Last year we posted how two companies, Finn and Spirit, had dramatically changed paddling in Perth over the last two decades.

Several weeks ago I had a meeting at Spirit Paddle Sports with Alan, the General Manager, and Lannin, the Marketing Director.

Spirit produce a number of designs of plastic kayaks; the Spirit boats that caused a generational shift in Western Australia are its performance surf-skis. Where previously surf-skiing had been the realm of elite paddlers on expensive (and difficult to repair) fiberglass skis, their roto-molded plastic (so sturdier yet slightly heavier at 23kgs) have allowed a larger proportion of the population to get involved in the sport. Local races now have plastic ski sections.

Alan, Lannin and I discussed introducing their product to the European market. To begin with, they are going to ship a sample of their Cross-Trainer (CTR), Race Ski and PRS (Performance Race Series) Ski to Croatia so that Lifejacket Adventures can involve them in several of our tours and get some great photographs with European backgrounds (such as in Venice on our Grand Adriatic Kayak Tour). We will also take them to several kayak symposium and adventure fairs.

It has been a long time between posts here on our Lifejacket Adventures blog. That’s because we started a new blog – Our Croatia Life – which now contains all of the more personal stories, and we will continue to publish our adventure business stories here.

On facebook, Our Croatian Life can be found here, and Lifejacket Adventures here.

The effervescent American travel guide, Rick Steves, is making his way through Croatia filming a new documentary about the country and its neighbors. We had a chance to say hello when we bumped into him filming on the riva. Helping him out was Cameron Hewitt, Rick’s associate and book writer, and our friendly guide Maja.

They were on a busy schedule – just the day in Split, before heading south via Hvar Island.

(It must be guide and guide book season at the moment – the girl from Rough Guide Europe also dropped in this week.)

I had spent the day with Dain and Susan been forced to eat fresh food – eggplant pie, octopus salad, gregada and pancakes with marmalade – at Konoba Dionis on the Pakleni Islands, again.

Marija from Dionis shared her secrets about octopus salad and gregada (fish stew) preparation (i.e. freeze the octopus for 2 days after cooking to allow it to soften and be careful when adding the garlic to the stew so it doesn’t burn.)

Two weeks ago, Amber and Evan decided to join us at Marija and Pjerino Šimunović’s Konoba Dionis on the Pakleni Islands, just off Hvar Town, for a day in the sun and some good food.

We helped to pick all the vegetables from the garden – potatoes, spring onions, and, most importantly, artichokes. (It was the end of the artichoke season.)

Marija also picked the wild herbs and shrubs, explaining that almost everything that grows on the islands can be used in the kitchen.

Marija showed us how she prepares Breaded Artichokes with Peas.

The meal then started with Dionis’ famous Eggplant Pie, followed by the artichokes, then fried skate with vegetables and finished with a home-made torte.

Joanne, John and I went exploring Hvar Island on Friday by scooter. After catching the ferry from Split to Stari Grad, we drove the scooters across the island to Sveta Nedjelja, and then along the coast to Hvar Town.

On Hvar Town’s waterfront we were met by George Šimunović who raced us across to the Pakleni Islands. On Sveti Klement Island is our favorite restaurant in all of Dalmatia – Konoba Dionis – run by the Šimunović family.

We have mentioned Dionis before here as part of our sea-kayaking tour around Vis and Hvar Islands, but now we are offering the chance to visit this uniquely Dalmatian restaurant and be taught by Pjerino, George’s brother, how to prepare dishes such as octopus salad and gregada (a special Hvar fish stew) on a day tour from Split. The Šimunović family also produce their own wine and olive oil, and the production of these is also explained.

Included in the tour will be the return ferry from Split, transfer to Hvar Town, water-taxi to the restaurant, the lesson, a long 3-course lunch with wine and brandies and time on the beach. The price of the tour is 85 Euro – and will be available before May 15th and after September 30th. Please email us with any questions – info@lifejacketadventures.com .

The combined efforts of Rene Seindal’s Venice Kayak, our Lifejacket Adventures – Croatia, Ray Fusco Inc. and Jen Kleck’s Aqua Adventures have put together the ultimate 12-day sea kayaking adventure for Europe’s Adriatic Sea. The tour combines the history of towns and cities such as Korcula, Dubrovnik and Venice – their maritime roots and the links between them going back hundreds of years – with the wine and foods of the wild Dalmatian Islands. And at the very end guests will participate in the yearly paddle-fest in Venice – the Vogalonga.

The PDF brochure for the tour can be found here. It contains lots of top pictures – so please be patient when downloading.

If you have any questions please email:

info@lifejacketadventures.com

rene@venicekayak.com

rayfusco@optonline.net

info@aqua-adventures.com

The schedule for our 2010 sea-kayaking adventures/expeditions has been added here!

In terms of quality of food, knowledge of local history, places visited, wines tasted and overall enjoyment, we believe our tours to be the best in Croatia!

Except for coffee at cafes and wine at restaurants, all meals and drinks are included. Our tours are not a series of day trips from a base point, but a continuous movement along the Dalmatian Coast.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I often squint my eyes as we paddle up to old Dalmatian towns and try to imagine how it was to arrive in them from the sea before the surrounding modern development occurred. I found myself screwing up my eyes again as we kayaked towards the walls of Dubrovnik from Lopud. It must have been amazing. Sailors would have spent days and weeks at sea, surrounded either by water or the region’s wooded islands to suddenly, with little warning, come upon the finely crafted but tightly contained settlements of Dubrovnik, Korčula, or Split – bright jewels in the natural landscape.

I also try to imagine what it was like for the men working the walls early in their construction, 500 years ago. What was happening the day they lay a particular stone way down near the base of the walls?

