I escaped from the village

 

Today I escaped from the village  .(pop 120) and went to another village Polace (pop 111), it does however have a bigger mini mart, its about four foot  bigger. I was in there for about fifteen minutes and in that time there was a torrential downpour. It continued all the way  back to Pomena

I did however, get to see the stunning lakes in the national park too and the monastry. I have wanted to go there but had to get a boat and at the moment the thought of getting onto another boat is not high on my agenda. 

The views from the paths above the lakes were stunning

I also saw a wild boar which scuttled out of the bushes and across the road, nasty looking thing.

Most of the wild life that I have spotted has included the Dalmation wall lizard which frequents the hallways of the hotel and scares the bejeeezus out of me. Also iridescent flying beetles, which are everywhere.

Back in Pomena, I decided to go and have a lie down for an hour or until it stopped raining, ahhhh Croation TV, showing James Martin with subtitles, good way to waste some time.

When I got back to my room, my bedding had been changed again, that's the second change since I arrived,  not something you don't get in every hotel.

I had a half hour nap and when I awoke, I could see the sun!!!, I was up and on my lounger in record time.

The wind was blowing, taking the edge off the suns rays,  today I just decided to sit it out. I got talking to a lovely couple from Bangor, we suddenly realised we were all really catching the sun a little too much,so headed under shade and shared the contraband we had stashed in out bags,  1L bottles of wine. it was a good afternoon.

By 4pm , I was  'done', well and truly cooked, so I headed in for a shower and a nap,  another one cant hurt. If I've done one thing well this holiday,it is sleep, I may wake up at around 5am, but I catch up during the day.

Dinner was amazing, there was pasta with black truffle sauce, I had second helpings it was that good.

I wandered up to the pavilion deck to watch the sunset, stunning

And decided to end the evening with a quick drink in the bar, ended up having a couple and sitting with Mick  who along side his wife Carol shared the crossing on Saturday evening.

What a lovely day.

Im getting used to this  doing nothing lark.

Happy Friday 

very hot and windy

 

I was up with the larks yesterday ( as per normal) and headed down for brekkie, I was too early, they hadn't opened, I glanced at my watch it was 6.45am. I must have looked like a starving orphan as the Maitre D signaled that I could go in.

I was in and out before anyone else showed up.

I wandered up the village, there is just one road and as such the houses, restaurant and bars are just a number 

The Hotel is no 1 Pomena.

Imagine being  1 London.

I had a coffee and a piece of cake at my favourite restaurant and then headed  back to the sundeck, the sun was scorchio, but the wind had got up again.

I had a dip in the sea and by the time I had dried off it was getting too windy and I didn't want to risk getting too much sun. Again there were some very burnt people at dinner.

I headed off up the hill and had a walk about a mile or so, there were some gorgeous views but also some lovely wild flowers. I didn't see a soul or car or bicycle. Absolute bliss.

I went for an afternoon nap................which lasted longer than it should have. Quick shower and dinner, which was again wonderful. The hotel may be stuck in the 80's interior design and wifi wise, but at least the food is up to scratch.

I've settled into a very boring routine this holiday, I do very little and do the same very little every day, not my usual racing about like a lunatic. very chilled out.

A walk up to 'Adriatic', my favourite restaurant has become part of my evening ritual. A glass of wine ( first of the day) and then home.

Last night I tried a Croatian white wine 'Grasevina' I may be drinking the rest of my holiday as most of the wine in the mini mart is sold in 1L bottes !!!

This wine was very good, dry and crisp with a fruity taste, at times peachy at others more apple. Still very good though.

I'm now about to hit the shower and start another day.

Day 3 in the big Mljet house

 

Yesterday dawned slightly over cast and during breakfast I was undecided what to do. I had thought to head into the national park but by 9am it was heading for scorchio so I quickly headed for the sun deck, hoping that the whaling vessels were on the other side of the island.

Wowsers, it got windy, very windy and by 1pm I decided to call it a day as I didn't want to be burnt to a crisp, and judging by some of the lobsters at dinner last night, some others should have done the same.

I decided to head off to the 'Melody ' Restaurant for lunch and some wine

I then wandered down to my favourite restaurant 'Adriatic' for more wine, I will just add here I had been to the local shop for  4litres of water this morning. I am drinking responsibly and keeping myself hydrated.

