Now we have to head back south. Being this far north, the next couple of days will be fairly long in order to get Jim and Tracey back to Split in time for their bike tour. Split in itself is proving to be a problem. We would be arriving on a Saturday but because of charter boat changeovers there is no room in the marina. This is not typical in other parts of the Adriatic and it makes route planning a lot more complicated. I need to work on another plan but for the the next couple of nights our destinations are straightforward.
We head for Krakije. This is the little town where we had accordion music on the quay a week or so ago. The route takes us through a narrow channel just at the entrance to the park. It is only 25 meters wide and 4.2 meters deep and is busy with traffic going in both directions. It’s not hard, it just requires some concentration. Once through, we pick up an almost favorable wind and have a great sail south to Krkaije. Jim and Tracey take turns helming and Lori gives instruction of the finer points of sail trimming.
At Krakije, the quay is pretty empty when we arrive but I manage to create a sloppy dockingout of nothing. I still can’t work out why. But we moor safely and are tight against the quay. We eat dinner at “Neptune, House of Food”. I have scallops everyone else has pizza. We take a walk after dinner on the path that runs between the houses and the bay. Everyone is out doing this. It’s 9:30 and even the little kids are out playing.
Jim and Tracey buy a shell from some small entrepreneurs who have set out their wares by the side of the street. We are not sure but we suspect that this may be their first transaction. Out of small beginnings, global empires can be made.
A small crowd is watching two me are playing boule. The players’ concentration is remarkable. They are completely focused on the game and their shots. They don’t look up or look at their audience; all their attention is on the game. We wonder how many years they have had this rivalry.
The next morning we all get some exercise before breakfast. Lori fails again to find meat pastries in the little bakery. Things are getting critical and she has to settle once more for spinach. What has happened?
We sail south again to Sesula. The wind is again not quite favorable but too good to miss. So we take wide tacks in about 12 knots and maintaina boat speed of greater than 7 knots forthree or four hours. It’s what sailing is all about. It’s good experience for Jim and Tracey who look like they are enjoying themselves.
In Sesula there is a little restaurant called Sisimis (Bat). We ate here before and were impressed. They have an interesting mooring approach with your bow and stern attached to the same fixed line. Doing this is a little tricky and everyone needs the help of the guy from the restaurant in a dinghy. But we get tied up without incident.
On the way to our table in the restaurant we meet Valentina who runs the wine bar . She asks us if we would like to try some really good Croatian wine. We are all up for this. Wine in Croatia has been surprisingly good but we have suspected that there is more beyond what can be purchased in the supermarkets. Ans there is.
Jim asks Valentina what her particular favorite is and she enthusiastically tells us about Bacic which comes form a vineyard outside of Primosten just to the north on the mainland. We each try a glass and are unanimous that it is very good indeed. It seems to be almost the only wine Valentine drinks . She enjoys it so much that she says she could marry the grape! It is wonderful to meet someone who is so committed to her work and her enjoyment spreads contagiously to everyone she encounters. It is great to see this attitude in Croatia.
Fueled by the wine and a lovely Posip Intrada we have a beautiful and very animated seafood dinner (tuna, sea bass and monkfish) on a little veranda overlooking the bay. A very special restaurant.
