something delicious, P.E.

Love

I love this picture of Mae and her daddy.

brought to you by the eastern shore of Lake Michigan

What the hell am I doing here?

I'm pretty sure I'm done with the vacation posting.  The remaining pages of the journal were basically some random ramblings that were a result of me being bored on the flight from Dubrovnik to Dublin, and a little more drool on the flight from Dublin to Boston.  And then Joe caught swine flu from the bus driver who drove us from the Boston airport back to Concord where we had parked our car.  The flight was long, we were tired, and it was depressing to be home.  The End.

Now, let's talk about running!  Yeah, I'm doing that again.  Earlier in the spring, I signed up to run 100 on 100, Heart of Vermont Relay with Joe and my four other teammates (for the 3rd consecutive year).  The 100 mile run was scheduled for Saturday, August 15th.  I didn't really start training until after my 30th birthday on the 12th of July, so doing that math left me with only 5 weeks to get my ass in gear.  My training plan consisted of running between 4 and 6 miles every other morning, with 3 mile trail runs on Tuesday nights and one 7 mile run to work.  Progress was slow in the beginning, and at one point during a trail run on an especially hot evening, I remember thinking that I would feel more comfortable if I could reach down my throat and pull my lungs out of my body so they would have more room to breathe.  But, I stuck with it and by the end of the five weeks, I remembered how much I enjoy running and was somewhat confident that I could run my three relay legs without ending up in the back of a meat wagon.

In addition to planning our van decorations, wardrobe, and snacks in preparation for the race, we obsessively checked the weather forecast, beginning as early as we could - 10 days prior to race day.  The first couple of weather checks were a warm, but not life threatening, 80 degrees and sunny.  Each day after that, the temperature forecast climbed exactly one degree per day, ending on Friday night with a final weather forecast of 90 degrees and not a raincloud in sight.  Crap.  I had not prepared for the heat. 

I was, however, prepared to have a good time.  It's a good thing that running this relay, for me and my teammates, is more about the dorking around and participating in a fun event with fun people and less about the solo time spent running the open road.  We were ready for the heat, with a 70 qt cooler full of ice, gallons of water, water blasters, and breathable fabrics.  Oh, and kick-ass costumes too...just for registration though - wigs are somewhat hot and itchy.

GOOD MORNING STOWE!  Love, Phat Mike and Mixed Bizness

The early morning legs were humid, but the temps were bearable and a thick blanket of fog blocked the sun and gave the first couple of runners some relief.  I was runner #4, starting at around 9am after the fog had lifted.  My first let was tough, with 700 ft of elevation gain in just under 4 miles, but then a fine 1.5 mile downhill to finish.  I had a few "what the hell am I doing here?" moments on the way up the hill, but I had good music playing, a pocket full of magic beans (Sport Beans - energizing jelly beans) and plenty of other supportive runners on the road, so I made it within seconds of my estimated time...without crying.

Second run happened around 2 in the afternoon, when the sun was in the sky.  It was a "quick", flat, 4.2 miles and mostly uneventful.  I used the ice cubes wrapped in a bandanna trick to keep me cool, but that only lasted about a mile before it had all melted.  While the valley we were in was technically scenic and lovely, there was no shade to be found.  The sun's rays were penetrating my hat, my shoes, my ice cold bandanna, my good music, and my relatively high spirits and sucking much of the enjoyment out of the run.  Although it felt like the longest four miles of my life, it had to end eventually, and it did, but not before Joe soaked me at point blank range with the water blaster.  I did ask for it.

My final run, 6.2 miles, began at dusk and was cake compared to the earlier two outings.  I was loaded up with a headlamp and blinky vest per the regulations, although I didn't really need the headlamp until the last half mile or so.  Notable about this run - the gnat clouds.  I inhaled a couple at the top of the first hill and they continued to cause me discomfort for a few miles as I couldn't quite hork them out.  I sounded like an old man.  Overall, it was a fast, enjoyable run in the cool of the evening and a good way to end the day.

The rest of my team did really well and I think we even beat last year's time by a few minutes, despite having to slow down because of the heat.  We had a lot of fun with the water blasters and splashing around in the river that follows most of the course and trying not to die at the smell of our own shorts.  New this year:  bake sales at the transition areas - can't complain about that. 

And now I'll leave myself with few miscellaneous notes to remind Future Abby how much fun she had at the '09 event.

• "Phat Mike's getting mad"
• Scott owns and has worn a Sumo wrestler suit with built-in fan...seriously!!
• Squirting...no, BLASTING...runners after getting permission, but before having them sign a waiver
• and at the very end...Joe taking his time (and then some) to park the van....
• Joe was running and was asked if he wanted anything and he said "no, I'm busy".
• Lori giving that lady running on the wrong side of the road a "talking to".
• The girl at one transition area covering up the sign that read "GLASS BLOWING TODAY" so it would read "ASS BLOWING TODAY".
• Joe telling Phat Mike that his crushed velvet zebra print pants were kind of tight.
• Stinky bottoms!
• The crazy barefoot runners
  

May 24, 2009

9:30 AM

a bus stop in Dubrovnik

It was a busy morning aboard the White Pearl, readying for check-out.  We made the last of the pudding, drank the last of the milk (and wine), and ate the last of the 2lb bag of granola.  I'm not going to lie, it was a huge pain in the ass to 1) find all of our belongings that had been strewn about the cabin and stowed in various nooks n crannies, and 2) try to cram all of that shit back into our bags, plus three souvenir bottles of wine and/or lemon brandy.  But, two short hours later, we had completed this task, as well as the questionnaire rating our experience, and even had a few moments to swab the deck.

sniff...it's over...note bulging seams on gray travel bag

It's a hot, sticky one today and our bags aren't getting any lighter.  We said our goodbyes to the crew of the lead boat and the few remaining Brits and then hopped on the 1A bus back into Dubrovnik.  Now, we're waiting for the 10 to take us out to Cavtat, where we will ditch our bags for the day until we have to catch our plane at 8PM this evening.  I still haven't mailed out postcards even though they are all written and ready to go.  Here's our bus.

