Then we showered and set off around the castle walls to find a little restaurant for breakfast, shaded by cypress trees overhanging the blue water of the Adriatic. The old city of Korčula is an island attached to the main island by an isthmus. Its walls and turret made it impregnable to pirates or other attacks.
The street plan is simple with a spine street running the length of the little island, passing the Basilica at the top, with regular side streets laid sideways to the water on each side. Interestingly, the design is such that the western streets are in strange lines to take advantage of the cooling mistral wind from that direction, but the streets on the eastern side are subtly curved so that there is no direct view down them, and they resist the cold winds from the east that would otherwise blow through in winter
The Basilica was shut when we got there before 9 o'clock, but Anne found a side door open and she and I entered the gloomy interior which was lit by a beam of sunlight cast through a small window above the alter. A nun inf her white habit and black headgear entered shortly afterwards to open the church and I rather like the picture of her Port in that beam of light from the window higher above. Above the order is a grand painting by Jacopo Tintoretto which came to life when the nun switched on the lights.
By the time we had made the circuit of the castle, and enjoyed our breakfast, all the super yachts had left leaving Tin-Tin in splendid isolation on the long white limestone dock below the Castle walls. We soon had the 55 m of chain back on board, thanks to Anne's work to make it lie in the chain locker successfully, and set off towards the ancient monastery on the nearby island (where we had spent some time with Richard last year).
From there our course took us almost directly to the island of Mljet. After 18 miles motoring into a light headwind we were entering the harbour of Pomona, which is superbly protected by an outer ring of islands. I found out that there is a National Park fee of €100 for a boat but that this is waived if one is moored at a restaurant, or Konoba. Therese a long row of these in the harbour and after phoning around I eventually found Konoba Rogir (which means fisherman) was not fully booked and reserved a slot. With help from the staff we were soon made fast stern-to the restaurant at 24:00.
We had time for a late lunch before we set off to explore the National Park. As we lunched a succession of mid-sized cruise ships arrived, one after the other, with fenders out, and proceeded to raft us until there were nine abreast on the quay. It was obvious they were about to discharge a large number of tourists who would want to do the same thing as we did, but we were a bit too tired to immediately get up and walk into the park. Inevitably once we arrived at the ticket office there were hoards of tourists gathering around their guides, or renting bikes to get up to the park. We considered abandoning our visit until the following morning, but decided in the end to continue, and I'm very glad we did. For tickets of €25 each, we got access to the park and access also to golf cart transporter around the lakes and solar pound electric fairies on the lakes as well. There was a 20 to 30 minute walk uphill on broad stone steps to the crest and then down the other side where we found the spectacular little lakes inbred in the cast , landscape. These lakes formed in the limestone cast, linked by many tunnels and underground cabins to fill with freshwater. However, at some point a channel was cut to link them to the sea to get rid of the problem of mosquitoes in these static lakes. We soon came to a small channel between two lakes through which was pouring a fast stream of water as the tires rose. it was very hot but luckily at that point a golf cart transport with seats for a dozen people came past on the perimeter track and we gratefully got on board to be whizzed around the lake to the departure point for the solar ferry. This took us out to the island of Saint Mary , where there is a Benedictine monastery which has since been through various evolutions and tragedies being a hotel. The interior of the basilica was beautiful and calm out of the heat of the Sun and we lit a number of candles in memory of roof, Audrey, Michael, and my mother Alice. From the monastery we caught a ferry back down the lakes through the wooded hilly countryside until we got to the channel that ran into the little lake where we first started.
Here we went for a delicious swim in the pale blue waters and our way up the channel under the bridge only to be swept magnificently down again by the torrent. Much refreshed we climbed back up the long staircase to the top of the hill and back to the village of Pomona. The sound of cicadas gave way to the sound of distant cheering from football supporters.
I spent some time looking at the options for Justin and Siobhan to re-join us and sail onwards to Greece, factoring in Toby's kind offer to come and help us as crew for that leg. Then a few steps down the past to the waiting table in the crowded Konoba restaurant where we had a delicious meal as the sun set.
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