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Split Personality
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By: Helen Hayes, Issue 39 – Winter 2009
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(Sunsail yacht charter - Dubrovnik and Kremik, Croatia)
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CHARTERING A YACHT FROM DUBROVNIK TO SPLIT IS THE PERFECT WAY TO VISIT ANCIENT AND MODERN CROATIA.
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Over nine million tourists visited Croatia in 2007, more than 70,000 of them were Australian. The 2008 figures are sure to be higher, judging by the number of Australians we ran into on our recent trip.
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People have been living in Croatia since the Paleolithic Age. The Greeks came, as did the Illyrians, then the Romans took over. The Slavic tribes followed, as did Charlemagne, the Venetians, Hungarians, Hapsburgs and Ottomans. Even Napoleon had his finger in the pie. Not surprisingly, Dubrovnik’s city walls were built long ago to stop invaders. The capital city’s gates were closed, drawbridge raised, and sentries posted. It was, and is, an imposing sight. Walking the wall is a photographer’s dream, whether it’s looking over the terracottatiled rooftops down to the marble alleys or out to the islands. The best views are from the Lovrijenac Fort, the Minceta Fort and down near the harbour. In some parts you can see bullet holes from the last skirmish in the early 1990s, when 68 per cent of the Old Town was damaged. After exploring Dubrovnik, we boarded our 47’ charter yacht at Sunsail’s base just out of town, and with little fuss sailed out into the blue yonder. Our group of eight had chartered twice before, and we were looking forward to pulling up at a different island every day, dining ashore and buying fresh fruit and bread. Much less complicated than having to provision for a full week.
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There are over 1,000 islands to choose from on the Croatian coast, and some of the most popular are in Southern Dalmatia. They are close together, so you don’t waste days travelling long distances. Long passages are not a good idea with four children on board. Croatia is perfect for sailing, with calm seas unless the legendary bora wind blows in – clear blue water, marinas everywhere and a myriad of sights to see. We motored to Luca on the island of Sipan and reversed up to the quay, tying up to the lazy line. We threw out our gangplank and looked around at what was the first of many impossibly pretty stone villages. Before long, the quay was filled with yachts bearing people from all around the world – an Estonian family on one side and Israelis on the other. It makes for great deck-side chatting. The next morning we pulled out into the middle of the bay and couldn’t wait to swim. We were advised to take wetsuits by knowing friends, and just as well, as the water was 17 degrees. Refreshing to say the least, but oh so clear.
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Mljet was a highlight. After tying up in Polace and looking around the ruins of a 3rd century Roman palace, we headed into the National Park. Nestled around two lakes, it was pristine, with bike tracks and walking paths allowing easy access. We caught a boat over to a tiny island that houses a 12th century Benedictine Monastery. As with everything here, there is history upon history. Near the chapel, the Church of St Mary, archaeologists are uncovering Greek ruins from 2000BC. It is a stunning setting and our group decided to swim back.
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While Mljet was a natural wonderland, Korcula was a medieval marvel. This tiny stone town was built after the fall of Troy, according to a Latin inscription in the Tower of the West Sea Gate. It is believed that Marco Polo grew up here, leaving at 17 to travel the Silk Road with his father. The house he supposedly lived in is being turned into a Marco Polo museum. Korcula is a treasure trove of shops and restaurants situated down tiny alleyways or spaced out around the waterfront. We were disappointed that we couldn’t see the Moreska Dance, a sword dance that is only held in Korcula, but we were too late in the season.
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After a long day we headed straight across to Hvar, anchoring in the main harbour. From the water it was a beautiful sight with its stone buildings glowing under the setting sun. A gaggle of five-star hotels stand out along the waterfront, as do the swag of superyachts that are bigger than most boutique hotels. Hvar is definitely high on the list for Europe’s jet set. We stretched our legs walking up the square to the Cathedral of St Stjepan and the kids kicked a soccer ball around, joined by a bored waiter who showed off his juggling skills. If we had more time, we could have gone diving, driven through fields of lavender and rosemary, or gone wine tasting, but time was tight.
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Over the next few days we stayed at Milna on the island of Brac, headed back to stay in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Trogir and spent our last night at Kremik, near Split. Our yacht was home sweet home for seven days, and we all wished it was 14. We only scratched the surface of the islands we visited – Korcula and Hvar alone could have filled three or four days. We were on the blue water highway and we could go where and when we liked. We swam at every opportunity, jumping off the gangplank, bombing off the sides and towing bedraggled kids on a rope behind. A beautiful protected bay was never far away, and we could play, read or absorb the scenery.
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Once we had handed the boat over we ventured into Split for our last night. This city is famous for two things: the World Heritage Listed Diocletian’s Palace, and Goran Ivanisevic. Diocletian’s Palace is the granddaddy of all Roman ruins. Emperor Diocletian had the palace built for his retirement, and construction took over 10 years from AD295. It was built using the famous white stone from the island of Brac – the White House in Washington was also built from this stone – and was extremely grand. In the 7th century, when the nearby Roman town of Salona was abandoned, its residents fled into Diocletians’s Palace and lived within its walls. Their descendants are among the 3,000 people still living inside.
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We found a hotel that was part of the Palace: the Hotel Peristil. It’s built onto the eastern wall right in the shadows of the Cathedral of St Domnius. We explored the former cellars of the Palace , which are now filled with market stalls, did a tour of the sub structure halls as well as a walking tour of the entire palace, and touched the big toe of the statue of St Gregorius of Nin – a tradition that is said to bring good luck. During our last hours, we heard a capella singing echoing around the vestibule. Pied piper like, crowds followed the sound, to find five men singing in harmony. It was one of those moments that you just want to bottle up, with every visitor there feeling as if we were sharing a piece of magic. It was unforgettable…much like Croatia itself.
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Details:
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Sunsail has yacht charter bases in Dubrovnik and Kremik (Split) with about 200 yachts to choose from. You can charter them bareboat or with a skipper, depending on your experience.
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Sunsail Croatia
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