11:02 AM
Cavtat

Joe and I decided to stick with Mona and Dunes until our flight tonight because it's so hot and this way we can drop our bags and relax for a while.  Chris & Catherine split from us to check into Villa Bella Vista, the same place Joe and I spent our first night in town nearly two weeks ago.  We might see them in town this afternoon, but we might not - so we exchanged brief pleasantries and the promise of e-mailing pictures.  Mona and Dunes have checked into their apartment for the evening, so now we're just waiting while showers are taken before heading down the hill for a last stroll through Cavtat.

On the bus ride over here, which winds high up along the steep coastline, we passed the village of Cibaca (chee-bacha), which is not noteworthy aside from that it's fun to say.  Another fun thing to say is cevapcici (che-vap-chee-chee), which are little spicy sausage links served with bright orange paprika sauce and french fries.  It's often served as part of the children's menu, but also as part of the "mixed grill".

Since we've been on the boat, the shrubs around the hills of Dubrovnik have blossomed bright yellow flowers.  Most of the other shrubs have blooms of pink and red as well.

3:15 PM
Cavtat bike path

Joe and I are sitting on a stone bench soaking in the last of the Croatia-ness.  Calm turquoise waters below us and gnarled, shady evergreens above us.  We're on the side of the peninsula with a cool, gentle sea breeze.  that, coupled with the fragrant shade makes the day bearable.

We ran into Chris & Catherine at one of the outdoor cafes earlier and joined them for a beer and a bite to eat.  Our waiter was a total smart-ass and tried to pick up Ramona.  I ordered something called Poska, which turned out to be a calzone topped with cottage cheese and ketchup-esque sauce.  It looked pretty nasty, but was sort of yummy because I was so hungry from the morning's transfers.  We were seated on the bottom level of a shaded terrace right on the water's edge.  There were some local boys having water polo practice in the harbor in front of us.  I think the only thing that makes that sport even doable is the salt water buoyancy factor - I don't know how they do it in a fresh water pool.

We purchased a couple of pretty embroidered table runners from the craft market from a man with only one arm. 

8:45 PM
Somewhere over the Adriatic on Aer Lingus

Croatia is behind us and the friendly skies lie ahead of us.  We're on a short three hour flight to Dublin where we will spend the night at a hotel near the airport before the final leg of our trip to Boston.  The daughter of the owner of the apartment where Mona and Dunes are staying tonight offered to give us a ride to the airport, which was nice.  She told us how she was lucky because she got to spend a week in Manhattan in January this year.  It snowed once while she was there.  She was also very interested in our time in Montenegro and made sure to let us know that Budva is the party city.  She wore leopard print sunglasses.

After checking in for our flight and procuring Croatian goodies from the gift shops (an embroidered lavender satchel, an old-ass map of the islands, a bottle opener, and candied orange rinds), we hit the only cafe in the airport for a cappuccino and our favorite new paprika chips.  Security was pretty light, as I didn't have to take off my shoes and I smuggled a tiny bottle of purel in my carry-on.  There are three bottles of wine and a bottle of brandy in my checked luggage that I hope are all intact when we retrieve our luggage on the other end.  It was interesting, at the second airport gift shop we visited, there was a selection of magazines in addition to a porn selection strewn in a corner on the floor next to the lego sets and Barbies.

I wish I would have had the time and patience to be more thoughtful in my souvenier acquisition, but photographs and memories will just have to do.  I left my postcards with Mona to mail for me tomorrow.  I hope I left her enough kuna for postage.

As I was packing my things this morning, I realized I had packed way more socks than necessary.  Four pair, plus leggings.  I actually wore socks a total of one time over the course of our vacation.  I packed a very small, light skirt that I never wore either.  The socks did, however, make a good cushion for the wine bottles in my luggage.

I am really poorly prepared for this flight.  I have no reading material and no electronic entertainment as my ipod containing a few back episodes of This American Life and Battlestar Galactica is completely dead.  It's going to be a long one.

The sun was large and setting as we walked across the tarmac to teh Bluth company stair car, gaining us access to the flight.  I'm guessing the airplane wasn't more than 100 feet from the airport exit, and yet they made us board a bus and drive over to the plane.  Because it was such a humid day, the sunset over the hills of Cilipi was hazy, pink, and lovely.  I stayed on the tarmac as long as possible to enjoy the view and the last bit of Croatia.

May 23, 2009

11:00 AM
Aboard the White Pearl
Leaving Okuklje

This is the beginning of our last sailing day.  We were supposed to have a sailing race across Mljetski Kanal to the island of Jakljan, but the wind is shit and we've just received word over the VHF that the race has been canceled.  Boo!  So, now we're motoring full throttle to a potential wind line up ahead that will hopefully fill our sails and carry us to Sunj for lunch and one last turquoise beach swim.

Despite almost no businesses in Okuklje, we did find a cafe for the morning cappuccino and business.  The crew of the Pavarti and Saransak were up late last night emptying the last of their ship's rum, so it was a bit of a slower paced morning for everyone.

Breakfast for me was a piece of chocolate and the last scrapings from the Nutella jar on a crust of french bread.  My intestines are still burbling, so hopefully I can hold out until I find some Pepto.  There was an old lady parked on our creaky wooden dock this morning selling some kind of biscuit. I kind of wanted one, but the Maestral Restaurant last night and the coffee purchase this morning drained us of our last kuna.  Weather is warm and sunny, if not slightly more humid than days past.  Wind forecast is for 15kn, but we've yet to see that.

On the dock just past ours, further into the cove, there was a Swedish yacht called La Bamba and another one from Vancouver, B.C. tied stern to.  A Croatian police officer was speaking with them and asked the gentleman to please come with him.  I'm not sure what it was all about, but Pam thought it might have something to do with improper registration.  I was hoping to be witness to the start of a larger international incident, but such was not the case.

I'm not ready to go home yet.  I don't miss my bed, I don't miss my dogs, and I certainly don't miss work.  The only thing that is becoming slightly monotonous is the restaurant menus, but that can be easily remedied by cooking aboard.

Our cabin still stinks of holding tank, and I think Joe finally found the source of the scent - a leaky gasket on the bilge pump hose.  It's not bad enough to make an effort to fix the problem.

We haven't really had the opportunity to flex our Croatian language skills yet - mostly because I'm a big chicken, but also because most folks seem to want to try out their American English on us.  I'm still not sick of listening to the Croatian chatter, which to me sounds like a cross between Russian and Italian.  I also the Croatian accent when they speak English, especially when they drop their articles.

