The Island of Hvar Croatia

Hvar Island Croatia

We took two ferries to get to Hvar. It is a very different island than Vis in that there has been tourism here for years. Lots of famous people come here or have houses here, think Boyence, Djokivic, etc. So it is a see and be seen kind of place, with lots of people trying to be noticed in their fashion statements. One of the first things we noticed were the huge, private, luxury yachts lined up at the dock side. This is a town for the Richie Riches as Dave said.

We went because Paula has several relatives on this island and it is where one of her grandmothers was born. We ate at her aunt and uncle’s restaurants, they own three, almost every night. They welcomed Dave and I like members of the family. And the food was excellent and we never paid.

The town is old and very picturesque almost elegant. There is a reason people come here. The Venetian influence is seen in the architecture as with most of Croatia. At night in particular it is romantic with both electric light and the moon reflecting in the water highlighting its beauty.

The above is the view from our room.

Most of our time we walked along the coast on a flat paved path in both directions from the harbor. I of course went to the outdoor market and made “friends” with several sellers. Markets are always a pleasure for me, but its hard not to buy too much.

One day we rented a car to see the rest of the island. We drove to the town where Paula’s grandmother was born and to several other towns where her relatives have family homes. 

We ended in Stari Grad the oldest town on the island, an old fishing community and port. We wished we stayed here because its a more humble town and also very picturesque, less rich people and more our speed. 

We discovered a hidden gem, a store with music inspired creations that 7 artists run together. This is one of the travel finds that is so fun and inspiring. Dave shared videos of some of his noise toy creations with the artist there and we brought a few things after trying out the instruments and admiring the art works.

The last night we had an amazing final dinner at Paula’s family’s restaurant. It was sad to say good bye to the relatives now that we are part of the family.

Above is the Croatian version of scampi which was amazing. Below is me with my new favorite drink Aperol Spritz. (Aperol, proseco and mineral water). 

After four nights sadly said good bye to Paula’s family and took the boat to Dubrovnik.