I did a little more research on the old church we visited on Kornat island yesterday. There have been archaeological digs there since 2006, producing several papers. The main theme is that the island likely supported a much larger population than previously thought. The fertile valley we hiked through, the freshwater source(s), the commanding view over trade routes, and the size of the church along with it’s newly discovered baptistery all point to a thriving village rather than a remote outpost. As we swam past it today, there was a park worker noisily weed-whacking the church grounds, but it didn’t take away from the wonder of this place. From this spot you can trace human history from pre-Roman to Roman, Byzantine, Medieval Croatian, and Venetian influence. That’s pretty rare.

Sights to amaze above and below on our Kornat swim, including the old church and an octopus in its den. Hopper pointed out that the white of a turned up shell is often a great way to spot a den!

After that 1.8 mile swim, time for a sail. Guests Jodie and Jeff prepped the lines and raised a main and head sails, and we cruised past the lighthouse and into the northern stretch of the Kornati islands, which have a lot more trees. We could see the spot where Monday’s lightning storm had sparked a forest fire. Fried chicken and salads for lunch. Naps and books. More sailing.

Our afternoon swim was full of checking out octopus dens and gardens on the sandy, silty bottom. Some had extensive collections of wine bottles and pieces of bottles, colorful rocks, freshly cracked urchin shells, and even some very old looking pottery. I got up close to one den to find it was now home to an eel, who gave us a silent scream. I swam next to guest Myssie for a bit, noticing what a beautiful stroke she has, like so many of our guests. I like to think that SwimVacation has something to do with that.

*We couldn’t help but work our way up onto the soft limestone slopes for a little warm up. Quite comfortable actually!*

Back on the yacht, we refreshed ourselves as the locals do, with glasses of Pošip wine mixed with sparkling mineral water, called Gemišt. Matea plated a ridiculously yummy Gnocchi with stewed beef. When she introduces her meals, she often talks about how her grandmother makes these dishes. I ate too much of it, so when Matea offered to lead a hike up the nearby hill, I jumped at the chance, as did Jeff. The sunset from up there was spectacular. There was a pre-bed dip with bioluminescence.

Hopper

Lunch, appetizers, dinner and dessert were all Mediterranean delights to fuel our hungry bodies.

Wednesday: Gnocchi, Sailing, Sunsets.

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