Korcula
The plans for a “lazy” morning were welcome after most of us stayed in town for dinner in Dubrovnik last night. Weighing anchor at 0400, we were pleasantly surprised with a sunrise breeze that prompted Captain Britzolakis to set the sails for a short but very nice early morning sail. The winds had laid down by 0900 when we anchored off some small islets off the southeast coast of Korcula. It was an idyllic Adriatic morning, lazing on the decks, jumping off the fantail into the refreshing waters for a swim, or paddling the ship’s kayaks around the layered limestone islets. The massive ridge of the Peljesac Peninsula was a stunning backdrop to the entire morning.
Our Croatian guide Nikolina gave an introduction to the entire country of Hrvatska (Croatia in English), while the ship moved in to dock in the medieval port of Korcula. This is a model medieval town, laid out in a slightly sloping herringbone pattern with curving streets to protect against sun, wind, and invaders. Purported to be the birthplace of the great explorer Marco Polo, Korcula had wealth and influence in the Venetian times as a trade center and bastion of Catholicism. This was evident in the art and treasures of the Bishop’s Palace and the Cathedral that our guides Nikolina and Andrea showed us around the town.
But Korcula is mostly an agricultural island, famous for its vineyards and especially its white wine. We took a short drive out of town in the late afternoon to the Milina –Bire organic winery, where our hostess Visna poured the distinctive Grk white wine, the red “plavic mali,” which is the most popular red wine grape in Croatia and is related to the Zinfandel grape, and finally a host of family liqueurs. Trying them all with smoked ham, cheese, olives and dried fruit, we debated our favorites until we wobbled back to the bus.
Sunset found us in the open summer theater of the medieval town, the privileged audience of the 400-year-old Moreska sword dance. The orderly dance represents the Catholic and Moorish armies fighting over a captured princess, and it is still performed as it would have been for the nobility centuries ago. Handed down from generation to generation, everyone in Korcula is somehow connected to the Moreska.
A barbecue grill buffet greeted us for dinner at the ship, and although we were full and tired, it was hard to resist one last walk around the walls of Korcula in the evening.
