Under the Boardwalk (Šipan Luka - Cavtat, Croatia)

Šipan is the name of the island and Luka the name of the town we visited. It is a small island and Luka is pretty much a fishing village. It has a number of restaurants along the waterline that looked a very pleasant place to sit and while away the time. It was lovely to be away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist areas, although we ended up having two other ships moored off ours.

This would make a nice escape from the Australian winter.

With such limited port capability, our ship was moored nose in with the bow only a couple of meters from a local's front window. A rather confronting sight no doubt first thing in the morning!

The church off in the distance.

We had a guided tour of the village which lasted around 45 minutes and covered a tad over 1 km. We walked through the village which appeared to have a population of cats that outstripped the number of people. They greeted us as we left the ship and were found lounging everywhere along the shoreline.

The welcome cat.

The tour weaved its way up to the church which provided views back over the bay. As we stood admiring the view the bells rang out for 7pm. We returned to the ship via a different way that required walking down a series of limestone steps. Apparently there are over 120 chapels and churches on the island. Back in the day each house had a chapel and the priest lived with the family. Not sure about that as a concept.

Outside an art studio.

There were a number of buildings that needed attention.

Basically the economy of the island centres around agriculture and fishing with some service work at the small number of tavernas. The island is renowned for having the most densely planted olive trees around the region.

The sunset from near the church.

Back on board, we had dinner and a music trivia night. We did not win. The questions were skewed to a slightly older demographic. The winning table left, heads high to the sounds of Queen's We are the Champions. Most unbecoming behaviour, dear reader. So the song title today is one of the answers we did not know. Under the Boardwalk by The Drifters, the original version was required not any covers.

The ship next door had a disco that didn't finish until after 11pm, although we were unaware of this until the morning when it was being discussed at breakfast.

A cave in the limestone cliffs.

We sailed at 9 am after breakfast and then moored the boat just after 10 am for a swim, probably our last off the back of the ship. It was another excellent spot, crystal clear water, sea grass, a few little fish and that was about it. We bobbed around and swam to and fro for half an hour. It was always interesting to see what drink with which the Captain would us back on board. Yesterday was Limoncello, today was Grappa. Pass. Not a fan. Best not to drink it near an open flame, dear reader.

After some reading and blogging on the back deck, it was lunch time. Already? I had a glass of bubbles to toast the valiant Warriors and avidly watched the score between the Sharks and the Roosters. Happily the Roosters were knocked out of the finals. Time to celebrate.

A lighthouse near Dubrovnik.

The early afternoon was spent cruising towards Dubrovnik, not that we are stopping there. Captain Neno, no, not Nemo, Neno, slowed the ship down so we could photograph the famous stone walls. It certainly is spectacular from the sea. The churches hold pride of place on the hill top within the fortress, of course, and a sizeable cross crowns the mountain behind the town where the cable car completes its climb.

The famous walled city.

We'll be back in a couple of days to explore the old town. The motor was cranked up again as we headed for Cavtat. We are here overnight because the government in Montenegro changed the rules and we are no longer allowed to dock in Kotor. We are completing that part of the journey tomorrow.

Cavtat.

Cavtat is another of the lesser ports, still populated by tourists, not as large as Split but not as small as Šipan Luka. The old town contains all the things you would expect, cafés along the waterline, a few market style stalls, restaurants and bars. Oh, and a couple of churches. I bet that surprised you.

We walked around the peninsula, about 2 kms. The shore is dotted with swimming spots, some that boast a bar. To hire an umbrella for the day was €5 and sun lounge was €9. Somewhat cheaper than the Golden Cape at Bol. On the other side of the peninsula, we watched a couple who were parasailing, get reeled in to the boat that had been towing them. They were landed on the boat. I always imagined they would be dropped in the water. This is new information. Excited. It's now on the list of things to do.

The other side of the peninsula.

The round trip brought us back near the ship at a small market. Nothing of any real interest. We then turned and walked to the other point before the sun beat us down and we returned to the safety and shade of the back deck of the Lady Eleganza. Once we had navigated the two British women posing at our gangway. No, dear reader, they were not a part of our cruise.

Did I mention that Cronulla Sharks beat the Eastern Suburbs Roosters in the knockout final today? Oh, sorry. Just checking.

There was not much more to report. It was a lazy day on board the ship, watching the passing parade on shore and the other ships attempting to dock alongside us.

We have a big day tomorrow so I'm not sure when the next post will appear.

Until then.