A couple of years ago I took a course on Homers Illiad and on the back of that I fought my way through  Homers Odyssey.  ( yep, girly swat mode), so imagine my surprise when I found out the Mljet is where Odysseus (Ulysses) is held for  7 years as Calypso's lover in a cave. (ok I know its Greek mythology but to me its real).

And, I mean, look at him!!! He was some guy that Odysseus.(OK its Sean Bean , the future Lord Lainey, he was pretty good as Odysseus in the film Troy.)

Anyhoo, back to the cave, you can go and visit it. 'Ohhh' thinks me, that will be a good morning out, and then they tell me that I have to go in a boat, a little motor boat, ermmm, no thanks, I'm still trying to get my head round going back on one. So sadly I have had to put this on hold.

I had my now, daily afternoon nap, (wine induced, I'm guessing), it has become a nice little habit.

After dinner ( the food in the hotel is exceptional) I had my evening constitutional, helping to digest my over indulgence. The views around the village are really stunning, as I headed back to the hotel the sun was setting. So very peaceful.

Back at my room it was 'champagne' hour, I found in the little mini mart a Croation sparkling wine. oh my days, it was exceptional. It was dry with a sharp green apple taste. The bubbles lasted and at €5 a bottle, incredible value. called Perla.

I highly recommend.

I know that I have barely moved from the dockside of Pomena but really, I don't want to, I've settled into a quiet and slow pace of life. 

And today, well its the official half way mark to my big birthday so that means 6 months until my next holiday (boooo). Best get back to soaking up sun, not getting harpooned and drinking more wine.

Happy Wednesday.

Sunshine

 

I was wide awake at 4am, I could see the faint streaks of light starting to stretch over the sky, should I get up and go for a walk?, I decided to stay in bed and found that I was listening for signs of life. The pace of life here on the island is very slow and relaxed, and the same can be said about mornings, nothing seems to really happen until about 9am.

I headed down for breakfast and found to my delight that French toast was again on the menu, simple things!. 

I'd made a list of things that I needed at the  local shop, which was supposed to open at 8am, but at 9am was just opening its doors.

Water, bananas and apples were on the shopping list, then I hit the sun deck.

I watched the yachts coming and going in between napping. 

I have found sleep coming very easily at any time of the day or night. I realise now how tired I have been.

Swimming is something that I have always loved to do especially sea swimming, but its more appealing here with the water so clear you don't need googles to see whats going on below. The water is full of sea urchins which are not great to stand on (an experience n Spain I never want to repeat), as well as shoals of fish, some tiny, some medium and some quite big. Ive also seen a lot of star fish.

The weather was very hot yesterday and I decided on a latish lunch which turned out a little more liquid than I had planned, but then I am on holiday.

I am enjoying the Croatian wine a lot and have decided to make it my holiday mission to try as much as possible. Always good to have a plan I have found!! the food too is very good, of which a spinach burger last night was a highlight.

I have to mention  the audacity and sheer opportunist behaviour of a bloody large seagull at dinner. There is a large outdoor terrace where a lot of people choose to eat, a couple had put their food on the table and then headed back into the restaurant. out of nowhere the said seagull flew in, landed on the table and took  slices of roast pork from the plate, we all sat watching in horror and amusement .The couple came back to find the waiting staff removing their plates, they had not seen the incident 

Due to lack of weird museums on the island , I have to find other things to fill my time.

Watching the sun come up and go down seems to be a thing here too, so I joined in with this.

I'm having another day of sunbathing today and then possibly tomorrow I am off  into the national park

And with that I am off to see if I can evade being harpooned.

Have a great day 

day one in Mljet

 

So a warmer welcome from this little Croatian Island. 

Let me just clear up yesterdays blog.

I arrived at the hotel at 1am, tired and extremely terrified. A 1.5 hour boat ride in the pitch dark on the type of boat like those that used to operate at The Lakes (not open sea).The ones with banquette seating around the outside and one long banquette in the middle. So 3 of us on this, the boat crashing through waves, no lights and a very strange quarter moon, that was pink and looked like a blood moon  (it wasn't), the boat rocking very dangerously from side to side and none of us wearing a life jacket!! The gentleman  of the couple with me, is ex Navy and he admitted yesterday that he was worried, his wife and I were really terrified.

