19.6.12

Heavenly Hvar, and Beyonce.

Hvar Town captured from the vantage point of the Fortress. 
Words cannot express the enticing beauty of the Dalmatian island of Hvar, Croatia. We parted ways with our friend, Reece; he headed north towards Germany and Chris and I followed a winding, Croatian road south towards the city of Split. We gave Split a little "shout-out" and hastily drove our car onto a Jadrolinija ferry  bound for Stari Grad on Hvar Island. The two hour trip passed fairly quickly, and after a final 20-minute drive, we found ourselves navigating the car down a steep road into Hvar Town.

Hvar Town is comfortably nestled at the base of some pretty big hills. The craggy hillside is dotted with pine trees, olive groves, vineyards, fruit trees and of course a whole lot of lavender fields. Once an important port town within the Venetian Empire, the architecture and elegance of Hvar are unmistakably Italian. The food is a marriage of Croatian (or Balkan) and Italian flavors, and even their alcoholic beverages are a blend of two cultures. The popular pre and post meal brandy (rakija as we've come to know it in Serbia) is served in Hvar right alongside a glass of local Plavac Mali red wine. We fell in love with the hospitable people and indulged in the wonderful flavors of the island, and that may be saved for another post. For now, enjoy a few pictures from our Hvar holiday. 


   
Picture opportunities around every corner. 
Croatia and Ireland's soccer teams played each other  - He was the biggest fan. 
The setting sun on Hvar port. 
Maybe my favorite Hvar, Croatia harbor picture. 
Hvar Fortress at night looking out for the harbor below. 


We hiked to a hidden cove with the clearest blue-green water. Breathtaking. 
Wine and the Hvar sunset before dinner.
Can we go back?!
The Hvar Fortress illuminated behind The Palace Hvar Hotel.
Setting sun over Hvar Town.
I just had to buy some to take home. 
The locals said that huge yacht is Beyonce's; no star sightings. . . but just maybe she was there too!
I'll tell you all about our Hvar excursions and the amazing food we tried in a later post. I will leave you with this final picture. While we were in Hvar Town, the most lavish yacht pulled into harbor. I asked Chris if it was a mini-Adriatic-cruiseship because it seemed too massive to be a private boat. Nope, that huge, floating mansion belongs to someone. She is called "Romance" and three cabin crew personnel guarded her back deck at all times. The locals said that a year ago, Beyonce and Jay-Z rolled into Hvar on that very yacht. There were no star sightings while "Romance" parked her huge booty in Hvar harbor, but that power couple could very well have been looking out onto the same Adriatic Sea as us.

Does this count as a star sighting? I think not.


15 comments:

  1. yep. i need to be there now.

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  2. OMG! I am SOOOOOO excited! I'll be in Croatia in 3 weeks and CAN'T WAIT! Hvar is our first island stop...such beautiful pics!

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    1. You will LOVE it! Really you could stay there for so long and always be finding new little hidden gems. Have a great time and get to the Blue Cave if you have a chance! We booked with Atlas Tours (on the harbor) and our guide was named Damil. . . He was an amazing tour guide.

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  3. GREAT photos, Lana!!! They really show the beauty of Hvar and draw you in. Thanks for sharing them!

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  4. Lana, your pictures are amazing! You and Chris look great too!

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  5. Lana,

    Your pictures are amazing and you and Chris look great!

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  6. Lana, you are such a sweetheart. So kind and unpretentious. It's lovely to read what you guys are up to. I'm from Ljubljana, but my dad is from Hvar, and I can't wait to go in August! Great photos!

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  7. Hi Lana, I'm from Ljubljana, but originally my dad is from Dalmatia, so I love the islands and Hvar is one of my favorites. Can't wait to go in August! I also love reading through your adventures. You seem so kind and unpretentious (and gorgeous :) And great photos!

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  8. Hi Lana, I'm from Ljubljana, but originally my dad is from Dalmatia, so I love the islands and Hvar is one of my favorites. Can't wait to go in August! I also love reading through your adventures. You seem so kind and unpretentious (and gorgeous :) And great photos!

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  9. Lana, this looks like a DREAM!

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  10. Welcome to the Riviera of Budva/Montenegro.........http://sz2604.blogspot.nl/2012/04/welkome-to-budva-montenegro.html

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  11. Beautiful. I think that is my favourite Hvar, Croatia harbour picture too, that and the one of the blue-green water. I'm loving your excursion to Croatia!

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  12. Pictures are beautiful, but again, Croatis is not Balkan !

    Balkan is a part of Europe that was under Turks-Ottomans for hundreds of years (like Serbia, Macedonia, Greece etc...)

    Croatia was a part of Austrian-Hungary and Venice ...so the culture is tottaly different, so is religion...

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  13. Marvelous photo reportage and you look gorgeous, congrats! This region is perfect for a vacation!

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