5:49 PM

ACI Marina, Dubrovnik

We're back at the Sunsail home base securely tied to Key E at the marina.  It's strange how days and events can seem both so long ago and just yesterday at the same time.  This is how I feel about being at this marina again.  A lot has transpired since last Sunday, and yet time passed too quickly.  I just showered a few days worth of grime, sunscreen, and salt water from my hair and body and I feel great.  The showers here kick out a powerful stream of nice hot water.

We did get to sail for a little while today, albeit slow  - a 3 kn, max 4 kn pace, on the way to our lunchtime swim spot at Sunj.  Our peaceful beach cove from last Monday had quite a few more boats anchored off shore and many more beach guests soaking up the rays on this fine, sunny Saturday - some ladies topless to Joe's delight - some men bottomless to Joe's dismay.  There was still plenty of room for everyone to have fun and we practiced diving from the boat and fish-watching.

We had a lunch on the fly of chunks of the remainder of the giant french bread loaf we purchased in Polace doused in oil and balsamic.  It was a major feeding frenzy and we left only a few crumbs drifting in our wake.  We killed the first bottle or rosemary olive oil and are down to less than half a bottle of our plain.  I think a use rate of one bottle per week for four people is a good estimate when planning in the future.

After passing under the asymmetric cable bridge that spans the inlet leading to the marina, we saw something red and shiny clinging high up to the side of the mountain below a switchback.  Upon closer inspection, we discovered it was, in fact, a rather new looking car!  Perhaps a convertible.  Oops!  I can't say I was surprised though, the roads are often dangerously narrow with no guardrail, plus people her are Crazy.  The car appeared to be mostly intact and sitting upright, so we're hopeful that the driver and any passengers escaped safely.

10:00 PM

Vimbula Restaurant

Cheers:  Zivjeli (zhee-vlee)

Boo!  IT'S OUR LAST NIGHT aboard the White Pearl :(  I am not looking forward to stuffing all of my belongings into a single pack and strapping it on my back for twelve hours tomorrow before our flight out.  It's really sad that this holiday has drawn to a close, but it had to end sometime and I guess now is it.  Joe, Mona, Dunes, Catherine, Chris, and I had a "clean the fridge" dinner this evening aboard their boat - The Parvati.  Daryl and Tracy took off for their lodging in Cavtat already because they have a 6AM flight tomorrow.  

For dinner, each couple was charge with contributing a dish.  I did the dessert (from two nights ago that we never ended up making because of our restaurant discovery) which turned out to be a huge hit.  I mixed cream cheese with sugar and large chunks of graham cracker style cookies.  The cookies were supposed to be the bottom layer, but they were being little bitches and ended up getting mixed in.  Second layer was thawed, drained sour cherries with chocolate shavings, all topped with whipped cream and more chocolate shavings.  It tasted like a poor man's cheesecake.

Mona and Dunes made a spectacular sopska, while Catherine/Chris contributed pasta, bread, and sausage.  We chilled on the boat, ate good food, drank good wine, and had good conversation, noting that the catamarans parked near us resembled cylon raiders.

We walked over to the restaurant where our flotilla was holding the group meal, just outside the marina.  Our clan ordered drinks, coffee, and more dessert.  Isabelle, the Scotswoman, told us stories from her days in South Africa and standing in line for 12 hours to vote for Nelson Mandela.  Mladen handed out paparazzi-style pictures of each boat to the crews.  He also gave a clock to the crew of "The Ocean Rover", a cute British couple (who I wanted to adopt me), because they were always showing up late.  He gave a Russian Adriatic sailing magazine to "The Vayou" because they were often heard telling stories of their past three years in that country.  Our boat received a picture cd, but no booby prizes because we weren't super noteworthy.

At the end of the meal, we were just goofing around and giggling at the ridiculous Lonely Planet phrase book that Catherine had purchased for the trip.  Joe picked the phrase "It's not working out, you're just using me for sex" to memorize and repeat to Mladen once he had it down - hilarity ensued.

The marina is quite a bit more happening this evening than last Sunday.  The clay courts appear to have been used at least once in the past few days, the pool is full of water, and there was a Bocce-like tournament happening between elder seamen wearing white shirts.  this place is currently inundated with Germans getting ready for their flotillas.

May 22, 2009

Trstenik, Croatia
Peljesac Peninsula

10:00 AM

We've already been 'round to our favorite cafe for a morning cappuccino and bathroom break.  The same gentlemen who were gathered outside the market sitting on Karlovacko crates drinking beer of the same name last night are now gathered at the cafe having their morning espresso and cigarette.  All of the bathrooms here seem to have their paper products supplied by Kimberly Clark.

waiting for the cappuccino to work its magic

11:30 AM
a park bench overlooking Trstenik

We walked past the pumice pebble beach, up the hill to the Grgich vineyards for a morning wine tasting.  We had to ring the doorbell on the large marble building perched on a wooded point overlooking the village, and a somewhat sour looking younger woman reluctantly answered the door.  We were given samples of each wine produced locally - a Plavac Mali (red- zinfandel's grandpappy) and the Plovic (white), both named after the grape from which they were squeezed and both delicious.  I purchased a bottle of each, as did Catherine.  On the walls of the tasting room were more than 20 articles about the life and times of Mike Grgich - google him.

The view from our bench

There was a perfect turquoise sandy cover just downhill on the opposite side of the vineyard - the same cove in which we tried to anchor last night - where we went for a swim.  The shoreline was pebbly and littered with plastic bottles and variousmis -matched sandals that had washed to shore.  For some reason, this trash did not detract from my peaceful swim experience.  Dunes, Mona, and Daryl met us in the cove, having motored the dinghy past a full german around the point from the still docked boats.

a nice swimming spot

It's really a lovely, lazy day.   The air has that strong, sweet, dry evergreen scent that is mixed with sea air as most other places along the coast.  I want to stay here forever, but we have an afternoon of sailing ahead of us.

One thing - the name of the restaurant last night was "Feral", the humor of which was not lost on me given the high population of stray cats.

7:00 PM
Okuklje, Mljet

post cocktail competition

Mona and I are sitting on the edge of the wooden dock looking into the tide pool swinging our feet.  Maja has put a Bob Marley CD on their radio.  Three Little Birds is playing.  It's warm.  I'm buzzed.  Mladen just dove under the dock and pulled up a starfish and a sea slug for us poke.   

