We’re really getting used to this whole fantastic breakfast at the hotel thing, especially with this view of the moored boats bobbing in the calm blue sea. This morning we’re picking up a car to explore a bit of the 44-mile-long island that is Hvar. The women at the front desk tell us about Dubrovica, their favorite beach, so we head there first. This island is mountainous with tall cliffs dropping off to the shore. We pull the car into the tiny parking area on the side of the road then hike down 150 feet or so on the rocky path. The challenging hike drops us into a secluded rocky beach along the perimeter of a little cove. We lay out our towels, catch some rays and splash into the blue blue water. We’re entertained by a small dog chasing a fluffy gray and white cat up into the top of a grape arbor.
On the edge of the beach are two restaurants. Well, one restaurant and one less formal
eating establishment, a shed with a few rag-tag picnic tables. Of course this is my choice for lunch. Our server, and mostly likely the owner,
lazily gets up from eating her own lunch and offers us menus. We sip from the half a liter of house white wine
while we wait for our order of lightly fried Hake to arrive. We’re not the only ones waiting for the fish
dish. The moment it’s delivered, that
same cat, who we name “Gatto” because it’s the only foreign word we know for
cat and he kinda looks like he’s named Gatto, hops up on the bench right next
to Mandy. We take Gatto’s loving head
rub on Mandy’s side to mean “Mmmmmm, looks good. You sharing?”
He’s right, it’s very good, crispy hot, flaky with just the right touch
of salt. While Mandy keeps Gatto at bay
with kind words and a few head rubs, and a kitten shows up at her feet,
partners in crime to be sure. We save the
last few bites for our new friends so when we tell Gatto it’s OK, he uses his
best table manors to gently take the bounty with his front paws while we slip
kitty a few bits, too.
We hang on the beach for a while after lunch before undertaking
the steep climb back to the car. We head
into Jelsa to the Tomic winery where we’ve scheduled a 2pm tasting. The winery is new, but built in the style of
the ancient buildings in the surrounding towns.
In the tasting room, we’re seated next to a French couple who are taking
this experience waaaaay too seriously, looking for investment bottles and
missing the whole point that this wine is about this place and should be paired
with this food and this sunshine. The
whites are good. The reds are (despite
being from the grapes that are the forefathers to California zinfandels) thin,
and drink like whites.
Enough adventure for one day, we head back for some pool
time. The days are just packed.
The moon hangs big over Hvar Town as we walk in for dinner. Kudos to the set designer… nice touch. Dinner at Sagun, an adorable little courtyard
off an adorable little alley. For this first
time this trip, we’re offered a big platter of fresh catch by way of tonight’s
specials, and we pick a fine 2kg bream as our entrée which we meet again later over
a nice tray of grilled veggies and potatoes.
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