The September cruise ship crowds stared at us from the wall’s walkway high above. Were they happy to be following their umbrella touting guides in their large groups or were they envious of us paddling in the sun upon the calm waters?

We paddled all the way into the old harbor, in front of the old town’s arsenal. And then back out to one of the nearby small bays, where Tim met us to help extract the boats and load them on the van. Exhausted, and nursing the odd muscle strain, we shuffled into town, dropped the bags at the rooms and headed out to dinner at the best place in town – Lokanda Peskarija.

More pictures from the day’s activities can be found here.

In the morning twilight we sat and cradled our coffees as we waited for the early departure of the ferry to Šipan Island. Šipan is one of the Elafiti Islands, a chain of islands which run between Dubrovnik and the Pelješac Peninsula. These islands once were the summer playgrounds of the Dubrovnik nobles – their large holiday houses amongst their vineyards are still evident today. It’s possible to visit three islands in a day by kayak – they are so close together.

After another coffee in Šipan’s small harbor, we crossed the channel to Lopud Island. Lopud is a tiny island where cars are banned. Ferries from Dubrovnik provide access to the island several times a day and then guests must either walk or use the local golf-carts for transport. The main town is small with several hotels and many apartments, a large Franciscan monastery and the obligatory fort. On the far side of the island is its main attraction – one of the largest sandy beaches in Southern Dalmatia – from which, on a clear day, you can see Dubrovnik. The siren-call of pina coladas under the tiki-hut drew us towards the beach. We cruised passed the old town and around to the other side of island to enjoy the sun, water and cocktails.

Dinner was grilled squid in one of the restaurants a 15-minute walk away back in the old town.

More pictures from the day’s activities can be found here.

We were able to have a sleep-in this morning – but surprisingly this was not due to hangovers thanks to the preservative free wine!

We continued to make our way down the north coast of Mljet towards the town of Sobra, the ferry port of the island. The only other signs of humanity we saw for the day were the cruising yachts.

More pictures from the day’s activities can be found here.

After a breakfast of pancakes topped with homemade jams, eggs from Seka’s chickens and teas made with herbs from her garden, we loaded the kayaks on the transport boat for Mljet Island.

The kayaks were left in the town of Pomena while we took a walk through the National Park, which makes up the western third of the island. The target was the 12^th Century Benedictine monastery of St Mary which sits on a small island in the middle of one of the park’s two lakes. Currently the monastery is under renovation – it was being used as a hotel until 1998 when it was returned to the church. Our lakeside lunch attracted the usual swarms of annoying yet harmless yellowjackets.

After stretching our legs we were in the kayaks again for the paddle from Pomena to Kozarica – halfway along the northern side of Mljet. While usually the southern sides of the Dalmatian Islands are the most spectacular to cruise, the deserted channel between Mljet and Peljesac makes for an enjoyable afternoon sojourn.

Long distance paddling conversations can deal with some ‘deep’ topics – such as “What’s the plural of mongoose – mongeese or mongooses?” Turns out either is acceptable. Why did this question arise? Mljet used to be over-run by snakes. So some bright spark decided the solution was to introduce mongeese to deal with them. The mongooses soon accomplished their assigned task; the island was rid of snakes. However, the little creatures were still hungry so they then also rid the island of all its small bird-life. When we ever learn!

We pulled the kayaks out in the little port and crashed. In the evening, guess what! – More domestic wine on the terrace, with Howard leading the charge.

More pictures from the day’s activities can be found here.

This day’s paddle was to take us to Trstenik, another small bay along the Pelješac Peninsula. Wine was once again to play its part, as our boats were followed for the day by the hills of the Dingač region.

Dingač is a red wine producing area. They take Dalmatia’s local variety – plavac mali – and blast it with sun on southern facing steep slopes. The area has been declared a cultural monument – so only vines can be planted. In the last two years many hectares of abandoned terraces have been re-established. Prior to the 1920s Croatia produced over 4 times the volume of wine it does today. Then the vines withered due to the arrival of phyloxera. The population of Dalmatia simply had to leave the uneconomical fields – and they disappeared around the world.

Communism also affected the vineyards – grapes only had value for co-op produced table wine – vintners were not able to produce their own fine wines. To produce wine here is a back-breaking task – it is impossible to use any machinery amongst the vines on the hillside – there was no reason to put in the extra effort for better quality grapes.

Our old friend Seka welcomed us to their house. From the sea, their vineyards and olives groves, and her small garden, her family is basically self-sufficient. After walking through the vineyards we sat down to a 4-course fish meal and their domestic red wine. Seka’s son Niki mentioned that two months before they had been sitting down to a similar meal when there was a knock at the door. He had answered it to find Mike Grgić standing there. Mike is a well known Croatian expat, Napa Valley wine-maker – owner of Grgich Hills Estate Winery. He occasionally visits his homeland, and keeps a large villa on the edge of Trstenik. Mike said he had come into possession of some of Niki’s wine and had liked it so much that he had come to tell the family how good it was. Mike then turned around and walked back up the hill. This gesture was the best praise their wine could receive.

More pictures from the day’s activities can be found here.

The kayaks were launched from in front of the old walls, and we headed across the channel towards the Pelješac Peninsula. The calm waters we were crossing were teeming in history. Most importantly, in 1298 the Battle of Korčula was fought between the Venetians and the Genoese. As the smoke settled the Venetian war galley supplied by the islanders from Korčula had be captured and the men aboard taken prisoner. The captain of this vessel was none other than Marco Polo. Marco spent several years in a cell, and it was during this time he dictated his travels.

The day’s short paddle brought us to the hidden bay of Podobuce. The benefit of kayaks is we can visit bays that even the yachties bypass. Podobuce has a small sheltered pebble beach tucked in and surrounded by the mountains of the peninsula.