We took a dip off the bow of the boat here in the harbor after docking because the heat was nearing unbearable, once out of the nice sea breeze.  I did a half belly flop off the rails, but then had a rather nice dog paddle between the nine stern-to docked boats packed rail to rail along the crusty wooden pier.

8:00 PM

Okuklje is the smallest village we've visited to date.  It's in a very quiet, protected cove on the southern tip of the island of Mljet.  I've heard the locals "keep in in the village", if you know what I mean. 

There was a cocktail competition tonight and a certain other American boat made something with gin AND champagne - my two favorite things (I made a lovely concoction of rum, cherry juice, red wine, and a squeeze of lemon and coined it "the pink clam") .  I'm trashed.  We're sitting at a really nice restaurant ~100 ft above our quiet cove.  I should be making intelligent conversation, but instead I'm trying to sober up over a strong pre-meal cappuccino.   I think I'll skip the wine this meal.

Ours is the red one with the lemon wheel

The cove is calm, with a rock mass in the center marked by a red staff.  There isn't a lot going on here, just some monks singing on the radio and busted down stone buildings with red roofs.  I'm going to pass my book around the table for messages from my dinner companions.

the view from our table at the restaurant

Joe:  Dinner in the shadow of pristine, wooded and green mountains.  We are dining on scampi domaci, with a sweet pine fragrance in the air and pineapple palm and vino vines.

Tracy:  Wonderful trip!!  Tons of sun & humidity not often seen in Seattle, which is fine (humidity).  Great wine (beer stronger & darker in Seattle).  Beautiful turquoise water!!  Can't believe no Dr. Pepper here ! :)

Daryl:  It's been a great trip but approaching being too long.  I'm looking forward to my own bed and seeing our pets.

Chris:  I must apologize for my behavior - though the White Pearl does share 1/16 of the blame for tonight due to the copious amounts of rum in the cherry concoction.  Nevertheless, flipping the bird at dinner was inexcusable.  I will remember Abby for her clever comments and Joe for his love of life.

Katherine:  Croatia is lovely.  I wish for another trip back to see more besides the southern (Dalmatian) coast.  Enjoy the Grgich wine.  It will remind me of a very special trip.

Dunes:  A great trip always results in good phrases.  The term that I will take back with me this time is the "full German".  I'll have to explain to everyone how this term came about but it just won't be as funny to them as it is to us.  The flotilla was awesome and out travels in Montenegro were great.  Thanks for joining us!

Ramona:  So glad you two could join us on our big adventure!! We'll have to do another trip in 8 years!  Ok...so, maybe sooner...Besides, we now have an expert mountain road driver whose skills will certainly be needed again at some point in time.  How about NewZealand next??

10:35 PM

Aboard the White Pearl

Hmmm...dinner tonight was ok.  Just ok.  As in the food was just ok.  The location and atmosphere was superb.  We had a prix fix meal for a whopping 200kn pp.  We were originally going to cook as a group of Americans, but the boat mooring fee that would have been charged had we not eaten at the restaurant proved to be just the excuse the other boat was looking for to get out of cooking, so we caved as well and then Mona and Dunes followed suit.  We hiked almost the entire perimeter of the cove to our "group meal" restaurant - the Maestral, named after our favorite wind.  On the walk over, we were shown a tree that grows carob pods.  We climbed a few stairs to the fourth floor to our open air dining room and feasted upon scampi bourazza (yummy, but honestly, scampi are total pains in the asses - ranking right up along crawdads as things that take the most work for the least amount of food). 

Another friggin' cat

Miscellaneous Notes:

• We've been getting up just about every day by 7:30AM and going to bed anywhere between 10:00 and 12:30.  It's a good schedule for me. 
• We saw a school of dolphins today while sailing.  Four of them surfaced close to our boat.  I didn't take their picture.

May 21, 2009

2:50 PM
Aboard the White Pearl

We're underway again on our "free sail" day.  I like the little village of Lumbarda that we just left, with its lazy dogs, lazy markets, and tree lined streets...and showers!  Joe's shorts blew off the clothesline when the wind picked up overnight, so he spent a couple of hours this morning in the dingy with a snorkel mask.  Unsuccessful with that effort, he took a pissed-off walk around the harbor and came back with a pair of dripping wet swim trunks that he said had washed up on the beach shore opposite our dock.

We learned a great phrase last night:  sve ili niste (svay ee-lee neeshta), meaning "all or nothing".

After leaving the cozy marina, and then motoring around the point to view the old city of Korcula, we are now blowing past the town of Orebic on the Peljesac peninsula.  There is a hulking barren rock mountain rising directly behind Orebic like an elephant sneaking up on an ant.  Josip, our technician, noted that this is a popular climbing destination and many meet an unfortunate end attempting to summit.

Korcula from the sea

weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Prior to casting off this morning, we hired a taxi bus to drive us ~10 minutes to the old city for a stroll.  Korcula the island is very pretty - rolling hills covered with grape vines and olive trees are sectioned off by short stone walls.  The walled city of Korcula is also nice.  Joe and I split from the group and checked out the gelato stand and a shaded tree-lined plaza that is situated between the outer walls of the city and the rocky shoreline.  The water surrounding Korcula is ridiculously clear, as in all other places around here, and there are stone stairs leading down to the rocks below the city's wall that looked like a great place to sunbath had I not already been burnt.  We stared at the eyeballs of today's catch on ice in the display coolers in front of the restaurants.  That must be a thing - checking out the dead fish on ice - because everyone was doing it.  Fat palm trees are positioned in front a grand stone staircase leading up through the front gates of the city. 

not the front gate

a church  (naked gargoyles not shown)

We decided to do a group meal this evening and I mistakenly volunteered to make dessert.  I bought some plain cookies, something that looked like cream cheese, something that looked like whipped cream, dark chocolate, and cherries.  Hopefully I can find something to do with these ingredients that won't make people gag. 

