We walked to a private home this evening for dinner with a cooking lesson.
Octopus salad and stuffed peppers!
Capers prepared by our host. Picked, dried and marinated in homemade wine vinegar.
Full moon lit our way home.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
HVAR Town
Hvar is today's hottest resort in the Mediterranean for the European yachting set. We got to town on a Thursday afternoon a few weeks after the summer season, so these views show a sleepy resort. It picked up as the weekend began.
Hvar was originally named Pharos by the Greeks. From this came Hrvatska, the Croatian-language name for "a Croat" and the name Horvath, which in Hungarian means "Croatian."
"I do feel pretty much at home here," said Peter Hrvat.
They call this the Spanish Fortress because a Spaniard designed it.
The view of the harbor from our room at the Hotel Park Hvar:
Our two story hotel room.
Bike to Zlatni Rat Beach - Ferry to Hvar
Our bikes were hauled over Vidova Gorda mountain to give us an easy ride to Croatia's most famous beach, Zlatni Rat.
Look carefully and you'll see Donna heading for the next cliff - I mean switchback:
We knew where to make the turn to Zlatni Rat because found the rat in the road...
Its off-season by a couple of weeks, and we were here around 11 AM so it was quiet.
But the water was fine!
Am I starting to look Hrvatski? Feelin it!
Bikes getting loaded on a private boat to take us to our next destination, the island of Hvar.
Ned at the helm.
The port of Jelsa, Hvar
NEXT: Hvar town.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Dinner at Dol Castle
A few kilometers above Postira in the tiny village of Dol is a small castle hidden along a quiet little street. Its also the site of a family owned konoba where we had the most memorable meal of the trip.
Some of us were looking for some roasted lamb and hadn't found much on menus so far, so we asked the guides where we could find it. They polled our group to see how many would join us - since we had to give them 24 hours to pick and prepare the right size lamb - and all 19 of us decided to go.
I stopped to say grace on the way up...
When we got to the konoba we were blown away by the view.
A table for 19 was set up on the terrace with the most incredible view of the sunset over the valley and the village below.
There were a few tables inside, too, but the weather in September is so beautiful the terrace was perfect.
Out back, Mario had our lamb on the spit.
As usual, we started with a little walnut or cherry brandy - homemade by our hosts.
Then, we sat for dinner.
Ned said it best:
"I believe I will remember this evening as long as I live!"
Jim and Leigh Daly
Kay and Ned Van Woert
Lisa Brice and Steve Benson
Marilyn McCabe and Bob Frawley
The ZOO!
Drucie Haddock, Sarah Patterson, Rita Urbanek
Jackie and Rob Johnstone
Mary and Don Norman
Boris the castle guardian
After dinner I stood on the bench and picked my own dessert - grapes growing through the thatched roof.
Goodnight Boris.
Back at the hotel in Postira a hot Retro band had some of us dancing late.
Me and Bobby MacGee played beautifully - and the lyrics "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose..." was poignant coming from people who were fighting for it just a few years ago.
Can you believe we danced to "My Way?"
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