Goodbye to the Hvar Island

Tomorrow would be our last day on Hvar island, we would be leaving for Dubrovnik.  On Hvar island, we have enjoyed several very relaxing days. We were already feeling that we would miss this quaint island. The sun was setting, we once again strolled the main square heading towards a restaurant for dinner.

On reaching the restaurant, we were delighted with the ambiance. The atmosphere was sort of warm and cosy. Inside the restaurant, apart from some old stone arches, the restaurant has a retractable roof, which when retracted would allow fresh air coming in and viewing the sky. Quite a clever design.

There was an open oven which again looked great. The fire gave a very warm feeling. We were eager to order fishes which the chef delightfully grilled for us.

Early next morning, we were picked up by a van which was to take us about 77km from Hvar town on a steep and winding road to the eastern extremity of the island, Sucuraj.

Sućuraj is  a tranquil and picturesque small fishing town of about 400 residents. It was enchanting to see  fishing boats and  orange colored roofs. The tiny population of Sucuraj supports itself by fishing, farming and viticulture, now augmented by various tourist services. The town exudes an authentic local charm and is steeped in a rich history – it was settled by the Ilyrinas, Romans, Slavs, Venetians and French. Sucuraj is even mentioned in Homer’s famous epic “Iliad” – the poet refers to the town as “Kila”.

Like us, most people come to Sucuraj to take  the car ferry to Drvenik (on the mainland) and leave it quickly.  It’s  true that Sucuraj village lacks the amazing architecture of Hvar town but it’s certainly a peaceful and attractive place to visit. When we arrived, the car ferry was already there waiting for us.

It has been over 15 years that I have boarded a car ferry. Many years back, before the era of immersed tube tunnels, I have always travelled on double decked car ferries running between the HK island and the mainland. The sight of the ferry started to make me feel nostalgic.

As the ferry was leaving Sucuraj, the attractive lighthouse at the cape of Sucuraj became smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared from our very sight.

Hvar island is the most memorable and comfortable part of our journey in Croatia; it is also inspiring. Our several days on Hvar has taught us that life has to be taken slowly. The Hvar residents serve as  very good examples. They are the masters in practicing the art of idling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . like them, we would like forever to be on a permanent vacation.