Lunch was taken on the terrace of our guest house. (As this was a small tour and the Falkuša was able to be used for other activities we weren’t camping on this trip but using pensions along the way.) Following an afternoon walk and swims, the evening was spent eating fish and making a start on the wine bought the previous day – it was weighing down our kayaks.

More pictures from the day’s activities can be found here.

Howard, the Conservative Canuck, his daughter Sarah, as well as Mike and Lynn Springer joined us in September for a Korčula to Dubrovnik Kayak Expedition.

The night before in a great little Bosnian food restaurant in Dubrovnik – the Taj Mahal - conversation turned to issues regarding the upcoming America and Canadian elections – Howard is an organizer for the Conservatives north of the border and Mike works within the Washington Beltway in the GAO office. Sarah and Lynn sat patiently as both boys had their turns on the soapbox. As mentioned previously, it is difficult to find good value for money restaurants in Dubrovnik, but Taj Mahal is worth further research.

In the morning we drove north to Mali Ston for an early lunch on the waterfront at our perennial favorite nosherie, Kapetenova Kuča. The oysters and other shellfish, black risotto and grilled squid satisfied everyone’s hunger. It also served as an introduction to the local wines – we enjoyed a couple of bottles of Čara’s Marco Polo Pošip.

The trip to Orebič and the short ferry across to Korčula Island was enough time to give our livers a rest before we visited two further wineries – our friends, the Cebalo’s, in Lumbarda, renown for their Grk and Vinarja Krajančić in Čara, where we tasted their excellent Pošip and semi-sweet Pošip. Grk and Pošip are both white wines indigenous to Korčula Island.

The large lunch had left us full enough that dinner in Korčula Town was just small plates of pasta, eaten before we climbed the ladder to the best cocktail bar terrace in Croatia – on top of one of the medieval defenses’ towers. Korčula has been described as Little Dubrovnik for the old towers and battlements that surround it. In the 19^th Century the Austrians removed large sections of the walls so the annoying locals wouldn’t use them as a base to start an uprising.

These days passive environmental design is all the rage. The builders of Korčula also used their knowledge of the local winds to layout the town so that the streets were protected from the winter’s cold bura, but allowed the summer’s refreshing afternoon maestral to waft through.

Up on the terrace we met up with Cameron Hewitt, Rick Steves’ writer for his Slovenia and Croatia guide book, and his wife, passing through on one of the RS tours. Also we had a talk to the flotilla captain from Nielson, a large English flotilla sailing and RYA-registered training company, who told us due to the greed of the Lumbarda Council they would no longer be operating in Croatia in 2009. It appears Croatia is continuing to shoot itself in the foot in regards to high-end tourism.

More pictures from the day’s activities can be found here.

I headed across to Hvar Island yesterday for a Wine Tour with Agnete and Christian, two members of one of Norway’s biggest hard-core bands, Madder Mortem. The plan was to introduce them to as much of the island and its wine and food in 12 hours as possible.

Our friend Mili at Hertz Rentals was kind enough to give us a Jeep Wrangler for the day. Given the warm weather, it was perfect to be able to take the roof off as we cruised the island.

We started with a walk to the small beach of Lučišće Bay. I was unfortunately shocked to see a new road had destroyed the serenity of this once stunning beach. Zlatan Plenković, from the winery Zlatan Otok, is responsible for this disaster. He is the ‘big man’ in town and wanted the road to bring more guests to his failing restaurant. I’m not sure how Zlatan can look at himself in the mirror, as he and other like-minded, unthinking and corrupt scoundrels in Croatia seemed determined to destroy its natural beauty. (If anyone reads this and is coming to Croatia please don’t buy Zlatan Plavac or any of the other wines from Zlatan Otok!)

For lunch we drove up along the dirt track that runs along the spine of the island to Konoba Humac. Humac is a traditional, inland village. The abundance limestone on Dalmatian Islands gave the locals an unlimited supply of construction material. In Humac everything is stone; the walls and roofs of the houses, the fences for the animal pens and the shepherd’s huts (which were also used for animal storage). The view from the konoba across the water to Brač Island as you eat lunch is worth the price of admission.

Antun Balić at Uljara Božić in Svirče then showed us his olive oil bottling plant. He explained to us the difference between Extra Virgin and Virgin Oil (the percentage of oxygen in the oil), cold and warm pressing, when the olives should be picked and the different olive varieties. Antun also told us that good oil has a green grass/apple bouquet and an astringent aftertaste at the back of the throat.

The last stop of the day before the evening ferry was the Tomić Winery. Andro Tomić is the man to see about Hvar wine. Not only are his wines top-notch but the overall presentation of everything he does, from his labels to his cellars, is excellent. Marina, his right-hand girl, ran through their 9 products, and we tasted 4 of them – the Opolo Nobile Rosé, the Plavac Mali Barrique, the Prošek Hectorović and the Travarica. Marina was even kind enough to prepare food to accompany each wine.

From Andro’s website:

Opolo Nobile – “Rosé wine Opolo Nobile is enjoyed as a young, a year-old wine. It is produced using a special technology (decantation after only 12 hours) that gives this wine a beautiful pink colour and its distinctive freshness. Opolo Nobile was modelled on young French (Beaujolais) wines, and it is best to drink it until it is 10 months old.”

As this is a light wine Marina served a mozzarella-style cheese with olive oil.

Plavac Mali Barrique – “After the Ancient Greeks and Romans who used amphorae for wine storage and transport, barrels became a widespread means of wine storing, and became crucial for maturing of wine. Barrels have a two-fold function in winemaking; they accelerate wine aging, and add a distinctive wood flavour and bouquet. Fine making and maturing in oak barrels give the wine Plavac Mali Barrique its highly noble bouquet and make a great complement to an already strong flavour of the variety Plavac Mali.”

To compliment the strength of this wine, a strong cheese such as parmesan is recommended.

