Hello and welcome to my travel Blog! I created this Blog in 2014 when I decided to island hop around the Socrates, back packing and solo. 2015 I toured parts of Italy with a couple more of the Greek islands thrown in. 2016 I did some of the beautiful Croatian island and this year I continued exploring more of the Greek islands on the eastern side. 2018 takes me further.... seawhathappens
Just under 2 Hours from Hvar via catamaran bought me to this very pretty island of Korcula. Just off the Dalmation coastline and with just over 15,522 inhabitants this makes this a popular island with tourists and backpackers who are looking for somewhere quiet and relaxing. The views from the coastal roads and paths are just breathtaking!
It is rumoured that Korcula was the birthplace of Marco Polo. Although there are restaurants/ cafe bars and souveir shops named after him I have yet read any hard evidence. Will get back to you on that. Also, Korcula is twinned with Rothway in Scotland.
My last night on the island of Hvar. So I decided to take a boat trip to the Blue & Green caves … unfortunately those photos wouldn’t upload! But after a swim into the Green cave and lunch on the boat we sailed over to the island of Bisovo and transferred onto a little speed boat which took us inside the Blue cave. Then back onto the boat and over to the island of Biz. First impressions…. quiet harbour with a few restaurants/ cafe bars littered onto the front but after walking back a little my impression was that the islanders lived a very basic lifestyle… certainly relying on tourists.
The Fortress and the beach is where I’ve spent most of my day today! The former, dates back to the 16th century and has given protection to Hvar’s town and Port. Its also a symbol of an extremely significant and turbulent period of the town’s history.
The latter gave me protection from hurting my eyes through too much reading. Enjoy the video!
Just an hour on the Catamaran from Spits takes you into the very pretty harbour of Hvar. This little gem of an island which is surrounded by the deep blue dalmation waters is ideally located for visiting the other tiny islands. Hvar (Greek word meaning Island) does have one or two Greek influences.
The second photo featured is The Palace Hotel where I will be staying for the next two nights! Its sits virtually right in the old square and looks over the harbour. And finally the photo at the bottom is the view from the road just behind the hotel.
My second day in Split was a tad relaxing to say the least! A short coastal walk from the harbour takes you to the white pebbly beach which curls its way round a natural lido of large flat rocks, alcoves and pretty caves reflecting the warm azure waters of the Adriatic coast. Armed with a towel, iced tea, sun cream and a good book I found a comfortable spot and charged up those serotonin levels!
What I love about Split is that you can take in the historical district of the city, sample the gastronomical wares then take a short stroll to the beach with its very safe clear waters and just chill …. all in a day! Tomorrow is another day … I’m off to the island of Hvar via a Catamaran!
First impressions came early on as we were teetering over the cluster of islands before we got into Split. Beautiful blue Adriatic waters surrounding different shaped islands. 30 minute bus ride out of the airport which took me to the busy harbour. Then a 15 minute coastal walk to my accommodation… ideally located in the old part of the town near the Theatre.
Split is a busy, young, vibrant place which holds the key to a lot of history going back to when Croatia was Yugoslavia! It certainly isn’t short of fine eateries either and has numerous bakeries and ice cream bars.
Several flights of steps and slopes later I found myself taking in the stunning views of Split from a very strategically placed bar …. enjoy the views!
Just over a week before I fly off to Split, Croatia. No idea what happens after that but I will be blogging throughout my 3 week tour. Feel free to comment …
Probably one of the highlights of my trip. Hiking through the fabulous scenery of the Samaria Gorge. This was made a National Park since 1962 and its the longest Gorge in Europe at almost 17 km. it’s set in the spectacular rugged landscape of the White Mountains (named after the rock rather than the snow that covers these mountains during the winter). It’s also known for its unique flora and fauna … the aromas coming from the pine trees were very distinctive.
After the hike we had a few hours to cool off in the clear dark blue waters of the Libyan sea. Then it was more lovely Cretan food and a ferry journey back to the coach. A very long but most enjoyable day.
Spinalonga is an arrid and now, a barron island with an area of around 8.5 acres. It is a 20 minute ferry joirney from Elonda. This island has been used for a lot of purposes over the centuries.
One of the purposes that this island was used for was to keep the Lepers (people with the disease Leprasy) isolated. The first patients to arrive here from Crete was in 1903. At the time the island was occupied by the Turks. The Turks had to move off the island. Eventually the Island became a community for the Lepers and there was a hospital built and most of the staff came from the neighbouring island. Eventually, in 1948 the disease was eradicated due to the TB vacvination and the island was no more used for that purpose. Saying that, the Island has been barron since 1953.
seawhathappens 