11:00 PM
Trstenik, Croatia

The seas were getting pretty rough and the winds died, so we powered up the engines to keep up with the swells.  Our destination was the ex-ferry port of Trstenik, a one-row fishing village that people see

The seas were getting pretty rough and the winds died, so we powered up the engines to keep up with the swells.  Our destination was the ex-ferry port of Trstenik, a one-row fishing village that people seemed to have forgotten since the ferry moved to the next village north several years ago.  We tried to anchor in a tiny cove just beyond the town, but the swells were a little too high for everyone's comfort after a queasy day out on the rollers.  It's a shame because it was a completely vacant cove with a sandy bottom and turquoise water that would have made for great swimming and late evening star gazing.  Instead, we motored back around the point into the glassy calm waters of the harbor, protected by a massive stone and concrete breakwall that used to dock the ferry.  Now, our two small sailboats are tied alongside and dwarfed by the giant sea wall.

our private ferry dock (cats not shown)

As I mentioned earlier, the original plan was to cook this evening, but after a short stroll down the village's one street, it was clear that we should eat in the town's one restaurant.  They had an open pit grill beachside.  Long rustic wooden tables were set with fine linen and glassware, and there was an ancient fat palm in the center of the patio, cutting through the reed canopy.  This turned out to be the best meal I've had on this vacation so far.  I ordered the vegetable risotto and Joe, the grilled fish and veggies.  The waiter dramatically led him to the display case so he could select which of today's catch he'd like to have grilled.  We shared a liter of the house red that was served in a fun decanter.  The appetizer of fresh, spongy bread, cheese, and olives was exceptional.  The company wasn't bad either.  We dined with Mona, Dunes, as well as Dunes' fellow Seattle sailing buds - Cathrine, Chris, Tracy, and Daryl.  The grilled fish was delicious- accompanied by grilled zucchini and red pepper.

The town has some really old trees, some of them I'm told are over six hundred years old and still intact.  I believe it - the silver trunks on some of those beasts must be in excess of 48" diameter.  I have no idea what they are.  The leaves are thick and small- shiny green on one side and soft and silvery on the flip.

Behind the town is a sharp v-shaped valley.  Either side of the slope are covered with grape vines clinging to the 60 degree slope.  I don't know how the soil is not sliding down the hill because unlike most others, this slope is not terraced.

After dinner, we did get to view the stars from the end of the old ferry dock, as well as fisherman from teh restaurant dumping bags of frozen mystery bait into the water to catch eels, or else they were full of it and were just dumping the remains of today's leftovers.

May 20, 2009

Mljet National Park

12:00PM 
Mali Most (little bridge)

Today started the same as yesterday, with a morning cappuccino at the local dockside restaurant followed the use of their restroom.  Cappuccino rating:  5 stars (chocolate shavings!), Restroom rating:  5 stars (a healthy flush!).  After the morning briefing, we hopped into a van to take us to the center of the national park where there is a clear lake.  On a small island in that lake was an old monastery.  This stone structure surrounded by palm trees and roman ruins now also houses a restaurant and public toilets (for 4 kuna a squat), so I'm not sure how much monkery actually still goes on here. There is also a church with thick stone walls, a domed roof, and stained glass windows. 

A ferry took us out to the monk's island and then across the lake to an tiny stone bridge.  Here we disembarked the ferry and proceeded to hike around the smaller bright blue lake (that is naturally the color of the inside of an R.V.'s holding tank) on a path that smelled almost like church incense, only not as gaggy.  Although there was a sign posted for no nudeness, we saw plenty of full germans on our jaunt, but it was a hot day and there was plenty of room for everyone.  We still have no idea what the initials FKK stand for, and have been too lazy to consult the guidebook, so we've just been making things up.  The best we can tell is that the KK stands for knee knockers, referring to the size and level of support of the women who prefer the naturist lifestyle.

Dunes ignores the sign that prohibits both juggling and nudies

pretty

The return ferry was a more interesting ride because the later hour in the day meant more folks using the park.  When the inside of the open sided boat was at capacity, people crawled onto the bow, and when that was full, they climbed onto the edge of the hull and clung to the roof with their hands - refugee style.  Despite the lack of free-board, we made it to our destination without getting wet.

2:30 PM
Aboard the White Pearl

Mljet, the island and the national park, is behind us now... about 4 miles behind us.  Korcula island is about four miles ahead of us.  We're in the middle of medium seas, sailing at ~45 deg. off a north wind.  Just now, the breeze got a little warmer.  The wind speed has died to about 12 kn, which is a little disappointing after our 20 kn run with a boat speed of 7kn about an hour ago.  We had a fun heel and several exciting gusts.

The Peljesac peninsula is off to our right and the vertical sides of the ridgeline are a patchwork of green, brown, and gray fields - evergreen, grapes, and olives.  We're listening to the foreign chatter of possible fishing boats or pleasure cruisers on the VHF - we never can tell except that often speak in excited tones.

Aside from the big sailing earlier, our biggest excitement out on the water today was the dumping of our holding tank three miles off shore, followed closely by the spotting of a dead, bloated pig.  Weather is, once again, perfect.

Lunch today was a deliciously warm, flaky burek and orange fanta.  My tummy is rumbling a little bit so I popped a couple of pepto this AM.  I'm short on supply though, so hopefully they have more for me to purchase at our destination.  I needed some more sunscreen and made the mistake of purchasing it from the teeny market in Polace for 100 kn ($20).  There was no price tag on it, which was my mistake.

10:30 PM
Lumbarda, Korcula
Aboard the White Pearl

We just returned from an awesome wine tasting up the hill and around a few corners in the village of Lumbarda on the island of Korcula.  I went in expecting a bar with a few small plastic cup samples at the local vina, but it turned out to be a full sit-down affair in the charming wine cellar of a grower who's family has been on the island making wine for more than 500 years.

Hello sheep.  I ate your cheese today

They had set out a spread of cucumber/tomato salad, cheese from their sheep, oily sardine strips, bread, fried bread, olives, and candied orange rinds on a long wooden table.  And, of course, smoked, salted, aged ham to round out the yumminess.  We had glasses of the red, the white, and several different brandies - lemon, mandarin, cherry, and grapa (burns!).  The room was quiet until after the first couple of "tastings", and then things started rolling and everyone became friendly. 

The owner explained the process of making the ham:  first they salt it, and then it is pressed under a 1000 kilo plate for several weeks.  The flattened ham then sites in a smoker for a month or so, after which it hangs in a cool, dry, cellar for about a year.  The outside may grow a little mold and be as black and shriveled as a hot dog that you accidentally dropped behind the stove and forgot about until the next year when you're cleaning for a visit from the in-laws, but once the ham is opened and the thin slices are shaved, magic happens.  There was a cute older Scottish lady who joined us and told us about traveling to Turkey and hating camels in her adorable Scottishy brogue.  Gina said that she does not want Croatia to join the EU, and that she will be visiting Canada soon because it is too difficult to get a visa for travel in the US.