Prošek Hectorović – “Prošek is an authentic Croatian dessert wine , made using dried grapes of the finest indigenous Dalmatian varieties. Although it often gets mixed up with Prosecco, Italian sparkling wine, Prošek comes from the coastal region of Dalmatia, which is still the only place where it is made. Prošek Hectorović was named after Petar Hektorović, a great poet, hedonist and nobleman who came from the island of Hvar.”

Marina surprised us by having us eat gorgonzola with this dessert wine – a great taste combination.

Travarica – “Travarica is a type of herbal brandy made with the wine distillate from authentic wines of the island Hvar, flavoured with seven Mediterranean herbs, predominantly carob and sage. A part of the herbs is distilled together with the wine, but most of it is left to macerate in the distillate.”

Carob is used as fake-chocolate, and the best way we discovered to enjoy this brandy is poured over chocolate ice-cream.

As we were running late for the ferry we didn’t get a chance to visit Hvar Town, but given what we had done there were no complaints!

The rest of the tour’s pictures can be found here.

On Wednesday, to begin our short sojourn on Vis and Biševo Islands, Tracey, Marisa, Andreas, Bob, Tim and I boarded the Jadrolinija ferry, followed by the local bus to Komiža. Due to the heat and Tracey being 5 months pregnant with Bob, we decided against an afternoon hike and instead went for a swim in Stončica Bay. The season has been a little slow on the islands this year, but this week the crowds finally arrived, crowding the beach.

For the evening meal Oliver Roki transported us from the beach to his family vineyard, where we dined on lamb and fish cooked ispod peke – under the cast iron dome. The food and hospitality on the Roki’s terrace is always first rate. I am a little concerned, though, that their plavac mali (local red wine) always has a fennel aftertaste.

The weather was perfect the next day for a paddle across to visit our friends Davor and Lili in Salbunara Bay on Biševo Island. Its always a joy to arrive in Salbunara Bay; a deep, sandy bay that Davor and Lili have gone to great lengths to keep clean.

For lunch they had prepared a traditional sardine dish, where fried sardines are marinated in onions, garlic, white wine, wine vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, bay leaves and lemon. This recipe was used to preserve fish for several days before electricity and refrigerators, and now fish prepared this way can stay in the ‘fridge for up to 3 weeks. When the weather is hot, it is a refreshing alternative to a cooked meal.

After gorging ourselves we kayaked around to the Blue Cave, where Marisa transformed into Kim Vanderbilt Madonna impersonator and gave us a performance.

Dinner was octopus slow baked under Davor’s dome, washed down by local grappas and plenty of domestic wine.

On Friday, after a night in the bungalows, we attempted to cross back to Vis Island. Unfortunately the jugo was building and we weren’t able to make it. Instead, Pino had to come with his boat to ferry us back to Komiža. From there it was back to Split and civilization!

For all the pictures from tour click here.

Marilyn, John and I crossed the border into Bosnia yesterday to visit Mostar.

Mostar is a mixed Serb, Croat and Bosnia town in south-west Bosnia, known for its 16th Century bridge, which crosses the Neretva River, and the crazy guys who dive from it. The town is named after the bridge – most means bridge in Serbo-Croatian.

The practice of diving from the bridge dates back to the time the bridge was built, but the first recorded instance is from 1664. The diving platform is over 20 metres above the water, but the river is only 3 metres deep! Plus the temperature of the water is freezing – the shock of entering it on a hot summer’s day has been known to cause heart-attacks.

A town in Mostar’s current location was mentioned in literature in the early medieval period. In 1468 Mostar came under Ottoman rule and they greatly expanded the existing small village.

The current bridge was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557 and built in 9 years by Mimar Hayruddin. It replaced an earlier wooden suspension bridge. It is made of local stone known as tenelija.

During the war in Bosnia Herzegovina (1992-1995), on 9th November 1993, the bridge was destroyed by Croat forces. Just as the walls of Dubrovnik symbolized the barbarity of the Croatian War, the bridge’s destruction came to represent the wanton destruction of the Bosnian conflict. After reconstruction it was reopened on 23rd July 2004.

Most tourists, including us, come to see the Turkish markets, houses and mosques. The local Croat community has had to adapt to this commercial fact – to make money they must now lead tours through the streets of their former enemies.

In the markets many Turkish trinkets can be found – coffee and tea sets, copperwork, rugs, slippers and fezs.

The best food is typically Bosnian – burek (meat or cheese filled filo pastry) or ćevapčići (skinless sausages served with pita and onion).

Many things in the town are still segregated (though the local government is not). There are even 2 football teams where there was just one previously. FK Velež, named after a nearby mountain, is supported by Bosniaks from the east-side of the river. Their fans are called the ‘Red Army’ – you can see their graffiti everywhere.. HŠK Zrinjski Mostar, named after a local creek, has supporters on the western (Croatian) bank of the river.

It was a little disconcerting to visit a mixed town after living so many years in ‘Catholic’ Croatia – the landscape was the same, the people looked the same and they spoke the same language – but instead of crucifixes around their necks they had crescent moons, instead of bell towers there were minarets, the death notices were in green instead of black and instead of bells ringing out there was the call to prayer. Essentially there is no difference between the people, no great divide, which would help explain the ferocity of the war.

End of the Tour in Hvar Town

For our last day together the plan was to sail the southern coast of Hvar Island. But the jugo (southern wind) had blown in during the night, meaning it would be impossible to anchor in the small exposed bays. Instead we enjoyed (well some of us!) a good sail before returning to the Pakleni Islands and finding yet another beach-side konoba.

For the evening we found space in Hvar Town harbour. Hvar has become a jet-set hangout. All the hotels have been renovated by Sunćani Hvar and numerous bars crowd the waterfront – including the infamous Carpe Diem.

