100 Days of the Hottest Summer End Today

Although the day started sunny and warm like any other, Split was battening down the hatches in preparation for thunderstorms and the cold Bura winds expected today.

Early morning exploring:

4coffee serves the best coffee in Croatia! So sad it's our last morning.

Trg Brace Radic is one of the most beautiful squares in Split

The Green Market (Pasar Market) is a lively fruit and vegetables market immediately outside the east palace wall.

In retirement, Diocletian grew cabbage 

We were the only ones at the bell tower when it opened at 8am, and had it to ourselves for 15 minutes.

For a great view over the city, climb the 183 steps up the bell tower

It is one of the most beautiful towers I have climbed

No barricade prevents you from climbing out on ledge, which I saw dumb tourists do yesterday

Marjan Park

Having already explored the palace, we had plenty of side-trip options for today. However on our last day, staying put sounded best. Good thing because none of the day trips (that weren't canceled) would've been fun in the storm. Our plan was to get some exercise and walk around Marjan Park, the large forested peninsula at the edge of the Old Town. Paths entwine all over the hillside bringing you to viewpoints, interesting features, and beaches.  The size of New York's Central Park, it has endless places to relax, far away from the crowds of Split's center.

Map of Marjan Park

The easiest way to access the park is a gentle 10-minute ascent of the stepped street Via Senkska, behind St Francis's Church at the end of the Riva.

The view from the lookout in the morning is still pretty.

Take this path, just beyond Vidilica Cafe, to explore for hours.

Marjan Park's Church of St. Nicholas

Kasjuni Beach looks like paradise. It was mesmerizing to watch the wind dance on the bay.

Church built into the cliff - surrounded by rock climbers

As the rain started coming down, we kept walking further and further from our hotel room. I can't believe barely a couple of hours ago I was sweating on the Riva. The temperature has already dropped 25 degrees, and I have forgotten what being warm feels like. The strong Bura wind pushed the trees angrily at each other; branches, needles, and pine cones flew through the air. The rain pelted us. Our timing, arriving at Bene Beach's cabana, couldn't have been any better.

Watch out for debris falling from the trees

We laughed, watching each other fight against the wind.

We can't complain about being holed-up at the prettiest beach in Split, with beer, WiFi, and a WC - waiting out the downpour.

"We go," says the pedi-cab driver to his passengers. "It's nothing - it's only rain and wind."

Back in town 10 miles later, there was nothing left to do but eat dinner. Our reservations at Portas Pizzeria for the patio were swapped for a cozy inside table.

Split, Croatia

We enjoyed our coffee in Korcula's quiet town before boarding the ferry to Split, the second largest city in Croatia.

"Greg, wake up," I said, elbowing him. He was talking gibberish about buying a tiny island.

I'm just kidding, he wasn't sleeping. It's not possible. Coincidentally, unlike the cheaper Krilo ferry, the enclosed and slower Jadrolinija ferries are a great way to travel with small children. They can run around the aisles or watch - of all things - the Smurf's. Headphones with the volume all the way up drown out most of the playground noise. I fit right in, singing along to my favorite Moana songs. It made arriving 35 minutes late all the better. Enjoy the 3 1/2 hour (4-hour) ride!

Passing up a stop at popular Hvar Island was a good idea, at least for us. Some of the things we enjoy most about our visits to Europe are illegal here. There is a €400 fine for eating or napping in the town square, and a €700 fine for drinking.

Brief ferry stop at Hvar Island

The port of Bol on the island of Brac was more charming. It's best known for its white-pebble beach Zlatni Rat.

Brief ferry stop at Brac Island

Finally in Split, we splurged on a private tour with Peter (Petvar or Pero). It was worth it to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation while exploring the Old Town's narrow alleys, walking around Diocletian's Palace, and taking in the history.

Ferries, trains, and buses all arrive together in Split

Diocletian's Palace contains some of the most impressive Roman architecture to be found on the Adriatic coast. Its highlights include the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world, 3500 year-old Egyptian sphinxes, and vestiges of Roman, Venetian, and medieval architecture. The Roman emperor Diocletioan built it as his retirement palace in the 4th century, and the city grew around the palace.  Nowadays, the palace has morphed into the "downtown" of Split.  Although it has several official "gates", you can freely meander throughout the palace walls.

