Got up early (7:30a) on Brač and packed, then walked down to the only bar/restaurant nearby, but it didn’t open until 9:00a. To make the most of our time, we walked back up to the place we were staying and used the “beach access” they had for us, which was essentially steps down on to rocks the we used to crawl into the water. At any rate, we were swimming in the Adriatic off an island in Croatia at 8:30a and is was delightful!
At 9:00a we walked back to the restaurant and had a couple cappuccinos and “pancakes”, which are somewhere between crepes and regular pancakes rolled up with sweet filling and served cold - yum. Sitting in this bar on the water having breakfast was one of those moments that struck us about how special this trip has been.
After eating we went to check out with the host. As we settled the bill, we made small talk about how long he’d lived there, about his work in Zagreb, COVID’s impact on their losing business, etc. He then offered us some drinks (juice and a local specialty liquor only made on the island). We spent another half hour there getting recommendations about what/where else to see in Croatia - it was very interesting having a longer conversation with one of the locals.
Here is the front of the apartment...
...and here is the view!
We finally got on the road at ~10:30a (some tricky logistics to get the car back up the narrow one lane road) and headed along the northern coast road to look for little towns and beaches to play at. We stopped in Sumartin which was soon after we left and bought some pastries and drinks for the morning. Near the small town of Postira we drove along a long dirt road by the water and found this great secluded beach to swim at.
We have improved our understanding about how to find these little beaches as we’ve spent more time in Croatia, which makes the experience feel so much more personal than the large, popular swimming areas. After a good long swim and laying in the sun to dry, we headed out again and drove out to the West end of the island to see Milna, which took us through the middle of a quaint little village that used a stoplight to regulate its one lane road.
After a short visit in Milna, we needed to go quickly to make it back to Supertar in time to fill/return the rental car, then figure out how to catch a bus to Bol. The car was no issue but the bus was more confusing. We learned from a curt ferry ticket worker that we “buy the ticket on the bus” - sidebar: The general Croatian public service worker demeanor could be summed up as “crass”. We were where we thought the bus should show up, so when the bus pulled in ~20min before the scheduled departure, we got in line to put our luggage in and to buy tickets. After a few minutes, Tammy got on the bus to hold our seats while Don dealt with the luggage/paying. As Don’s turn came up he confirmed that the bus was going to Bol - “No, going to Zagreb...Bol bus comes soon”. Tammy had to get off the bus and we had to wait again. The next bus was right, but the driver fit neatly into the Croatia public worker profile and was hard to deal with for everyone that boarded.
Once loaded, we were in awe of how the driver navigated the narrow streets and various obstacles. This admiration switched to fear as we saw how he passed scooters on narrow mountain roads, tailgated and cut corners - we assumed that Croatia bus driving must be the boot camp for Turkish taxi driving.
We made it to Bol with time to spare, so celebrated with coffee and beer, watching the waterfront and waiting for our ferry.
The ferry came (and we had the correct tickets again), this time it was a passenger-only catamaran ferry, the ride to Jelsa on Hvar Island was only 20 minutes. Once on Hvar (island) we had to find a way from Jelsa to Hvar (town) where our lodging was. We were reluctant to ask the couple taxis near the dock for a ride, both because we’d heard it was expensive, and that we wanted a way to get around the island. It was late in the day so many of the rental shops had closed (a fact we hadn’t thought through beforehand), but we found that “Antonio’s Rentals” was still open so we asked about a car. In broken English we learned that he had a car and it was ~$67 for 24hrs - pretty much the going rate it seemed on the islands. We agreed to it, then found out we had to pay cash and it would be 20 minutes for his son to bring the keys back to the office (was closer to 40). When the keys came, one of Antonio’s staff (with no English) walked us to the car...about a quarter mile away, parked in front of a house...whatever. He gave us the keys and walked away, so we loaded our bags in and got it started, then noticed: back seat is broken, front seat adjusters are broken, there is no A/C, the check engine light is on - nice. It was transportation nonetheless so we headed out to Hvar hoping to catch the sunset when we got there.
The drive across the island was easy, although the car ran terribly (probably why the Check Engine light was on) but we made it to the apartment just as the sun had set.
The host greeted us as we parked and he was possibly the best host we have had at any place yet. The apartment was super clean and well appointed, he had all the key points addressed as he walked us through the place, then went downstairs to get a couple cold drinks for us while we settled in. When he came back, he gave us several dinner recommendations and a whole itinerary for our next day, taking into account the time we had, returning the rental car and when we had to catch the ferry - super host!
We walked the waterfront of Hvar, buying food for the morning and looking at the town/restaurants that were appealing.
We’ve honestly gotten a bit numb to the cuisine that is offered (partially because it is heavy on seafood and also because it is a little limited), so we were delighted to find a restaurant in the main square that served Thai food! We had delicious Spring Rolls, Chicken Phad Thai and shared a fantastic bottle of Muscat (which we rarely do). We chose to eat at that particular restaurant partially for the food, but also because it was less crowded - lots of people on holiday from the U.K. in Croatia :-(.
Happily filled, we walked back to the room and quickly fell asleep.
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