The nobility that controlled all the vineyards and olive groves on the surrounding islands lived in Hvar. They built several grand houses and Europe’s first public theatre inside its old walls. Other highlights of Hvar are Dalmatia’s largest piazza and the Arsenal , which was used during the Venetian occupation to repair the commune’s war galley.

After a sunset walk to the Spanish Fort, which crouches above the town, we settled down to our last meal together before trying out several of the bars.

Post-Mortem – With several days of winds on the nose, the kayaking was strenuous, but even with all the exercise, due to the gourmet food and wine imbibed, everyone will need to go on a diet!

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour – click here.)

Sailing Across to Hvar Island – Exploring the Pakleni

Tove unfortunately had to leave us early, so she caught the ferry back from Vis Island to Split. The rest of us enjoyed an early morning coffee or three on Vis Town’s riva - waterfront. Then it was time to cross the channel to Hvar Island.

With not much wind and the sun beating down a swim and a rope swing was taken in the middle of the 12km crossing.

The day was to be spent on the Pakleni Islands, a small group just off Hvar Town. Pakleni means hell in Croatian. Boat builders used the islands in the past for making pine tar, a sticky material produced by the high temperature distillation of pine wood – which was known as paklena. The tar was used to preserve boats’ wood and rigging. The many fires used to make the tar gave the islands a hellish appearance.

Anchoring in a small cove, we swam ashore and walked to a hidden restaurant, Dionis. Our hosts had prepared us an eggplant pie and octopus salad for starters and gregada for main course. Gregada is another fishermen’s stew, but unlike brudet, it is made with white wine, potatoes and garlic. All this food was consumed whilst sitting on Dionis’ huge terrace, which over their vineyard towards Vis Island, from where we had just sailed.

The sandy bottom bay of Palmižana was our port-of-call for the night. For those looking for a romantic week, see the Meneghello Family website. Over the last 100 years they have built beautiful bungalows amongst their gardens. We enjoyed cocktails into the wee small hours at a beach-side bar.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour – click here.)

Completing the Circumnavigation of Vis Island – Stončica Bay

A serve of fried eggs and a cup of coffee gave us all the energy to begin our last day on Vis Island.

A short kayak had us at the first stop; the sandy beach (not typical for Dalmatia) of Stončica Bay. While some of us soaked up the sun, others combined two favourite pastimes – drinking beer and playing soccer.

Lunch came from the grill – squid, veal and vegetables were all thrown on it, and as usual too much was ordered – no one lost weight on this tour! The simple food was drizzled with olive oil and garlic – excellent!

The short paddle to complete the circumnavigation of Vis Island was again into a stiff sea breeze, and we were happy to complete it.

Dinner was at the best pizzeria in Vis overlooking the harbour.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour – click here.)

Kayaking along Vis Island’s Southern Coast – Stiniva Bay and Mala Travna

Because of geological reasons, the southern sides of the Dalmatian Islands are the most interesting – towering cliffs with narrow pebble beaches slicing into them. The day’s paddling was the most enjoyable with many nooks and crannies to be explored. The wind gods were against us again with a slight head wind, which almost doubled the excursion time.

Just before lunch we visited the most photographed beach on Vis, Stiniva Bay. From the mouth of the bay there is no evidence of the hidden cove at the end – its an incredible little space.

On a per capita basis, Vis Island is the poet capital of the world – everyone describes themselves as a one. Our favourite is Senko. He operates a small restaurant on his terrace above Mala Travna Bay. Senko is one of a few chefs to push the boundaries of Dalmatian cooking. He is not happy to serve the standard fare, but is always experimenting with local herbs and the preparation of fish. We happily sat as Senko placed course after course of small dishes in front of us. Of course there was his domestic wine with which to wash it all down. Senko only cooks if you call him in advance.

To get to the campsite we had a short sunset paddle to a small island off the town of Rukavac. In celebration of the 4th July, we had a big BBQ on the beach – plenty of steaks and salads!

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour – click here.)

Kayaking around Biševo Island – the Monk Seal and Blue Caves

After rising relatively early, we cruised across to Biševo Island. Its name is derived from the local word for the worm-holes found in wood because of the numerous above and under water caves that run through its limestone.

Our first stop was the Monk Seal Cave – the scene of the last sightings of the Adriatic Monk Seal. Unfortunately due to a reduction in fish stocks and attacks by fishermen the seals have disappeared. The cave that they used to inhabit is large, with a high initial chamber and a low passage leading 60 metres away into the dark. It is possible to paddle almost to the back – with headlamps of course.

For lunch we kayaked to our friends’ (Davor and Lili) house on Salbunara Bay.

Several years ago Davor and Lili decided to escape Zagreb to almost the most remote island in Croatia. They have built several bungalows for guests hidden amongst the oil trees – its real get-a-from-it-all stuff. No television or telephones or even mains water and electricity. Dismayed with the amount of trash on their small beach, they started an organization for its renovation – Bisevo.Org. That have held several clean-up events and have managed to improve the local environment – all without the help of local government.

They made us an excellent risotto from freshly harvested molluscs (much to Gabe’s chagrin) and we drank several litres of red wine produced from grapes directly out their front door.

Davor showed us his dog’s (Bura) puppies. She is a tornjak - a Bosnian Sheep Guarding Dog. Similar to other sheep guarding dogs, these large breeds would live amongst the flock and protect it from wolf or bear attacks. Because of this protective pack instinct tornjaks make excellent family pets – if you have a large enough yard. They were never bred for herding.

Davor and Lili joined us for the journey to the Blue Cave (Modra Špilja). We kayaked and swam in to what was one of Dalmatia’s first tourist attractions. Eventhough it was late in the afternoon plenty of light was reflecting from the cave floor to cast a turquoise glow around the room. A local artist had installed some of her sculptures – wire human forms hanging from buoys – in the space, making for a surreal scene.

