Croatia To Venice
Friday, June 3rd, 2005Our first letter for 2005
It is always a great relief to see your yacht sitting as you left it. Cadiz has never been prepared so well. She has been anti fouled and Ian and I have polished the decks and sides, rerun all the halyards and put sails, bimini and dodger back in place. The war of the hoses is on again so not a lot has changed. Back in the water by remote control lift we head back to Biograd to pick up Penny and Gerhard. The last day of the Austrian Cup is on so Ian being Ian we have to follow the 53 yachts out to the Kornati Islands, all racing with spinnakers in charter yachts.
Austria is land bound but they have a yacht club with 8000 members and this is one of four regattas they have each year. We are Milan's guest for the night at their very large prize giving.
The weather is beautiful but not a lot of wind so already our average for motoring is high.
Sailing North in the Adriatic we head for remote but beautiful islands Silba and Olib. The changing colour of the water, swimming and BBQ on the beach are highlights but the word beach takes on another meaning. Its hard white slate rock and Gerhard builds a fire and the stone becomes our hot plate for cooking bratwurst sausages and then eaten from slate stone plates. Delicious and all disposable.
One of the nicest inlets is found on the island of Losinj in the bay
Krivica. It's surrounded by tall pine trees and once loved stone houses.
With flat oily seas and no wind we motor 40 miles to the Istria Peninsula and the Port of Pula. On one side of the marina is the Amphitheatre looking very Roman and majestic and on the other a boring new apartment block. The Amphitheatre was built by Claudius for gladiator fights and held 23000 people. When Penny asked what time did the Coliseum open the tourist office didn't know, that was in Rome. There's is an Arena but they are all the same to us.
It's Saturday and our form of entertainment in the square is watching weddings. Every 15 minutes a new party would arrive and with piano accordion and rice throwing it's all very ethnic amongst the aroma of the sewage.
Out from Pula is the Brijuni Islands a national park where Marshall Tito had his summer residence. It's in the plan to stay a night and enjoy the lush green parklands but at $180 for one night and negotiations fail we see it by sea and even the dolphins see that we leave. We couldn't even anchor in a bay and have a swim, it's s
o protected (what are they hiding ?).
Rovinj is what we have come for, simply stunning with its top heavy Cathedral, pastel coloured terraced houses to the waters edge,which was once an island, but now attached to the main land. The Cathedral contains the Saint of Euphemia, in 304 she was martyred very young and feed to the lions for being a Christian.
We are having 40degree hot days and its only late May.
At last sailing we move on to Porac and then on to Novigrad which is to be our departure point for Venice, a distance of 50nms.
Tony Schmaehling, a lot of CYCA members will remember for 7 Sydney-Hobart's, architect and owner of the Gamekeeper in Crown Street, is now living in a fabulous farmhouse he has renovated in the hills behind Novigrad. We are all very honoured to spend a night ashore at his house in this wonderful fertile part of the Istria Coast.
Local mussels, tomatoes, ricotta, prosciutto and cant forget the local black and white truffles that are found in this area. We are now experiencing very good seafood and with the Italian influence we are finding eating out a great experience.
Tony takes us sightseeing to the Ancient Venetian villages nested on hill tops and lunch at the famous Truffle Restaurant Ziganter. Truffle Risotto, Pasta and Carpaccio with a local Malvazija white wine but we decline the white chocolate mouse with black truffle.
Back to the boat and our last night on the Croatian Coast and we are the back drop to a German TV production making a one hour program about local musicians and songs. The locals are extras and there are many retakes but according to Tony a little naff.
Venice and we motor all day to cross but we are in and it's Wow.