We did our first "stern to" dock today at the Lumbarda marina, which turned out to be a piece of cake.  Dunes is a master behind the wheel, which helps.  The marina is no more than a couple of stone piers and two buildings, but the key ingredient in this place's charm is that one of those buildings is a shower facility, and since my hair was beginning to stand on its own accord, this was a most welcome accommodation.  The mooring fee was on the steep side, 350 kn, but sort of worth it just for the showers alone.  Plus, we needed to fill our water tanks.

I've been told this place has a more Mediterranean feel than the others.  The topography is generally lower (on this end of the island), the shoreline is drier and stonier, and the temperature was blazing hot when we landed.  There is a weird Jimmy Buffet grass shack bar in one corner of the marina, which seems a little bit out of place among the busted down stone walls and red tile roofs, but cute and welcome all the same.

Before the wine tasting event this evening, a group dinghy race was held.  Only three of the boats participated - the two Americans and one of the Brits.  Two people, the rowers, were blindfolded, while the third person was the navigator.  The twist was that the navigator had to be in one of the two other boats, plus they were given a water bottle to distract the other rowers in their boat, who were on other teams. 

Mladen also tore around in a motored dinghy and wreaked general havoc on the entire race.  Our boat was in the lead, with Joe and Mona paddling and Dunes shouting commands from another boat afar, until Richard, who was navigating for the British boat, decided to grab on of the lazy lines and hold them there until his boat caught up - the old dirty bastard.  All's fair in dinghy racing though, and we all had a good laugh and a fun time.

WAY ahead of the competition

Does this buff make my mustache look bigger?

May 19, 2009

Sudurad, Sipan, Croatia

8:30 AM
A Cafe

When I woke this morning, the winds had calmed to a gentle breeze and I was able to stand in the cabin without holding on to anything.  It was early, 7AM or so, and we don't have to start our briefing until 9, so I'm killing time time at a cafe.  I took a stroll through our tiny, one-street, 60-boat fishing village.  The sunlight it hitting the red old and new tiled roofs at a pleasant angle, so I tried to capture the calm, sleepiness of the morning on camera.  A few of the shallow fishing boats have already returned from their morning run and the fishermen (rather, fishing-women) are cleaning their nets and the fish on the main sidewalk that follows the harbor  It stinks and there are a few flies.  I love it here.

In our tiny restaurant last night, run by Maroje who had inherited the place when his father died, was a 600 year old olive press.  The press extended from the stone floor to the wood beam ceiling and was in two different rooms.  In one room was the 4 ft diameter press supported by 2.5 ft diameter olive wood trunks.  In the other room was the 3 ft diameter grist stones used to grind the olive meat into a pulp before pressing.  Maroje said that the press went out of commission about 20 years ago, but in its day could churn out about 300 liters of oil daily.  Today's presses are more like 300 liters per hour.

10:15 AM
Aboard the White Pearl

Underway!  The Maestral won't start blowing until within a few minutes of 11AM (we're told), so we're motoring a bit because we have a long day - 25 miles or so.  Wind forecast is good - 17 knots for this afternoon.

I'm still enjoying being a passenger on this boat.  My duties include holding things, pulling things, and retrieving things.  I'm glad I don't have the responsibility of captaining because there is a lot to know and the vacation would be more stressful.  My knot tying is stellar, if I do say so myself.

can't talk right now...sailing...

Gina, our hostess, is good for her job.  She's funny, mostly organized, and is constantly telling our skipper and the folks on the island that they need to learn more English, especially American English.  She's had a different pair of giant sunglasses for every day so far.

Josip is our technician.  He's taller and stockier and more red-faced than the rest of the lead boat crew, and also quieter - whether that can be attributed to lower English vocab, or not, who knows?  He sure knows his shit, though.  Joe and him would make good friends.  Come to think of it,  Joe would probably make an excellent flotilla technician himself since he's always trying to open up the controls.

The White Pearl is a fine vessel, a less than 3 year old Oceanis 323.  We're the smallest boat in the flotilla, with most everyone else on 34 or 37 footers.  Besides the two sleeping berths, there is a small galley with a two burner stove and a refrigerator that is accessed from a hatch in the white counter top.  The small storage cabinets are fully stocked with all the utensils, cookware, and serve ware that we'd need, including my favorite short-stemmed wine glasses.  I picture us making tiny meals in our tiny galley, but so far we've just made cereal & jogurt, or had a bread loaf rip-fest with as much soft cheese and salami as we could stuff in our faces.  The cabin is just tall enough for me to stand up straight, but I have been victim to a few head bumps on the sides of the cabin or in my v-berth.  

Dunes let me take the wheel for a few minutes yesterday.  It's fun, but I had a hard time keeping her at a constant heading because of our low wind situation.  In the afternoon, the winds were quite a bit stronger, so we had about a 6.5 kn sailing speed with a good heel.  I've been taking my Bonine every 24 hours and it's seeming to keep my motion sickness at bay.  I did feel a little bit swervey at dinner last night, but that may also have been a results of Gina's electric punch.

The islands we're sailing through are all lovely.  Many are rocky at water's edge, but then there's a horizontal band of trees with more rocks on top.  Every so often, we pass an old fortress or ruin of some kind.  The color of the water we're in right now is a deep, navy blue, in 100 m of depth.  The air smells like the sea, but the fresh, yummy sea - the opposite of the smell of the bar at which I had my morning cappuccino, which smelled like bar, old cigarettes, coffee, and fish heads...and like many members of our flotilla purchased cokes or cappuccinos just so they could use the bathroom.

NOT sailing right now...note the furled jib

2:30 PM

We're headed down the center of the 3 mile wide channel that is formed by the islands of Jakljan and Miljet.  Both long, narrow islands have the same rock/tree/fortress pattern.  Miljet is our stop for the evening and is supposedly where Ulysses had his affair with Calypso in the Iliad.  Neat.

