Adventures (and Injuries) on the Adriatic

Island hopping is one of the best ways to experience Croatia, and I was lucky to visit two - Korcula and Mljet.

Korcula has an Old City but it's much smaller than Dubrovnik. I arrived by ferry, and the apartment owner, Filip, actually met me on the dock with a sign. He walked me through the main gate, past the cathedral, and to the apartment while pointing out a few key places. I was staying in the attic unit, with a very steep staircase (the kind with different rungs for each foot). I repeatedly hit my head on the angled ceilings. But overall it was a comfortable private room with a good location, so a huge step up from Dubrovnik.

On my self guided walking tour of Korcula, I scouted the perimeter, which had many restaurants with ocean views. I climbed the narrow steps up to the cathedral bell tower, which were surprisingly treacherous. On both the stairs and the viewing platform, there was really only enough room to go single file. Good thing it wasn't too crowded. The views spanned across the bay to the opposite island, and back towards mainland Korcula. Back on the ground, I left the Old Town and hiked up into the hills for a view of the city itself, including a made-for-Instagram spot with a giant "Korcula" sign that seemed a bit out of place. The neighborhood was lovely, with pedestrian staircases, colorful flowers, and cats that would leap onto the rooftops as I passed by, or swat a pomegranate hanging from a tree branch.

I was pretty hungry so I had a simple grocery store dinner of bread and cheese, and instead used my dinner budget to buy drinks at a nice restaurant right on the castle walls with sunset views. I tried a high end Croatian brandy called pelinkovac, which had a bitter wormwood and citrus flavor. I also tried a local white wine called Grk, which is grown on the island of Korcula. Both were excellent. After the sunset, I continued the tasting flight with grocery store brandy, including the classic "slivovica" (plum based brandy) and an herbal one called "travarica." There's an amazing variety of Croatian brandy flavors, and I barely scratched the surface!

Korcula was a great launching point for a day trip to Mljet National Park, which is on the west side of Mljet Island. After a few errands in town, like dropping off laundry, it was an easy 30 minute ferry ride. At the port of Pomena, I rented a bike for the day, and took off.

The biking route I had in mind was around the perimeter of Veliko Jezera ("Big Lake"). It's not technically a lake, as it has a narrow connection to the ocean; its salinity changes throughout the seasons. The water was a beautiful shade of blue that I nicknamed "Croatian Blue" since it's vibrant like nowhere else I've found. The route was well paved, apart from one connector trail that was gravely and required walking the bike. Once I was on the main circuit, it was super pleasant. Very little traffic (pedestrian or otherwise) and stunning views of the lake at every curve.

Included in the park fee was a ferry to a small island within Veliko Jezera, where a Benedictine monastery was built in the 1300s. An island within an island! It turned out to be a highlight of the day. Being in a historic church in such a beautiful remote place was magical. The humble interior was peaceful in the afternoon sunlight, and the chanting music in the background was a nice touch. Walking around the grounds, I saw numerous kinds of butterflies, schools of fish in the shallows, countless lizards, and of course, blue waters in every direction. It reminded me a bit of the monasteries of Meteora in Greece.

Continuing the biking tour, I crossed a bridge where the lake met the ocean, and looked for a secluded beach for a swimming session. I saw a trail from the road, locked my bike to a tree, and followed it through the brush to the shore. It was no resort beach, but it was mine! Unfortunately, the water turned out to be full of hazards. In my effort to avoid stepping on slippery mossy rocks and sea anemones, I must have stepped on a piece of coral or a limpet shell that punctured my foot. I didn't realize at first, and continued to swim a few laps. The water was salty and clear. I tracked a school of fish as they traversed the reef, and marveled at the eeriness of a spiky tree branch below in the depths, pointed upwards like a giant antler. When I clambered back onto land, I finally noticed the shell in my foot. It complicated the already treacherous walk back to my towel. A conveniently placed branch became my temporary walking stick.

The shell was shaped like a short straw, or miniature cookie cutter. It came out easily, but left a small hole that continued to bleed. I didn't have any First Aid supplies, and there was no one around. It was a bit scary for a moment. I feared it would get infected from the shell fragment or being exposed to the lake water. After a quick rinse with some bottled water, I waited for it to clot, put on my sock and shoe, and hobbled up the hill with the walking stick. Thankfully, the cut was towards the heel, so once I was on my bike, I could pedal without putting pressure on it. As I continued the loop, I managed to get a Band Aid from another group. And once I was back in the port of Pomena, a kind hotel receptionist lent me some disinfectant spray. A much needed beer was consumed.

Not feeling out of the woods until the cut was properly rinsed and bandaged, I arrived back in Korcula on a mission. Of course, the pharmacy was at the top of a hill! But they had an antibiotic ointment and bandages, so it was worth the trek. I picked up my laundry too, but accidentally left my handy drawstring bag behind. Oh well. Returning to the apartment, the steep stairs were a lot more intimidating with an injured foot! Nonetheless, I was glad for a chance to sit down, rinse, dry, and treat the cut.

I went out for a lovely dinner at a tiny restaurant a block away. The kind that doesn't have any indoor seating, so all the tables were improvised on the sidewalk, but tastefully so. With a candle, and some vines growing overhead. I was lucky to get a seat. Feeling a lack of veggies from all my charcuterie meals, a fresh salad was a welcome appetizer. For the main course, I chose the cuttlefish gnocchi. Homemade and delicious! The dark sauce had an elusive flavor, and when I asked about it, the waiter explained it was made with cuttlefish ink. Apparently the dish was a twist on the classic Croatian black risotto. It was a fitting end to an island-oriented day.