Capers grip the palace walls

People live within the palace but it is mostly airbnb, joked our guide

Within the palace walls, there are a few places you pay to enter.  Peter took us to the Cathedral of St. Domnius, the treasury, and the baptistery (we will climb the bell tower on our own tomorrow). I was happy he also took us to the well-preserved underground halls of the palace.

The underground beneath the palace is so well-preserved because inhabitants filled it with trash - and because Cersei kept her dragons there

It is not every day you stand in the oldest cathedral in the world - St. Domnius

The costumed a cappella "klapa" singers hanging out in the acoustic Vestibule will start singing when a tour group comes in.

Klapa singers - Google them; they are fabulous!

The Riva is Split's promenade and the place to be. Its successful design is inviting and comfortable.

Stroll the Riva, and leave time for sitting to enjoy the ambiance

Peter ended the tour in front of St. Francis Church at the end of the Riva so we could walk to the best view in town.

Peter comes highly recommended and can be reserved at this site:
https://www.private-guides-split.com/tours/

The view from the lookout point next to Vidilica Cafe in Marjan Park is stunning in the late afternoon, when the sun is shining warmly on the town.

The best view over Split 

He was determined to get in my picture

For a traditional dinner, we had reservations at Trattoria Bajamont. The atmosphere was fantastic - eating in a narrow alley inside an ancient Roman palace.

Trattoria Bajamont

Greg ruled his stuffed calamari and fresh black pasta the best dinner of the trip. I had gnocchi with truffles, and agree with him.

Delicious stuffed calamari (in back) and gnocchi with truffles

We ended the evening relaxing with wine in Peristil Square. Live music from Luxor began at 8:30pm.

Diocletian Palace's Peristil Square

Our apartment was hardly 15 meters from the square so we had an easy walk home.

Woo-Hoo Look at Me Go - Around Korcula Island

I'll be honest - I am disappointed. I was trying to keep our plans open for today, to try a bit of "spontaneity." (What the heck is that?!) Of course I secretly had an idea of how to spend our day on Korcula: scootering around the island sounded footloose and fancy-free. So when the rental lady said we needed a motorcycle license, I was bummed. When she added, "It is not safe, you will get hurt," I knew she was doing me a favor. She was saving my life. The drivers here are generally crazy, with little regard for their own lane, and the roads are windy and narrow. Renting a scooter was not a good idea.

Instead we rented electric bikes. We've never ridden them before, and actually kinda laughed at them - aren't they for woosies? Oh my gosh, no - we had THE best time! I felt like I had super powers on the electric bike! We zoomed up hills with ease. It was so fun and so easy to see so much.

Riding electric bikes was a blast!

I think I've finally figured it out - I am addicted to adrenaline. The best activities, particularly while traveling, are the ones that get my heart pumping.

We rode to Račišće AND Lombarda - which never would have been an option without pedal power. For the record, I want to point out that we still got a great workout. We pumped hard for over 3 hours to see as much as we could.

First we headed west along the coastline 12km to

Račišće. 

 Just keep turning right at every fork in the road.  

The winding roads stay close to the sea and offer fantastic views. 

We took the hills with ease, swiftly passing those unfortunate people who actually had to pedal hard. Even though it was not yet noon, the wind hit us on the way back - yet another reason to rent an electric bike (or steer away from kayaks).

"Woo-hoo look at me go!" - I felt like I had super powers on the electric bike

The peacefully quaint town of Račišće

In hindsight I would have made a day, or at least our entire 4-hour rental, out of this route. Every turn was so pretty and the destination was a secluded, beautiful beach.

Vaja Bay, Račišće's secluded beach, is up the steep hill just passed town, and then down the gravel path.

But instead of spending our morning enjoying this area, we backtracked to Lombarda. It's what everyone does when they come - it is what Korcula is known for - their wine region. We would've taken a bike tour to Lombarda but it doesn't operate on Saturdays. Thankfully. The ride through Lombarda was a huge disappointment. It is along the main road with cars. It is hot. And there is nothing to see. Don't do it.

