranean cove.

After a final swim off the Nikola, we left our mooring at Lopud and headed for the home port of Gruz. It was again wonderful to have a final evening meal with fellow guests on board Nikola. After a week together we had all become good friends sharing our travel and life experiences and even a champagne breakfast 50^th!!!

Waking in the morning and saying goodbye to my new friends and the Nikola crew, I realised it was the end of my Dalamation experience. The week had passed not just with the sites of passing islands, sailing yachts, clear waters and the sounds of the sea and breeze but with a feeling of I need to return…. and I will. That’s a promise!!!

My thanks go to Just Travel for their suggestion to visit Croatia and their Tour Operator and the crew of Nikola for making the trip so memorable.

Submitted by: AD (Sandy) Burns

Canberra, Australia