Korcula, Croatia

At 3:00 pm on the dot, our bus pulled out of Dubrovnik and we began a three and a half hour journey to the island of Korcula. (Interestingly enough, there was a couple from Gibsons, BC on the bus.) The winding road along the coast and the adjacent islands reminded us of the Gulf Islands at home. We now know why everyone says Croatia is so beautiful. When we arrived at Orebic, we had to wait for the ferry. Craig wandered off to take some photos. He noticed that the guy who ties up the ferry also sells the tickets and then loads it. All very manageable considering the size of the boat. Within twenty minutes, we had made the short journey across the water and were at the bus station in the town of Korcula. We are becoming very spoiled. Many of the Sobe owners come and meet you upon your arrival. It is always a delight to arrive in a location and see someone standing there holding a sign with your name on it. Rezi de Polo is a woman after Lynda's own heart. On our way to her Sobe, she had to stop and pick up some cat food. She has somehow taken on the responsibility of feeding half a dozen of the neighbourhood cats. Rezi's house is located on the waterfront about five minutes from the town centre. Craig enjoyed our walks to and from town as it gave him an opportunity to ogle the boats, many of which were being readied for the upcoming season. After settling into our room, we headed into town to get some dinner. We went to "Mareto" and ran into a Swedish family who had been travelling with us on the bus. We all sat together and exchanged travel stories. Anneka and her parents were in Croatia as a celebration for her mother's 60th birthday. It was a very pleasant evening.
Korcula resembles Dubrovnic with its walls, round towers and red roofed houses. It is significantly smaller, but we loved its size and its quaintness. We especially liked the drama of the modern day staircase which takes you into the old town. According to the locals, Korcula is the birthplace of the famous explorer and Venetian merchant, Marco Polo. The town marks the location of his birth house and plans are being made for a museum in his name. Although many historical documents claim that Marco Polo was born in Venice, Korcula was under Venetian rule at the time so there may be truth in both stories.
We rented a scooter one day so that we could see some of the island. We loved the little village of Racisce. It consists of houses, a church, two cafes, a post office and many boats in the harbour. It is so picturesque. We inched our way up a steep hill to the village of Pupnat where the views were outstanding and we could see for miles. Then we headed back towards Korcula and onto the village of Lumbarda, which is known for its sandy beaches and vineyards. Everywhere you look there are boats and bays and turquoise waters. We can't believe that we couldn't convince Jim and Karen to meet us in Croatia. Another time perhaps?
We have stretched our stay out as long as we dare. We are now off to the island of Hvar. One hour and fifteen minutes on the Krilo Jet catamaran. The unfortunate reality of this journey is its 6:00 am departure. Not to worry, we will get our travelling out of the way early in the day and have more time to explore another island.

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