Day 6- Cruise from StariGrad to Korcula, 20 mile bike ride

We've spent the last 2 nights docked in Stari Grad. Last night after dinner I finally had a chance to stroll the town. Lovely! Today's post/pics are at the end...keep scrolling!

A brief history... in 384 BC, Greeks settled Stari Grad, which makes the town 2,406 years old! The Stari Grad Bay provided natural protection, while the flat interior was ideal for cultivating crops. Land was divided and sectioned, and the historic agricultural grid of the Stari Grad Plain is still visible today, where vineyards, olive trees and lavender grow. The land was then claimed by the Romans, followed by the Slavs. In the 13th century, it was ruled by the Venetian Republic, but was destroyed by the Turks and then rebuilt. In the 1800s, Hvar Island, including the town of StariGrad, fell under the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the 1900s, when the island became part of Yugoslavia and finally the Republic of Croatia in 1991.

The town was quiet during my walk, with the usual.. quiet alleys with wine bars and cafés, ancient churches, vineyards, a monestary and a beautiful harbor. This one is full of large catamarans. They all seem to be full of merry drunken men, singing in foreign languages! 🤣 Not a woman in sight.

So I was mistaken... I saw these stainless gizmos on every waterfront, unlabeled, and thought they were public grills...turns out they are recycling bins🤣🤣

Plaque below describes a town square and the lintel above.

Vineyard on the edge of town

Today, the boat took off from StariGrad at 6am for an 8 hour sail in choppy seas. Any day on the water is a good day for me! Enjoy a quick video..

We took the "long way" to Korcula to avoid even rougher seas on the shorter direct route! Many ferries have been canceled this week. Here's a lighthouse as we rounded the tip of Korcula.

Breakfast was at 8. Nothing new or special. Only one person was seasick and spent the morning in her cabin but made it to lunch. The group spent the trip peacefully in the warm dry galley reading, playing dice and card games and catching up on emails, etc. 

Lunch was onboard, hearty and delicious as always.

We had cucumber yogurt salad, hummus and swordfish "balls", mashed peas and wonderful mushroom covered, tender pork chops. An espresso tiramisu for dessert 😁

After an 8 hour cruise in choppy waters, we finally docked in Korcula and did a 3 hour bike ride.

Funny signs....

I opted to take off on my own again and do a hilly 20 mile round trip coastal ride and skip the steep mountain climbs. I covered a longer distance than the climbers and passed through 4 villages, always at sea level. In between them are winding, hilly roads. Great workout, and I chose not to upgrade to an e-bike. Amazing views!

Gorgeous clear aqua and blue seas!

View of Korcula's old town from high atop a hill... my bike didn't ride itself up there! Lol

]

Best shot of the trip so far, below!! ;)

Found my way back to the boat using gps and stopped at a grocery store for a nice cold beer. Thought it was Croatian.. nope Czech Republic. 

Oh well... enjoyed a nice cool, rain free evening on the deck. Calm seas..life is good. Overnight in Korcula, the town of Marco Polo. He was born in 1254, explored the world on a grand scale and documented his experiences. He was an advisor to the Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan. It is certain that the Polo/Depolo family came from the town of Korčula.

Greeks colonized it in the 4th century BC. Korčula was subsequently occupied by the Romans, Goths, Slavs, Byzantines, and Genoese. Kings of Hungary and Croatia and the Bosnian dukes resided there, and Russia, France, Britain, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire have held the island at various times.