Hvar Island, Croatia
We awoke this morning to find Panorama at anchor off of the island of Hvar. Our passage from Dubrovnik during the night was quite smooth as were the waters in the harbor at sunrise. Clear skies and a welcoming waterfront called us to head ashore after breakfast. We boarded the Zodiacs for a short ride to the small boat landing and a walking tour of the main town of Hvar Island named, appropriately, Hvar Town.
There were two local guides (Gorjana and Barbara) to show us the way and tell us more about Hvar. Gorjana came with us from Dubrovnik and will stay with us on the ship until we depart Croatian waters. Our tour highlighted the Franciscan Monastery, a 16th century Venetian Arsenal and St. Stephens Cathedral (Katedrala sveti Stjepan). The arsenal has an arched floor into which war galleys were once hauled up for repairs. Above the town lies a citadel which was built by the Venetians with the help of Spanish engineers in the early 1500’s. The town itself is mainly a medieval town with small alleyways, a nice public square just off of a charming half moon harbor. It was explained to us that Hvar’s main agricultural product is lavender. This became obvious as we wandered through the local shops and stands that were in the town and around the harbor.
Just before lunch we all boarded the Zodiacs and returned to Panorama. While we were away during the morning a nice breeze came up, so we decided to hoist the sails and head for Otok Vis, or Vis Island, our destination for the afternoon. The engines were turned off as soon as the sails were up, so it was quiet running, which was great for reading or napping on deck. We arrived at our anchorage on Vis in time for a quick swim later in the day. It was a bit cool for most, but there were a few that braved the waters of the Adriatic. Just before cocktail hour, our National Geographic Expert, Grace Fielder gave a presentation on the “Myth of Maps,” which gave us insight into the subjective interpretation of borders and territories, here and in other regions. We finished the day off with a nice dinner “swinging on the hook,” before heading farther north for tomorrow’s activities.