This was not the usual Lainey holiday adventure, I've never actually thought that I was about to see my life flash before my eyes.

The hotel is stuck in the 80's, what kind of hotel does not have wifi through out. The rooms are dated but very clean and it'll be fine for the week.

I  was a little tearful too, I think this was complete fatigue and all the other things going on with me at the moment. I had a good cry and rebooted myself.

  I decided to have a walk through the village (1000 steps there and back), very quaint and with the stunning backdrop of the national park.

The weather was not what I ordered but after lunch the sun  broke through and I headed down for a swim in the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic.

All restaurants here serve an array of seafood (I am allergic to shellfish) so I opted for a lovely fresh Caprese salad, washed down with a glass of jolly good Croatian dry white wine. I had not been able to hold onto what I had eaten for breakfast, I think my whole adventure caught up with me, so I was looking for something gentle and then thought , have the wine too and see what happens. you only live once and after Saturday night, well, go for it!!

I quickly noticed that the restaurants were quite 'spendy', I'm guessing this is due to being an island and you are a captive audience. Burgers were around the €21 mark, scampi was a shocker at €33! its about £1.99 in Iceland ( the store,not the country). I'm not here to save money though, I'm here to holiday.

By dinner time, I'd managed to hang on to lunch and wine, so headed to refuel. oh my days, roast veal, I had (nearly) died and gone to heaven. It was amazing, as was the Dalmation style liver which I thought was worth a try. I followed this with the most amazing clafoutis, the best I've had since I was in Nantes about  11 years ago. 

I took a walk to the sunbathing deck to watch the sun go down and then headed back to my room. Passenger  59 was on TV with Croation subtitles. You can't beat a bit of Wesley!!!!

The wine /champers of the evening was Piper Heidseck, although according to the hotel 'rules' I may be hung drawn an quartered for bringing it into the hotel, let alone opening it.

Let day 2 begin.

Mljet

 

Welcome to my week in another place I hadn't travelled to before. I am in Mljet, which is one of the larger island in the Dalmatia region of Croatia.

I would like to show you but there is no wifi in the hotel and the connection to even 1G is sporadic, so you may not hear from me at all

What I will say is that I always try to make the best of a bad situation, but after leaving home at 10.30am yesterday I arrived at the hotel at 1am after the most terrifying boat trip in the dark. There is much more but I am too tired to go into it. I am trying to see some good, but the wifi just really tipped the scales.

the island itself looks lovely or it did by torchlight on the way from the boat to the hotel.

It is now 7am I am hungry and I am going for something to eat.

happy whatever day it is. 

A funny conversation

 

On Friday evening, I was having a chat with Dale, my very own ( long suffering) travel agent about my upcoming trip.

We were chatting about things and I said a phrase that made him laugh, 'allocated on arrival'.

I'm not sure young gap year kids or even 20 somethings will fully appreciate this phrase.

And lets not mention Teletext holidays!

Ahhhh the good old days, when you could go into the travel agents, pay not very much and fly out in a matter of hours, 'allocated on arrival'. So this usually meant, going to Spain or Greece and as you walked out of the airport, gave your name to the 'rep' and be sent to a coach, only then would the surprise be revealed. Which resort and hotel you were going to.

Oh yes, going on holiday without reading a trip advisor review, to be honest there was no 'Trip Advisor' or even t'internet for that matter. You just had to get on with it.

Teletext holiday ( you have to be of an age to appreciate these holidays).  Although there is a teletext holiday page online, its nothing like the service that you got on your TV. no pictures, no reviews, no clue exactly what you were getting.

I've had some great  holidays using both of these methods. Great times in Spain and Greek Islands.

I've also used the 'bucket shops' that they had at main airports in 'the olden days'. Tip up at the airport with a suitcase, book holiday, get on plane and go.

I also, a million years ago, travelled to South Africa, for free, carrying documents ( yes before emails, AND fax!). You got your fare paid to carry and deliver documents. I got there and back for zero  money.

And today, people won't leave home until they've read every review on a hotel, and will not book on the strength of someone moaning there were not enough pancakes at breakfast.

I love travelling and I love just winging it. Your holiday is what you make it. 

Not long now until my next trip.