Croatia | Sea | Kayaking | Tours | Lifejacket Adventures - Adriatic Expeditions

For the last 34 years the Venetian authorities have stopped commercial travel on the canals and turned them over to human-powered craft - an event called the Vogalonga. It was simply amazing to paddle in it this year on May 11.

It is one of those transcendental events that must be done - like running the New York Marathon, paddling the Molokai Hoe or scampering along at the Running of the Bulls. So many things come together - great crowds (really enjoying themselves), history, culture and having an attachment to a stunning place (other than just being a tourist).

An estimated 5 000 people were involved this year - paddling or rowing anything that could float - outriggers, dragon boats, dories, rowing shells, traditional Venetian boats and kayaks - all with flags and ribbons flying. The course started in front of the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Square, wound its way up Burano Island (known for its lace), back to Murano Island (famous for its glasswork) and back down the Grand Canal (under the Rialto and Accademia Bridges) to the finish - 30kms in total.

I was able to convince Morten, a Danish friend from Split, to come. It was all last minute after I saw a post on Paddling Planet. Morten had never been in a kayak before but was keen. I found out later as we were paddling that he had also never been to Venice before - what an introduction to the Serene Empire. There is no better way to discover a maritime culture than in a kayak.

Below are 3 pictures but many more can be found here.

We finished after 5 hours, totally exhausted, but extremely happy! The weather was just right - not too hot, not too cold. At all times the scenery was superb - either the Venetian Gothic palaces of the Grand Canal or the multi-coloured houses of the small canals of Burano.

We are already organizing baby-sitters for next year so the wifes can come!

Over the weekend of 10-12 May we were able to enjoy the hospitality of Giorgio and Maritzia who organized the first seakayaking symposium - Bibione Kayak - of which we know on the Adriatic Sea. The base for the event was Capalonga Camping, about 1 hour from Venice, in northern Italy. The camp is also only 1 hour from Motovun, in Croatia - which was handy for us.

At the event we met many interesting paddlers, including Nigel Foster (seakayak designer and adventurer) and Kristin (potter to the stars), Jen Kleck (a friend of Ray Fusco’s from the US) and Kay (importer for Klepper Folding Kayaks), and others from Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.

On the Monday night Lifejacket Adventures gave a short, mosquito-plagued talk on kayaking in Croatia, our attempt to cross the Adriatic Sea by kayak unsupported and the old wooden boats of Croatia. The above video was included and shows how to paddle (or row) ‘old-school’.

We made the most of the excellent facilities at the campground - swimming, bbqing and bike riding. We couldn’t get the kids out of the pool as the weather was perfect. Next year we plan to attend for the whole week. Seakayakers in Europe should definitely make the effort to attend, as the festival also ties into the Vogalonga event in Venice. Congratulations to Bibione Kayak!

Tonight our friends Jane Cody and John Nash had the official Croatian launch of their book, Croatia Cruising Companion. Jane also did some writing for the new Timeout Croatia magazine, and she presented it as well to the audience of marina representatives and tourism agencies.

The Cruising Companion took Jane and John several years to research - they visited every bay of significance from Zadar to the south. For each they produced anchorage charts as well as wrote lengthy descriptions on available facilities - such as our laundrette in Split.

The book is perfect for those coming here to rent a yacht and visit the Dalmatian Islands. It is currently ranked #3 for both books on Croatia and those on sailing on Amazon.com.

Timeout Croatia has a thicker guide magazine again this year. More stories and more information are crammed inside. One of our kayaking pictures, taken on a tour around Vis and Hvar Islands, appears in the adventure section.

Warm spring day; the crack of leather on willow followed by polite applause from the crowd; men dressed-up like modern day white knights in helmets and padded armor; picnic blankets and coolers filled with wine, brie and crackers - yesterday anyone would think we were enjoying watching cricket in the English countryside.

Amazingly the game was being played right here in Split between the local Split Sir Oliver Cricket Club and the Further Friars Cricket Club, a traveling team from England consisting of gents in the wine industry.

Cricket is a game you must grow up with - or the rules will never make sense. We attempted to explain them to the French expats - they just got bored and went home. But there is an historical connection between the French and cricket in this area.

