Time to Split?

Michael, Megan's son is coming to visit us on the 1st of July, arriving at Split airport. So rather than making determined miles westward, we are puddling around Split at the moment. We'd left Hvar and sailed across to Brac, one of the largest islands in the central Adriatic. We found a lovely secluded anchorage in Uvula Lucica.

Pavlov snuggled into Uvula Lucica

The path to Milna.

Another view of the anchorage, two lines to shore

On the chart, it was less than two nautical miles into Milna, a port town on Brac. So like on Hvar, we thought we could walk into the town. We needed supplies as we'd been on anchor for a while now. We tried to memorise a path based on peering at Google Earth, then we set off.

The port of Milna, on Brac

The inner harbour of Milna

The long road back home

We made it, and Milna was an interesting and genuine town, but the hike back seemed much longer with full packs. Then we got lucky and managed to hitch a ride.  Next stop was the small island of Drvenik, north of Trogir.  We saw an empty pier but instead choose an empty buoy that didn't seem to belong to any fee-charging organisation. Later that night, we were glad we'd chosen the buoy as half the boats on the pier dragged in the middle of the night and there was mayhem in the bay with boats unable to re-anchor all night.

Pav on the buoy in Drvenik

Heroic Croatian statuary from Communist times

Drvenik harbour

We noticed in Drvenik that Pavlov's alternator was ailing, and started to make enquires about where we might get it repaired. Luckily, we met Peter, a German who had kept his boat in Croatia for many years. He recommended the marina in Kremik, which had good service facilities. We took his advice and headed up to Luka Pela, the bay the marina is situated in.

The snug little bay at Kremik Marina

Amazingly, when the mechanic came to look at the alternator, the ignition switch for the engine failed and it could not be started. How lucky that the switch failed in a marina with an electrical mechanic in attendance! If it failed anywhere else, we would have had big problems. So, oil changed, boat being looked after, we dragged the bikes out to explore. Kremik is close to Primostin, so we braved the Jugo wind which was blowing about 35 knots, and headed there on the main highway.

Primostin town

Lovely creeks around the town

That's a Jugo blowing about 35 knots

Now, I've been on a bit of a rant about the impact of tourism on local culture. This effect seems much stronger in Croatia than in Greece. At least in Greece, we felt we had some contact with a foreign culture. Greeks still lived in their villages, fished and had some kinds of industry. Here in Croatia, the 'pretty towns' along the coast, like Primosten, Dubrovnik, Hvar town and many others, become like empty husks. Because they are so beautiful and photogenic, rents and property values must rise, making the towns uninhabitable for local people. So the only things that survive are restaurants design to cater to wealthy tourists, and 'grockle shops' full of the same pap that is sold everywhere in the world. The heart and soul of the town withers up, it loses its purpose and significance as a community centre, and the town becomes just another commodity to service the tourist trade.

Main square, Primosten

Esplanade, Primosten

Bathing beach, Primosten

Laneway through tourist apartments.

So, Primosten was just like that. Beautiful but empty of soul and purpose. We sat in a cafe, felt sorry for the poor bastards at anchor in the very exposed harbour with the Jugo wind blowing 35 knots, and smug that Pavlov was safe in a marina and that we'd invested our very limited marina funds wisely. Then it was back on the bikes, getting lost and climbing a ridiculously high hill to realize we were on the wrong road, and finally returning to Kremik. We spent another night to escape the weather and to revel in long showers and shore power. This morning, we off, to move closer to Split. Michael arrives in 5 days, so its still not time to split!