If you like wine, you will come to Lombarda to wine taste at Bire and Grk wineries

If anyone tells you the Lombarda route is "flat", do not believe them - obviously they have never ridden a bike around here.  We passed a lady from Chicago who was miserable. They had tried some short cut, and she had taken a tumble. Her arm was all scratched and bruised.

Map of our bike route - we went to Račišće and Lombarda.  You need a real motorized vehicle to get to the most beautiful beach: Pupnatska Luka (which we didn't do).

You can rent a bike from several places in town but we chose Kaleta travel agency - right across from the main entrance to the Old Town. I especially recommend them because they graciously reimbursed us 2/3rds of Greg's rental fee because his motor didn't work in every gear and at high speeds.

The rental agency is on the main road across from the main entrance to the Old Town

For this gorgeous view over the town, you need to get to Ul.45 (a road).  There is a bench that gives away the scenic overlook. 

"Life is easy here," we heard a local explain to some FOBs.

Enjoying the apartment's private beach access

For dinner we chose Pizzeria Tedeschi along the seawall because you can hear the live singer from the more expensive outdoor restaurant next door.

In Croatia they like sour cream on their pizza

In hindsight, the only regret of our trip was not making it to dinner at Konoba Belin, a 15-minute drive out of the Old Town.  Our benevolent host offered to take us.  We tried to take him up on it but he didn't get our two texts until we were leaving the next morning.  We enjoyed our evening and didn't realize what we were missing - until leaving Croatia.  At the airport, Stephanie from Brisbane described it as her trip's highlight.  It is more than a meal - touring the property, making macaroni, and dining is an experience.

Blagaj and Pocitelj, BiH

Villa Anri, our hotel in Mostar, set our schedule for the morning by serving breakfast at 8am. Afterwards we drove to two nearby villages: Blagaj and Pocitelj. In the early morning without any crowds, they were absolutely worth a visit.

Blagaj is most famous for its 500 year-old Dervish Monastery and cave that is the source of the Buna River.

For best views, cross over the wooden bridge (2nd pedestrian bridge from cave) and follow the path that points to "cave".

The dramatic townscape of Pocitelj is worth a quick stop.

You can walk up to the ruins for this great view

Bosnia is quite underdeveloped (borderline barren), particularly compared to somewhere like Italy. Most of our drive is through brush, random commercial buildings, and cement/ brick houses. If you want to buy up cheap European property, I imagine this is the place to do it. However it might take some time to realize a profit on your investment.

This is a cute version of the brick and concrete homes here.  They look off-balance with the second floor jutting out over the first. 

A sign of the tension with neighboring Serbia, Cyrillic is scratched out on many defaced road signs in Bosnia.

Just past 11am and 1/4-mile from Croatia, we came to a dead stop - it was the start of the line to cross the border. This was the Metkovik crossing we avoided yesterday. It took over 45 minutes to get through two sets of booths (one for each Bosnia and Croatia).

We are on our way back to Dubrovnik to return the car and catch the 4pm ferry to the island of Korcula.

The Krilo ferry was a completely enclosed catamaran - not a car ferry

Rather than skip too quickly through the islands, we are spending 2 nights on Korcula. I found a cheap $75/night apartment with wonderful views overlooking the sea between Korcula Island and the Peljesac peninsula.

View from our balcony

Korcula is one of 1000 islands off the coast of Croatia

Korčula Town is nicknamed "Little Dubrovnik" – like Dubrovnik it has fortress walls and towers lining the exterior of the town. Having a walled medieval Old Town and the best Croatian wine, its popularity is growing year by year. With the backdrop of sea and mountains it is incredibly photogenic. Visitors come to relax, spend days on the stony beaches, eat delicious food and explore. Building outside the walls was forbidden until the 18th century, and the wooden drawbridge was only replaced in 1863.

Wine from Korcula is special, and one of the best European white wines is from here. 2,500 years ago, the Greeks arrived and planted an unknown variety. Nowadays, the island is famous for the production of the best Croatian white wines - Pošip and Grk.

For dinner we had Pošip, a dry white wine

One of the old town's medieval towers has been converted into a bar called Massimo's. To get up, you have to climb a ladder; the drinks are hoisted up.