Cricket is not so alien to Dalmatia as could be expected. On Vis Island there is the Sir William Hoste Cricket Club. It is run by Nik Roki and his son Oliver (Oliver was born in Perth before they moved back to the island in the 70’s).

The club’s namesake was an English naval officer stationed on Vis Island for several years at the start of the 19th Century - the English had just kicked the Napoleonic French garrison off the island. (The English called Vis Island the ‘Gibraltar of the Adriatic’ because of its excellent strategic location.)

William decided that the wild Dalmatian island on which he found himself needed a touch of civility - so he started a cricket club. A couple of years back Nik and Oliver re-established it. Oliver usually cooks us an awesome baked lamb ispod peke on their winery whenever we visit Vis with our tour’s guests.

Unfortunately for the visitors yesterday they ended their innings 3 runs shy of the local team. Their next match is to be on Vis this week.

For another perspective on the day’s proceedings visit Jane Cody’s Croatia Online. Jane’s the lovely lady in the picture above, making sure the batsman’s box was properly adjusted!

Ray Fusco has been helping us with promoting our tours and needed a new flier to pass onto Jersey Paddler.

Today’s picture comes from the set of Bella Biondina. The movie, based a true story of a young Split girl who falls in love with an Italian Fascist soldier at the end of the Second World War, is being shot on the streets of Split at the moment. It is being directed Danijela Marušić, who also made the locally famous mini-series Malo Misto. It was interesting to see the reactions of the locals to actors in Partisan uniforms. Many were indifferent, but some reacted with strong negative feelings.

Whilst I was in Trogir the other day I saw the replica of the 16th Century galleon Tirena, a typical trading vessel of the period from Ragusa (i.e. the Dubrovnik Republic), which is used for excursions outside the walls of Dubrovnik in the summer. Its 30m long and 7.7m wide. The drawings for the replica, completed according to old plans from the Dubrovnik Maritime museum, were done by Velimir Salamon, the man responsible for the falkuša.

The ship was constructed in Omiš, at a cost of about 1 000 000€.

Speaking of old boats, work continues on the leut. Mate, the Dalmatian carpenter, is replacing a certain number of planks. Roger, the English mechanic, will start work soon on renovating the motor. The crew will be an Aussie and a Frenchman - its becoming a true UN project.

Looking across the leut’s shed, for the last week the USS Mount Whitney has been tied up. The Whitney is the flagship of the United States Navy’s 6th Fleet (the Mediterranean Fleet) - it flies the pennant of Vice Admiral James A. Winnefeld.

It is considered to be the most sophisticated Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence ship ever commissioned. It can receive and transmit large amounts of secure data from any point on earth through the multitude of HF, UHF, VHF, SHF and EHF antennae on its decks.

The Sixth Fleet has both US and NATO responsibilities, and is based in Naples.

So why is it in Split?

President Bush is on his way to Eastern Europe. He will stop in Ukraine before going to Bucharest, Romania, for the opening of NATO’s largest summit ever on Wednesday.

NATO leaders will meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon as well as officials from the European Union and World Bank. They will also vote on expanding the alliance to include Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia, as well as vote on accepting applications from Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance, a move that is opposed by Russia. On Friday Bush will then come to visit us in Croatia.

President Bush will wrap up his trip in the Black Sea resort of Sochi for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing the U.S. missile defense system.

Joining the EU (hopefully by 2011) and NATO are the biggest issues in Croatia at the moment. Some people are against the moves - a new organisation has been formed in Croatia called the Anti-Imperialist Coalition, which has announced protests against President Bush at Franjo Tudjman Square in Zagreb on Friday at 5pm.

Though we are not happy with Americans at the moment - one competitor, American-owned Adriatic Kayak Tours, has been stealing our photographs to use on their website (we are fighting to have them taken down) as well as copying our Vis Tour- we see definite benefits in Croatia being an EU and NATO member. For instance we could take AKT to the European Court and not have to wait for the slow Croatian courts to deal with their infringement of our copyright.

So, things are heating up here and in the rest of Eastern Europe, with the West moving East. On top of all these meetings there have been the problems in Kosovo for the last month. That’s why the most important American ship in the Mediterranean is docked in Split.

Today was an example of that though Dubrovnik is definitely a beautiful town, it is quite superficial - Split has a tougher, yet richer, life.