Due to the over consumption of food and wine at lunch, we opted for the tow-back method for the return to Komiža.

For dinner we were invited to Mateja’s house. Mateja is the sister of Joško Božanić. She made us a large pot of brudetto (brudet) – a typical fisherman’s stew of eel, red wine and tomatoes. It was again washed down by large carafes of domestic wine. Joško also dropped in for a quick chat before leaving for the Brest International Maritime Festival.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour – click here.)

Ferry to Vis Island and Kayak to Komiža

Wednesday was the day we started paddling! After a 2 hour ferry crossing to Vis Island and a healthy meal (the last not to involve wine for the whole trip), we organized kayaks and, following a quick explanation of a wet exit, headed out.

Immediately from the boats it was possible to see evidence of Vis’ historically important role in controlling the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic gets its name from a colony, Adria, on the Po River Delta in Italy, founded by Illyrian King Adrias. Adrias’ throne was on Vis. His son, Ionius, then gave his name to the Ionian Sea. Until relatively recently the border between the two seas was Vis Island.

Behind the present tennis courts is a Greek necropolis. Dionisius the Elder, the tyrant of Syracuse in 397 BC established a colony, Issa, on Vis. Later, it became an independent city-state, minted its own coins and founded other colonies elsewhere on the Dalmatian coast and its islands.

In the 3rd Century BC, the Roman Empire saw an opportunity to conquer all of Dalmatia after an argument developed between the Greek colonists and the Illyrians. The foundations of the Roman baths are still visible across the road from the INA petrol station.

As we reached the mouth of the harbour on the left are the ruins of the English Fort St. George. In 1805 the Napoleon had taken the island from the Austrians. But the English weren’t too happy having the French in control of the ‘Gibraltar of the Adriatic’, so in March 1811, they attacked and occupied the island until 1814. This gave them enough time though to do what the English do best – setup a cricket club.

Just around the corner we kayaked into the next fragment of military history on the island – a Yugoslav Navy patrol-boat shelter. After WW2, Tito upset both the Russians and NATO, so not knowing who to trust he turned Vis into a massive fortress – riddled with tunnels, gun emplacements and this large, concrete, watery cave. Civilians (except those with a special allowance) were not allowed on the island until 1989.

Leaving the shelter behind we began an up-hill slog into the sea breeze (or maestral). I tried to explain, but the wind just carried my words away, that before us lay the site of the world’s last battle fought under sail between the Austrians and the Italians in 1866.

The head wind exhausted us all, so once we reached Zukamice Bay it was decided to pile onto the falkuša for the last 3kms into Komiža. There were more important things on the agenda, such as dinner at Roki’s Winery!

Komiža is a small town on Vis Island’s northwest. It is home to the falkuša and was the only place in Croatia to make its living purely from fishing. Gabe, as the tour’s resident beef-eater, was happy to hear that sea-life was going to provide most of the meals for the next few days.

Nik Roki shuttled us up to his winery where we enjoyed octopus and lamb cooked under the dome, and several bottles of his plavac mali (red wine) and bugava (white wine).

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour – click here.)

Arrival in Split

The Vis and Hvar Islands Kayak Adventure starts in the evening of the first day – not with getting into the boats but a stroll through the 1 700 year old ruins of Roman Emperor Diocletian’s retirement palace. Eventhough Deanna, Gabe, Tove, May-Lill, Jodie, Warwick (call me ‘Waz’) and Fred were all coming from different directions at different times, and with Tim and me still on Vis Island organizing the falkuša and kayaks, Jules was somehow able to get everyone in the correct place for a walk with Maja, our knowledgeable guide.

Diocletian was known for several things – as reformer (of the Roman legal, financial, administrative and military systems), as a persecutor (of Christians) and as a constructor. The biggest baths in Rome (over 30 000 sqm) were built by him – though he never visited them – and he built of 20 000sqm of palace just for himself on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. It only took 10 years to build (completed in 305), but anything is possible when you have 20 000 slaves working for you. And only 2 000 were killed during construction! Its good to be the king! The palace forms the centre of Split old town and locals still live amongst its ancient stones.

The irony is that when the Christians inhabited the palace after 640, they turfed Diocletian’s bones out of his mausoleum and turned it into the Cathedral of Sveti Duje (Saint Dominus).

After the tour, dinner was taken at Konoba Maslina – a good-value, hidden-away restaurant.

(Thanks to Deanna and Gabe for these pictures. For all the pictures of the kayak tour – click here.)

As mentioned previously, the usual support boat for our sea-kayaking tours has been in Brest for the last 10 days. So we needed another for last week’s adventure around Vis and Hvar Islands. Tim and I headed north to Murter to borrow the only other replica falkuša, the Mikula, from my friend Tomislav. Murter is home to one of the last fleets of traditional lanteen-rigged boats.

The boat needed to be in Vis Town for the start of the tour. To start, we motored down to the town of Primošten for the night.

In the past Primošten was situated on an islet close to the mainland. During the Turkish invasions of 1542 the islet was protected by walls and towers, and a drawbridge connected it to the mainland. When the Turks retreated, the bridge was replaced by the causeway and in 1564 the settlement was named Primošten after the Croatian verb primostiti (to span).

Whilst there we discovered the best steak I have had in Dalmatia at the restaurant Torkul.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour – click here.)

Yesterday Frank, Ceila, Bill and Cary enjoyed a day with us on Brač Island.

After the 45-minute ferry ride from Split, we drove to the trailhead above Pustinja Blaca.