We tied up along side our buds who were anchored in the protected cove called U. Prijezba for lunch of bread, cheese, wine, and swimming.  Strung up on shore was an idol made of garbage and a bottle of Fanta.  If we weren't within swimming distance of civilization, I'd expect it was a crazy toothless castaway's version of "wilson".  The water was clear, of course, and there were a few sandy beach pockets dotted the cove.  The shoreline was mostly rocky, with thick, scrubby evergreens.

As soon as our anchor was secure and we were in the water splashing around and having a good time, the wind kicked up so we didn't stay as long as we could have, in the hopes of catching a good sail.  No such luck.  Once we were underway again on the Mljetski Kanal, the wind was slow, so much for the forecast and the predictable Maestral.  We saw some jumping fish and gulls playing around behind our boat while were were in the doldrums.

We still have the island of Mljet to our south, but now we're also starting to see the southern end of the Peljesac peninsula to our north.  It's a very distinct piece of earth, with long, horizontal striations running its wavy length.  Joe's at the helm right now.  He's a natural.  The binnacle has enough electronic navigational equipment to keep him geeked for a while.  We tried to use the autopilot, but think it's fucked because every time we try to engage her, the boat runs in circles.  Plus, the heading matches neither the compass nor the GPS heading.  There must be a users manual around here somewhere.

not happy the beverage holsters are empty

The highest point on the Peljesac, that we can see, rises 600 ft above the level of the sea.  There doesn't appear to be a shelf for a village between the sea and the crest of the peninsula, but from here, I can see a narrow mountain road carved into the hillside in a zigzag pattern.

There are a couple of German boats that are loosely following our route.  They seem eager to let their little Germans flap in the breeze.  It must be nice to be so bold and European.  To be naked is now referred to as "going full German".

We have a cocktail competition coming up in a few days.  I mixed up a half teaspoon of sugar, the juice of 1/4 lemon, and a shooter or rum last night as a test and it was delicious.  A couple of ice cubes and some seltzer would really push it over the top, but we're roughing it out here.  I might go with that recipe if I can't think of anything tastier.

10:30 PM

Polace, Mljet

Yeah, so no sooner than I finished writing earlier and went below for a nap, did the wind decide to go ahead and pick up.  We went balls out for a while, using the full throttle of the 19 kn wind.  The sea was getting big and some gusts were coming off land, so we reefed the sails slightly and settled into a more comfortable pace.

Two short hours later, we were finally motoring through the narrow, windless passageway to our dock for the evening in Polace - gateway to Mljet National Park.  Coasting through the straights, it was evident we were in park territory.  The strong scent of sweet pine pitch mixed with a hint of sea air was intoxicating.  Turquoise blue water met rocky wooded shorelines on either side of us.  When coming into port, we sidled up alongside the giant 39ft lead boat to raft since we were given that easy button option.

Polace is a tiny harbor town with a few restaurants and bars, some castle ruins, and an excellent bakery.  The harbor is glassy calm tonight and surrounded mostly by woods or village (which is only a single row of buildings).  There was a group dinner to be held at the local restaurant, but the menu looked the same as last night's menu, so we opted to prepare our own meal in our own little galley.  We made a sopska with the right kind of feta (softer, not as strong), and had fresh bakery bread with balsamic and olive oil as an appetizer.  The main course was gnocchi with a coating of sauteed onions, garlic, and leftover Montenegrin mountain ham, and plenty of parmesan.  This turned out to be really great and I may even take this recipe home with me.  I met up later with one of the old leathery Brits who told me that it was a good call to eat on board because the food was overcooked and overpriced. 

We did eventually stop by the restaurant after dinner for hot chocolate that is supposedly really thick and gooey.  Ours tonight was decent - thick like thin pudding that didn't quite set, but not like the melted chocolate bar it should have been.  They sat us at a private garden table that was off the stairs behind the restaurant on the way up the hill.  Almost all of the towns we have been to on our trip are built on the side of a mountain and the buildings are connected to one another by narrow stairways and pathways they call streets.

May 18, 2009

Dubrovnik
Aboard the White Pearl

10:00 AM

We had our morning briefing with Mladen, our lead boat skipper, and Gina, our lead boat hostess.  We went over safety procedures, today's course/hotspots, and an explanation of the three kinds of winds that are found on this side of the Adriatic.  The Bora:  a "crazy woman" wind out of the east that howls down the mountainside toward the sea with the vengeance of a scorned woman, the Sirocco: a heavy wind from the southeast that slowly builds during the day, and the gentle, predictable Maestral out of the northwest, which is what they say we can expect this week.

Provisioning the boat came next.  We went through the marina market to stock breakfasts and lunches, focusing on the cheese and the chocolate groups.  And the rum/beer/wine groups for Joe and I. 

After one last pee, we were on our way.  Our flotilla consists of six other boats, crewed mostly by older British couples, one couple brought their son, who, when they told me this for some reason I expected to be twelve but it turned out he was our age.  There is one other American boat, but it doesn't count because it's two of Dunes' coworkers and their spouses. 

Sudurad, Sipan, Croatia

8:00 PM

The water is crazy clear, like a pool.  There's no other way I can describe it.  In the deeper parts, it's a dark teal blue.  In the shallower areas, it's a light turquoise, and next to the shore where there's less than two feet of depth, it's completely clear.  We're docked right now, and I can see clear to the bottom in about 20 ft of water.  There are sea urchins attached to the concrete dock walls below the surface.

This clarity is ridiculous...sometimes is best not to see what's lying on the bottom of a marina

We had pretty low winds for the first part of the day.  We motored up the river and out to sea.  Our first anchor point, for lunch and swimming, was on a sandy beach in a cove on the south end of Loupod, an island.  We played around here for a bit, testing out our dinghy and outboard for a cruise to the sandy shore.  After this short break, we headed to more open water for some great sailing all the way to our dock on the island of Sipan (shee-pan).

There are more yugos and busted down Beetles on this island than anywhere I've seen yet.  A ferry connects this place to the mainland -we crossed paths on our way into our dock.

Hey car - who said you could be so cute?

Our flotilla hostess prepared a punch party for us on the dock near where our boats are tied, consisting of an electric orange rum punch and a mystery dip which I believe was jogurt, minced garlic, and capers - extra delicious!  We met a few more of our fellow sailors and all got a little drunk and happy.  We chatted a bit more with our skipper- a not unattractive young-ish Croat with a not unattractive accent and Tom Cruise eyes.  He referred to the game of Bocce as "French balls" as he pretended to hold a heavy pair...I like him already.