As can be seen from the last posts we have been catching up on our newspaper reading. Old lefties who read The Guardian in the UK may have seen a recent article about the best places to take your loved one. Under the title Glamorous Romantic Getaways, our friend Goran and his restaurant Vila Kaliopa are given an excellent review, “Hidden behind the 16th-century Garibaldi Palace walls on the island of Vis, Villa Kaliopa is a secret garden of palms, sculpture and candlelit tables each out of earshot so you don’t have to whisper your sweet nothings where smiley waiters present the days catch.” (And Jules says I never take her anywhere special!)

Sounds like the perfect end to a day of arguing with that special person in a double kayak!

Felix Oppenheim, an excellent outdoor photographer, snapped us eating at a less salubrious (yet just as charming) eatery. Several photographs on our website were taken by him.

The Guardian also recently put Istria in its 100 Underated Foodie Breaks, and even mentions Motovun, “A cone-shaped peninsula, Istria is where the Balkans meet the Adriatic. Lushly forested and decidedly hilly, Istria is also where some of the world’s best (and biggest) truffles are dug. A lengthy meander around the inland walled hill-towns of Trst, Hum (the world’s smallest, so it boasts), Lupoglav, Buzet, Motovun - and many more - rewards you with enchanting eagle’s eye views, sleepy villages, and delightfully affordable restaurants with truffle-centred menus. Add fresh, young Croatian wines and a mere scattering of tourists and you’re in gourmet heaven.”

Another magazine, another poll and the Dalmatian Islands are again ranked very highly. Travel + Leisure Magazine put them at #7 in their Top 10 World’s Best Islands. Follow the link and you arrive at a 2005 article about many of the islands we often visit.

Of Dubrovnik - “Dalmatia’s most famous city is touted as an unspoiled gem, though this is really a matter of degree. While it’s not yet as overrun as, say, Prague or Positano (the two unlikely places that Dubrovnik most resembles), it’s well within the crosshairs of mass tourism. Dubrovnik’s Old Town maintains a precarious equilibrium between Then and Now, Here and Elsewhere. Menus in Italian, English, and German hang outside every traditional wooden-beamed konoba, or tavern. Benetton and Diesel boutiques line the medieval lanes. And pushcart vendors proffer not just handmade olive soaps but also Old Town mouse pads.”

On Korčula - “The sharp scent of pine resin mingles with salt air on Korcula, three hours by ferry from Dubrovnik. Forests of Aleppo pine, cypress, and holm oak make this one of the Adriatic’s most verdant isles. It’s known for top-notch wines and for being one of several alleged birthplaces of Marco Polo.”

About Hvar - “By far the most glamorous of the Adriatic islands, Hvar is heir to that noble lineage running from Cannes and Capri through St. Bart’s and South Beach: the latest of the famous international playgrounds. At the height of summer, Hvar Town is so relentlessly gorgeous it makes your eyes ache. Everything screams, Ogle me: the harbor edged with bougainvillea, the perfectly aged Renaissance façades, the absurdly huge yachts and sailboats, and a nonstop parade of caramelized torsos. As if the cast and setting didn’t already suggest a perfume ad, Hvar’s entire waterfront is redolent of lavender, which proliferates on the island and is sold in satchels by sidewalk vendors.”

And Vis - “From the sea, Vis seems an unforgiving hunk of rock, dotted with parched scrub and brush. Despite its desolate appearance, Vis holds remarkable natural bounty. More than 500 varieties of herbs flourish on the island (consider that the whole of England has only around 300). Climbing those scrabbly hillsides, you can grow dizzy from the scent of rosemary and sage. Asparagus, garlic, and arugula all grow wild here, alongside the mandarin-orange and carob trees—carob infuses the local grappa. There are also some passable island wines, such as the dry white Vugava and the ruby-red Plavac, which, for some reason, Viskis often dilute with ice cubes.”

We could have posted a picture of the islands surrounded by blue seas and sky, but instead its a dark interior shot - of another of Dalmatia’s draws - Modra Špilja (the ‘Blue Cave’) - a blue grotto on Biševo Island.

