Today the Sea Cloud brought us to the beautiful harbor of Hvar Town at the foot of the piazza, the largest open square on the Dalmatian Coast. As we strolled down the Riva our local guides provided a history of the island, which includes evidence of a Neanderthal settlement as well as Greek and later Venetian. The name Hvar goes back to the Greek word pharos, meaning light or lighthouse, and testifies to its importance in the maritime history of this region.
Our first stop was the Franciscan monastery with a unique painting of “The Last Supper”, as well as a collection of amphorae and coins. We returned to the piazza to view the Arsenal building, where ships were built and repaired. Above the Arsenal is perhaps the oldest public theater in Europe, that is, the first to allow both nobles and commoners. The division between nobles and commoners is reflected in the old division of Hvar town, which used to be split into two – there was an area called Grod where the noble people lived while the common people resided in the Burkak quarter.
At the end of the piazza is St Stephen’s Cathedral with its variegated marble altars and choir boxes of carob wood. Then we crossed over to the traditionally noble side of town to admire the more stately palaces with their Venetian-style balconies and windows. One notable sight was a 15th century cistern with the Lion of St. Mark holding a closed book, which indicates that it had been built during a time of war. Our last stop was the Benedictine convent where the nuns make lace from agave fiber, a cultural heritage protected by UNESCO.
After our tour we had some free time to shop, swim, or hike up to the fortress for panoramic views of the harbor and the Pakleni Islands. Some opted for a more local approach and sat in cafes on the piazza where they enjoyed drinks and a spot of people watching. We had a delicious lunch back on the Sea Cloud – a huge wheel of Parmigiana filled with perfectly al dente pasta that we then topped with Bolognese, pesto or fresh seafood sauce. It’s always a crowd pleaser! After lunch we set sail and our historian, Robin Woodward, presented a lecture on the Venetians before we had an ice cream social to ease the pain of packing up and disembarking tomorrow morning.
Before dinner we had the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party, with champagne and caviar (a Russian comfort food). Once we’d eaten we gathered on the lido deck to view the guest photo slideshow, accompanied by Gaynor playing the piano. It was a lovely, if somewhat bittersweet, end to a fantastic voyage.