Blaca was a monastery found in 1551 by Glagoltic monks from Poljica Republic. This small Republic, behind Omiš, was wedged between the Venetian and Ottoman Empires. The monks, fearing Turkish raids, fled to Brač in the 15th Century and later received permission to build their monastery in its current, well-hidden location. Setting to work in the harsh landscape (blaca means desert), they created a vibrant community – the richest on the island. They were self-sufficient in food, and exported honey, olive oil, wine and cheese to Venice and Vienna. They owned 3 trading boats, large estates in other villages and had up to 120 workers laboring for them.

The last monk, Don Nikola Milicevič, was a true Renaissance man. His favorite hobby was astronomy and we saw what was once the largest telescope in south-east Europe. He reported his findings to the world authorities and his work led to the naming of 2 asteroids as well as a comet.

All this work took place in the middle of nowhere. We got just a taste of its isolation – after a long drive down a dirt track, we still had a 2km hike into the canyon in which the monastery is tucked away. Yesterday, as the temperature soared, the sun beat down and reflected onto us from the white limestone – not an environment conducive to refined pursuits.

To recover we headed to Murvica, just outside of Bol. The terrace of the restaurant at which we ate lunch looked out across the water to Hvar Island. After an excellent seafood meal, the water was too inviting so we had to have a swim. The beaches along the south coast of Brač are some of my favorites in Dalmatia.

The highlight of the return ferry ride was sailing through an afternoon electrical storm.

Tonight our friends Jane Cody and John Nash had the official Croatian launch of their book, Croatia Cruising Companion. Jane also did some writing for the new Timeout Croatia magazine, and she presented it as well to the audience of marina representatives and tourism agencies.

The Cruising Companion took Jane and John several years to research – they visited every bay of significance from Zadar to the south. For each they produced anchorage charts as well as wrote lengthy descriptions on available facilities – such as our laundrette in Split.

The book is perfect for those coming here to rent a yacht and visit the Dalmatian Islands. It is currently ranked #3 for both books on Croatia and those on sailing on Amazon.com.

Timeout Croatia has a thicker guide magazine again this year. More stories and more information are crammed inside. One of our kayaking pictures, taken on a tour around Vis and Hvar Islands, appears in the adventure section.

Ray Fusco has been helping us with promoting our tours and needed a new flier to pass onto Jersey Paddler.

The European Cities Marketing Association has released figures which shows Split is #1 on a list of European holiday destinations for growth in visitors between 2001 and 2006.

“Split saw an annual growth of around 17% in tourists, to top their survey of 93 locations across Europe.

In 2006, some 200 000 holiday makers crowded into city of some 250 000 inhabitants, a 400% rise in the number of holiday makers from 1999. Their average stay was 2.2 days.

The trend continued in 2007, but according to Split-based daily, Slobodna Dalmacija, tourist numbers decreased slightly by 5 000 due to a lack of accommodation as old hotels underwent renovation. (It may have been something to do with the terrible job that was done on renovating the waterfront or the fact Split suffers from a lack of a coherent tourism plan!)

The 2001-2006 survey shows that U.S. visitors and tourists topped the list and were followed by French and Spanish visitors.

A transit point for a number of Croatian islands, Split and its famous old town dominated by the Roman Emperor’s Diocletian Palace dating from the end of the 3rd Century, has become a key tourist attraction in Croatia, challenging the status of the legendary town of Dubrovnik, some 200kms to the southeast.

The tourism boom has seen real estate prices skyrocketing with properties in the old towns going for as much as 6 000 € /square metre. (This is just nonsense made-up by the local real-estate agents!)”

Some of what is written above is true – we have seen a constant growth in our laundrette business – but I wouldn’t trust the figures supplied by the local tourism board here in Split. Personally I think Dubrovnik tourism would have had far more (and better quality) growth. The opportunity is here in Split – it will just take hard work by everyone.

As a follow up to the last post about Croatia’s bid to join NATO -

“NATO leaders have agreed to invite Croatia and Albania to join the alliance.

The agreement was reached at an informal dinner of the NATO heads of state and government on Wednesday night.

For the third aspirant country, Macedonia, the leaders hoped that it can be invited as soon as possible given the fact that Greece, a NATO ally, has made clear that it will veto the invitation unless Macedonia changes its official name.

The Greek delegation made very clear on Tuesday night that Macedonia’s accession to NATO would be impossible before the settlement of the name dispute.

Greece fears that the former Yugoslav republic’s constitutional name — Republic of Macedonia — implies territorial ambition for the neighboring northern Greek province of Macedonia. But Skopje has refused to exchange its official name for NATO membership.

On Ukraine and Georgia’s application for NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP), chances are small for them to be given this status at the summit.

The leaders reaffirmed NATO’s “open door” policy and were of the view that MAP for the two countries is a matter not of whether, but of when.

The leaders also reiterated that there is no veto by third parties, apparently in reference to opposition by Russia.

Russia has warned that NATO membership for the two former Soviet republics would bring instability in the region.”

It always bodes well when ‘instability’ and ‘Balkans’ are used in the same sentence!

As can be seen from the last posts we have been catching up on our newspaper reading. Old lefties who read The Guardian in the UK may have seen a recent article about the best places to take your loved one. Under the title Glamorous Romantic Getaways, our friend Goran and his restaurant Vila Kaliopa are given an excellent review, “Hidden behind the 16th-century Garibaldi Palace walls on the island of Vis, Villa Kaliopa is a secret garden of palms, sculpture and candlelit tables each out of earshot so you don’t have to whisper your sweet nothings where smiley waiters present the days catch.” (And Jules says I never take her anywhere special!)

Sounds like the perfect end to a day of arguing with that special person in a double kayak!

Felix Oppenheim, an excellent outdoor photographer, snapped us eating at a less salubrious (yet just as charming) eatery. Several photographs on our website were taken by him.