These last weeks we have been learning about wood in relation to traditional boats. For the leut, oak (hrast in Croatian) will be used below the water-line. But not just any oak - it must be either from Slavonia (the north-east rump of Croatia) or Lika (the area around Plitvice Lakes) - i.e. hrast lužnjak (in Latin - Quercus robur or in English - common oak). Bosnian oak (hrast kitnjak - Quercus petraea - sessile oak) just won’t do - its not as strong.

Its best to let the oak dry for a year; we were lucky to find first-class oak which had been stored for 3 years. The boards are currently about 5m long, 30cm wide and 3cm thick. They will be cut to replace those on the boat which may have rotted, etc. and will end up being 2.5cm thick.

Above the water-line, local pine is used. It only has to be kiln-dried for 72 days.

The above drawing was done by naval architect Velimir Salamon when he and Joško Božanić were preparing to rebuild the gajeta falkuša - the indigenous boat of Komiža, on Vis Island. The terms are the parts of the boat in Komižan dialect.

Instead of being built the traditional way, as a carvel planked boat, such as our old leut, the falkuša used 3 layers of thinner pine with West epoxy between. This means that the falkuša doesn’t have to be concerned about drying out and the planks shrinking. Kayaking around Dalmatia sunken wooden boats are often seen. This is done if the boat has been stored out of the water and the planks have opened up. After a couple of days under water the boat is retrieved and in the sun it all shrinks back together.

The last picture of me rolling over a boat was taken by Peter McBride when he came to Croatia with adventure journalist Jon Bowermaster on an Oceans 8 kayak expedition.

The New York Times recently published a list of the must-see places in the world for 2008. Included in this list, at an impressive #11, is the town of Hvar (on Hvar Island).

The NY Times describes Hvar thus:

“As Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast has become a new Riviera, Hvar has become its St. Tropez: a tiny village that fills with yachts and international partyers over the summer. While the waterfront Carpe Diem remains the island’s night-life center, narrow stone alleys are lined with chic cocktail lounges and hotel terraces, including the rooftop pool at the new Adriana Hotel, Croatia’s first Leading Small Hotels of the World member.”

Now personally I can only take the ‘jet-set’ in small doses. But when you combine the high-life with a little adventure its excellent. Many of those who visit Hvar Town only see its bars and nearby beaches, but there is a lot more to explore on the whole island.

The picture in the NY Times article is actually of a beach in Komiža, which happens to be on Vis Island - only 25 kilometers away - so much for the fact-checkers!

But both Vis and Hvar Islands are combined in our Vis and Hvar Islands Kayak Adventure - how’s that for a segue!? (And, yes, our picture at the top of this post is of a beach on Hvar!)

Ray Fusco, who I had fun with in early 2006, attempting to cross the Adriatic Sea, has been a busy man lately. Not only has he survived cancer - during our crossing, unbeknown to him, he had a fist-size tumor on his kidney - but he founded and organizes the New York Mayor’s Cup, a circumnavigation of Manhattan Island paddle race; consults to other events through Ray Fusco Inc.; and now teaches local NY high-school kids, who otherwise wouldn’t get a chance to experience it, kayaking.

Ray hopes to be back in Croatia on June 23rd with friends to help guide one of our Korčula to Dubrovnik Kayak Expeditions.

The dreaded ‘flu has meant we haven’t had many adventures recently.

For all our German friends (Hi An!), you can read about a day spent with the Smalbys on the Gajeta Falkuša last summer on the Alles Kroatien website. The Falkuša is one of the boats we use on our Kayak Tours.

We had a beautiful, sunny day today in Split. So we went for a walk around Diocletian’s Palace. Aklie rode his bike for the first time without training-wheels! In the video he is going great - a second after recording stopped he ran straight into the back of an unsuspecting lady! Photographs are posted here.

Time for another Dalmatian dish and appropriate wine. This month’s serving comes from Vis Island - another stop on one of our kayaking tours.
One of the remotest Dalmatian islands, Vis is proud of its fishing heritage. Komiža Pie was a staple of the men sailing their falkuše to the rich fishing grounds surrounding the islet of Palagruža.

