Hvar -- September 4

We got up early (as usual) and went to buy our ferry tickets to Hvar (42 kuna each) . We then paid Ivo for our wonderful room in Split before heading to the open air produce market to stock up on provisions. What an amazing market Split has! Beautiful fruits and vegetables (all organic!). Efren was thrilled to find roasted chicken and he devoured 2 legs for breakfast! Craig was happy with cappuccino and a chocolate croissant. Efren wasn't too happy when a pigeon shit on him in the main square -- but isn't that a sign of good luck to come?

We boarded the ferry to Hvar at 11:30am and were in Hvar Town by 12:30pm. What a beautiful little town -- a great place for a wedding. As has been the norm, it was extremely hot, which one would think might limit our sightseeing potential, but being the hardcore travelers that we are, we took it in stride. Before grabbing lunch, we purchased our ferry tickets to Korcula for the 6pm departure. We also had to store our luggage for the afternoon. I think Hvar makes most of its money on luggage storage -- it cost us $6 a bag (more than the ferry tickets!) .

We quickly found a lovely restaurant on the main square, purportedly the largest square in Croatia. We ate pizza, seafood pasta and octopus salad. Although it may sound nasty, the octopus salad was incredible and should be tried by all as it is the island's speciality. After a long lunch we wandered around the square and visited the few key sites in the old town. Hvar is really more of a beach and relaxation spot than a location full of must-see attractions. Efren of course found the time and energy to hike to the top of the nearest mountain where there is a beautiful fortress and took some amazing pictures. Craig stayed down below to guard the laptop computer that we have been lugging with us all over the island (at least that is his excuse).

On such a hot day, the water of the Adriatic Sea was delightful. We didn't swim, but definitely relaxed on the beach and dipped our feet into the cool clear waters of the Adriatic Sea . It was burning hot outside, so much of the day was spent searching for shade.

At 6pm we boarded our catamaran to Korcula. Unlike the ferry earlier in the day, this one was packed and stuffy and we couldn't wait to reach Korcula. We got there about 7:45pm and were promptly met by Peter, the owner of the Apartment Lenni where we stayed for the next 2 nights. Peter is very friendly and helpful. When the airconditioner didn't work in our room, we were switched to another room -- although significantly smaller, Peter knocked a few euros off the price.

As it was already dark there wasn't too much to see in Korcula at this time of day -- we walked around the old town a bit and enjoyed some wine and cappuccino at Cafe Zak. We're looking forward to a fun day exploring the city tomorrow!