Professor Andy enjoys rum punch while explaining how to be awesome to Mladen & Josip

Dinner was amazing.  We shared a plate of fresh cheese, which they bought from a farmer on the island earlier that afternoon who had made it that morning.  Joe had the Dalmatian roast - a chopped steak roasted in garlic, and I had grilled chicken with a side of boiled potatoes and spinach.  During our meal, the wind kicked up from the east in a wicked way and brought some nasty waves into the harbor and a short storm.  The wind had not yet calmed by the time I needed to find a bed, so I was rocked (tossed, jostled, whatever) to sleep.  I imagined that this was as close to being in a womb that I'll remember, with the tiny, hot, windowless v-berth closed around me, the sound of water sloshing against the side of the hull, between us and the dock, and all the rocking and rolling.

May 17, 2009

Cilipi, Croatia

10:33 AM

Joe, Mona, and I hopped a bus to the village of Cilipi this morning for a traditional folk extravaganza.  We weren't sure what to expect, but it's actually a neat little set-up for the tourists to view Konavle traditions (Konavle is the region of Croatia south of Dubrovnik to the Montenegro border, known for its vineyards and produce).  The residents of Cilipi have set up booths at each approach to the town square where you pay 40 kuna each to gain access to the folk dance performance, historic museum, and wine cellar for a welcome drink. 

Welcome!  Have some brandy to warm your belly, or perhaps a white wine for the lady

Once inside the gates, there are a couple of small cafes and many booths manned by ladies in traditional costumes selling local woven goods, candied orange rind, soaps, and other trinkets.  I really want to buy something, but luggage space is limited and there is so much from which to choose.  If I see something that really is knock-your-socks-off awesome, I will get it, but up until now, things have only been plain awesome.

Crafts - Croatia invented the necktie, by the way

This place is crawling with tourists in their light weight, wrinkle-free travel clothes, fanny packs, and camera straps.  We are part of that throng, except for the wrinkle-free part, and instead of fanny packs, we have backpacks.  Cilipi appears to have taken a lot of damage from the recent war.  Many of the roofs are new, as in Dubrovnik.  There was an excellent photo display of the before/after shots of the museum, showing how they lost a lot of history in the rubble.  Judging from the items on display, they have done an excellent job rebuilding their collection.

The seats for the show are long stone benches and butt real estate is at a premium.  We managed to snag a section large enough for 2.5 people in the front row and are rotating saving the seat versus exploring for the 45 minutes until showtime, at which time we will all squeeze into that space.  It's another perfect, sunny day here on the Adriatic coast, slightly warmer than the previous days, but still comfortable.

One thing I learned today is that traditionally, unmarried women did not have to wear a headdress, while married women had to wear large, white flying nun style head pieces.  They actually look like rather practical sun shades, however I imagine maneuvering in and out of doorways could pose somewhat of a problem.

No fair that bride gets to wear flowers while groom wears silly cymbal monkey cap

We're definitely the youngest tourists of the bunch by at least 20 years, and are also the only ones not wearing sandals with socks.  I'm surprised that what I thought was an American trend, turns out to be enjoyed internationally by Brits and Italians alike.  I'm going to go find something to buy, or maybe I'll go get one last look at my favorite short, squat palm tree.  That thing must be 3 ft diameter.

11:00 AM

My legs are all torn to shreds from yesterday's venture off the beaten path.  Then I shaved my legs last night, so that was pleasant.  The hot water tank in our "penthouse" was pretty small, so I had to work the hair removal in shifts.  I finished the effort this morning in what will possibly be my last shower in a week.  We're boarding our 32' vessel this evening.  From what I've seen at the various marinas we've seen in passing, 32' is pretty damn small.

Breakfast this morning was flat fanta, stale paprika potato chips, and the last Napolitanke.  This was before we discovered a bakery on our way to the bus stop where I picked up a warm apple strudel with a strudel-eater identifying layer of loose powdered sugar sprinkled on top.  I'm told there is a pool at the marina where we will be starting our voyage.  A late afternoon swim will be nice.

2:00 PM

The performance turned out to the great!  The costumes were long white skirts and billowy white shirts with short black vests, colorful embroidered sashes, and an embroidered neck piece that hung down on either side of their shirt buttons.  It lasted about 45 minutes and they concluded with that great Lindo dance from the other night where the dancers circle around an old man playing a three-stringed fiddle and stomping his foot as accompaniment.  They did a wedding procession and toast, which was neat.

After the performance, we caught the bus back to Cavtat where Dunes was sitting on the curb in front of our previous night's apartment with all of our bags.  We hiked down the hill with all of our gear to wait at the bus stop for the #10 to Dubrovnik.  I purchased a ham and mushroom pizza and a bottle of voda from the bakery for lunch, and spent a few moments at the internet cafe letting my family know I was still alive.

Bus Stop #1 in Cilipi


Bus Stop #2 in Cavtat


ACI Marina Dubrovnik
Aboard the White Pearl

8:00 PM

I'm sitting in the boat's cabin, enjoying a glass of red wine out of the shortest wine glass you can find without going stemless, and waiting out a small rain shower that is passing through the area.  The marina here is a strange mix of new and old, rich and poor, as it has been with most of what we've seen to date.  The building that houses several yacht charter companies, Sunsail included, is a grand two story stone building with arching windows and a semicircle of masonry stairs that lead to the second floor.  The building is lined with old growth palms and sits in front of a garden that was obviously spectacular in its glory days, but is now a mess of lichened concrete pillars, weeds, and an occasional rose bush. 

Immediately adjacent to the large garden grounds is a modern restaurant and reception building and then, of course, the berths for the various cruising vessels.  There are at least 9 keys for just the sail boats.

We were told our yacht was named the White Pearl and proceeded to key E to board her.  She's an Oceanis 323, a 32' beauty with two cabins.  Everything is adorable and yacht-y and that's all the detail I feel like going into this evening.  Dunes and Mona are in the "spacious" stern cabin and Joe and I agreed to take the not-so-spacious v-berth, or "brig" as I'm going to refer to it.  Dunes did set this whole thing up and will be skippering our clueless asses, so it's really the least we could do.  So far, I love sailing and we haven't moved an inch.

None of these giant boats is the White Pearl