The Guardian also recently put Istria in its 100 Underated Foodie Breaks, and even mentions Motovun, “A cone-shaped peninsula, Istria is where the Balkans meet the Adriatic. Lushly forested and decidedly hilly, Istria is also where some of the world’s best (and biggest) truffles are dug. A lengthy meander around the inland walled hill-towns of Trst, Hum (the world’s smallest, so it boasts), Lupoglav, Buzet, Motovun – and many more – rewards you with enchanting eagle’s eye views, sleepy villages, and delightfully affordable restaurants with truffle-centred menus. Add fresh, young Croatian wines and a mere scattering of tourists and you’re in gourmet heaven.”

Another magazine, another poll and the Dalmatian Islands are again ranked very highly. Travel + Leisure Magazine put them at #7 in their Top 10 World’s Best Islands. Follow the link and you arrive at a 2005 article about many of the islands we often visit.

Of Dubrovnik – “Dalmatia’s most famous city is touted as an unspoiled gem, though this is really a matter of degree. While it’s not yet as overrun as, say, Prague or Positano (the two unlikely places that Dubrovnik most resembles), it’s well within the crosshairs of mass tourism. Dubrovnik’s Old Town maintains a precarious equilibrium between Then and Now, Here and Elsewhere. Menus in Italian, English, and German hang outside every traditional wooden-beamed konoba, or tavern. Benetton and Diesel boutiques line the medieval lanes. And pushcart vendors proffer not just handmade olive soaps but also Old Town mouse pads.”

On Korčula – “The sharp scent of pine resin mingles with salt air on Korcula, three hours by ferry from Dubrovnik. Forests of Aleppo pine, cypress, and holm oak make this one of the Adriatic’s most verdant isles. It’s known for top-notch wines and for being one of several alleged birthplaces of Marco Polo.”

About Hvar – “By far the most glamorous of the Adriatic islands, Hvar is heir to that noble lineage running from Cannes and Capri through St. Bart’s and South Beach: the latest of the famous international playgrounds. At the height of summer, Hvar Town is so relentlessly gorgeous it makes your eyes ache. Everything screams, Ogle me: the harbor edged with bougainvillea, the perfectly aged Renaissance façades, the absurdly huge yachts and sailboats, and a nonstop parade of caramelized torsos. As if the cast and setting didn’t already suggest a perfume ad, Hvar’s entire waterfront is redolent of lavender, which proliferates on the island and is sold in satchels by sidewalk vendors.”

And Vis – “From the sea, Vis seems an unforgiving hunk of rock, dotted with parched scrub and brush. Despite its desolate appearance, Vis holds remarkable natural bounty. More than 500 varieties of herbs flourish on the island (consider that the whole of England has only around 300). Climbing those scrabbly hillsides, you can grow dizzy from the scent of rosemary and sage. Asparagus, garlic, and arugula all grow wild here, alongside the mandarin-orange and carob trees—carob infuses the local grappa. There are also some passable island wines, such as the dry white Vugava and the ruby-red Plavac, which, for some reason, Viskis often dilute with ice cubes.”

We could have posted a picture of the islands surrounded by blue seas and sky, but instead its a dark interior shot – of another of Dalmatia’s draws – Modra Špilja (the ‘Blue Cave’) – a blue grotto on Biševo Island.

The New York Times recently published a list of the must-see places in the world for 2008. Included in this list, at an impressive #11, is the town of Hvar (on Hvar Island).

The NY Times describes Hvar thus:

“As Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast has become a new Riviera, Hvar has become its St. Tropez: a tiny village that fills with yachts and international partyers over the summer. While the waterfront Carpe Diem remains the island’s night-life center, narrow stone alleys are lined with chic cocktail lounges and hotel terraces, including the rooftop pool at the new Adriana Hotel, Croatia’s first Leading Small Hotels of the World member.”

Now personally I can only take the ‘jet-set’ in small doses. But when you combine the high-life with a little adventure its excellent. Many of those who visit Hvar Town only see its bars and nearby beaches, but there is a lot more to explore on the whole island.

The picture in the NY Times article is actually of a beach in Komiža, which happens to be on Vis Island – only 25 kilometers away – so much for the fact-checkers!

But both Vis and Hvar Islands are combined in our Vis and Hvar Islands Kayak Adventure – how’s that for a segue!? (And, yes, our picture at the top of this post is of a beach on Hvar!)

Some of our pictures.

The Croatian National Parks that we have visited so far we have really enjoyed. One trip that always goes well is walking around the Plitvice Lakes, in the Lika region. The Lakes are protected on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As the River Korana cuts its way down through the limestone of the surrounding hills its water gains a high concentration of calcium carbonate. When the water gets caught in amongst the fallen birch, ash or pine trees of the lush forest the limestone is decanted and builds up dams which eventually produce lakes and waterfalls. At the moment there are 16 large lakes.

Beauty-wise, there doesn’t seem to be a bad time to visit the Lakes. In winter, snow blankets everthing; in spring, the wild-flowers bloom; in summer, you can have a quick swim in Kozjak Lake, the main lake; in autumn, the forest changes quickly from greens to browns and reds. The only problems are the summer crowds and the entrance price which keeps going up – it was 110 kuna in 2007. The best way to escape the crowds is to use the upper trails. They make their way through hillside forests – and allow views down to the Lakes.

The Lakes are full of char, trout, minnows and carp. They gather at the edges, under the shade of the surrounding trees.

We always stay in the small village of Korana, a collection of about a dozen old traditional houses on the river just outside of the Park. The Luketić brothers have 2 guest-houses – with a large terrace on the river for evening meals. Its possible to swim directly in front of the village, except in the height of summer when the river can disappear underground.

It is a 3 hour drive from Split to Plitvice. Usually we drive to the town of Rastoke, known as ‘Little Plitvice’, on the way, for a top baked trout meal at Konoba Petro.