Komiža Pie – “Komiska Pogaca”
Dough
1 ¼ cups of warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 ¼ tablespoons sugar
3 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons olive oil
(roll dough out to be 1.5cm thick)

Filling
2 medium onions – cut in thin rings
4 garlic cloves – finely chopped
pinch salt, pepper and crushed chili to taste
fresh basil roughly chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
400g chopped tomatoes - 1 tin
1 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons capers
4 tins sardines in olive oil and lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Serves 6 people

In a glass bowl dissolve sugar and yeast in the water – set aside for 15 minutes.
Add flour, salt and olive oil to the mixture above – knead for 10 minutes (adding flour if necessary) – use a rolling pin, roll out on flat floured surface.
Roll dough mixture into a ball and place in glass bowl – coat dough surface lightly with olive oil and cover with a damp cloth, set aside for 1 hour.
Mix together in a small bowl, garlic, salt, pepper, chili, tomato paste, tomato puree, chopped tomato’s, olive oil and capers.
Split dough mixture into 2 portions (one portion slightly larger – for top piece of pie).
Roll dough mixture out on flat floured surface.
Coat bottom of tray with thin layer of oil - place rolled dough on flat tray.
Spread tomato mixture onto dough.
Add sardines – breaking into pieces.
Add onions.
Add extra tomato puree if necessary.
Cover with remaining portion of rolled out dough mixture.
Pierce with fork and seal edges.
Baste top of dough with a little oil.
Bake for 30 minutes @ 180 degrees Celsius or until golden.

Vugava (also Bugava)
A long, fertile valley runs down the centre of Vis Island. Winemakers produce the ubiquitous Dalmatian red, plavac, as well as the indigenous white, vugava. The numerous micro-climates of the valley mean good quantities of similar high quality grapes can be hard to grow. Vugava was discovered on the island by the Romans when they arrived. They enjoyed it so much they took vines to France with them - where it became known as viognier.

Wine Maker – Antonio Lipanović
Colour – Honey, lemon, apple juice yellow
Bouquet – Light apricot
Palate – At 14% alcohol, this is a solid yet dry wine with just the right amount of acid to add an edge to the long, clean finish.

Some of our pictures.

Given that Europe has a population density of 112 people per km² (Australia’s is 2.6) it is difficult to find remote places to which to escape. The Pelješac Peninsula is probably as rugged as it gets in Croatia.

The Peninsula sticks erection-like from the mainland, about 1 ½ hours up the coast from Dubrovnik, towards Korčula Town. Two ridges of hills run up it, creating a central valley. These hills then drop dramatically into the Adriatic Sea on either side. The great thing is that, except for existing villages, this landscape precludes too much further development.

The view above is difficult to read but what it shows is the roof of our kučica (an old donkey shack) looking south with Mljet Island on the left and Korčula Island on the right. This stretch of water is the first section of our Korčula to Dubrovnik Kayak Expedition.

Eventhough its remote, Pelješac is not wild. In fact it could be even described as civilized given that it is known for 2 things that every fine meal needs - oysters and wine.

The briny water of the gulf between the Peninsula and the mainland has for millenia been known as a source of good quality oysters. Our friend, Tony (see above), is a local oyster and mussel farmer. He spends half the year in Croatia and the other half in New Orleans, where, up until Hurricane Katrina, his family also produced oysters.

Our favorite restaurant in Mali Ston for shellfish is Kapetanova Kuća.

Plavac Mali is the Dalmatian red wine grape. On Pelješac there are 2 regions, Dingač and Postup, that are allowed to use their names on wine made from this grape variety. Our kučica sits amongst the vines of Dingač and, as the vineyards are a Croatian cultural monument, no other houses can be built. The soil and steep south-facing slopes is what makes these areas ideal for red wine growing.

A close relative of plavac mali, another local grape variety, from Kaštela, next to the Split Airport, is the same as the world-famous zinfindel from California. The man responsible allowing this discovery is Mike Grgić, founder of Napa Valley winery, Grgić Hills. He was born in Dalmatia and recently returned to open a winery in Trstenik, one of the small towns on Pelješac. Another fine drop is made by Mario and his family at the nearby Bartulović Winery.

Our hope for the Dingač Shack is to drop a moderne Dalmatian box inside the existing stone walls. The platform is designed to take in the view. The box will be clad in compressed cement sheet with Dalmatian dogs screen printed onto each panel or in timber planks such as used on a traditional boat.