Croatia!

Elusive bloody figs. 6 million damn fig trees on this Croatian island, and not one ripe fig anywhere! I'm starting to hate Lynda over this fig obsession she has got me onto- I didn't even like figs when I started this holiday and now I cant walk past a tree without scouring it for the soggy little black goo droplets! We have spent the morning hiking around the Island of Hvar, up mountains, ramparts, cobblestone streets and roads just checking the place out. It is pretty bizarre seeing restaurants with a field of laid out tables in a piazza, and not one person actually sitting at them, because peak season closed down 2 months ago... Apparently. Personally, I'm loving this time of year to do the touring around- warm and sunny during the day, no crowds, prices that drop by 50% if you ask and transport that you can always seem to find a seat on. After we climbed the hill overlooking the city of Hvar, we got to the castle and, same as the Chapel in town, we got free entry because there is no one at the front gate collecting admission fees. Sweet deal.

For lunch, we did another local run- Lyn got the Scampi fettuccine, I went in for a local favourite the beef stew, and a drop of the local. Great feed, and half the price of the high season menus. Hvar had been a feather in Croatia's hat so far- I don't think we could have done better with the accommodation if we tried (same prices as lonely planet listed hostels) the free wine and cheese and next days breakfast just topped it. The owner of the hotel was more than happy to make sure we made it onto the bus back to the ferry too- really nice bloke. I'm not sure where the people catching the bus were hiding though- they just seemed to pour out from every street corner like pigeons when someone drops a pack of birdseed. The bus filled to capacity by the time we rolled out of the station, and I swear this sleepy town shed a tear as its population halved in that instant. The ferry we are on at the moment half way back to split to meet our overnight sleeper ferry to Ancona, Italy is chock a block full. We had to squeeze in at the smokers lounge its that packed! Where were these people hiding?!

The Hvar castle was pretty cool- rebuilt 3 times since 11th century, changed hands more times than can be counted, between Turks, Austrians, Croats, Spanish and Venetians it holds a fair history. Perhaps one of the more ironic pieces- it saved the town in the 16th century when they were invaded by pillaging Turks, as they garrisoned in the castle. Not 2 months later, lightning struck the gunpowder battery and blew the place to shreds, damaging parts of the town below as well. It was rebuilt and later in the 19th Century, it was abandoned, but still locals like to believe that "Fairies dance in it at night". I don't know where that one came from- perhaps a little too much rakija. Now its just home to overpriced Chevapcici and a dry bar- Personally I enjoy the fairies over a bar that is in reality a mirage.

Im no longer surprised by the amount of olive oil or wine that I have seen our Croatian contingent in Aus consuming now. No lie: every second tree here is an olive tree, and every third seems to be a grape vine- Its bizarre. In between those, on the side of the road, free for all, there has been: lemons, oranges, apples, grapes, figs, rosemary, grapefruit, berries... That's just the ones I can recognise. I can understand why the local supermarket has been closed all day- its entire contents are spread across the road and hanging from trees.