July 8, 2017
Up early for the passenger ferry to Korčula. The boat was jam-packed with people heading further up the coast, mainly to Hvar and Split. For some reason, we were not allowed to be out on deck, so the crew crowded us all unto the stuffy passenger compartment. The view from the lower deck was obscured by a boat-length ad, while visibility from the upper deck was limited by accumulated salt spray (1).
I had never heard of Korčula, but the ferry stopped there, so we decided to get off and continue on to Split the next day. Korčula was an amazing place. Located on Korčula island, this compact penninsula has been home to a city since at least the third century B.C. The city's modern form and architecture dates from the 1500s, during the period of rule by the Venetian Republic.
The town is rather low-key. The channel leading to the island is too small and shallow to accomodate large cruise ships (which call frequently at Dubrovnik and Split) and there are no flights to the island. The incremental time to get here keeps down the crowds, but the extra effort is well rewarded.
We climbed the bell tower of Sveto San Marka Church in the main square and lingered to enjoy the panoramic view of the city, the sea, and the archipeligo within which the island is located, and to hear the bells chime the noon hour. We poked into various museums and saw the house in which Marco Polo was born.
In the afternoon, we took the water taxi to the small Island of Badija, which has a Franciscan Monastery and a very nice beach with crystal clear, azure-tinted waters.
(1) I've travelled in similar ferries through the Fjords of Norway and elsewhere, but apparently the sheltered and placid waters of the Adriatic are too dangerous. These limitations made the ferry ride only slightly more charming than a long-distance bus trip.
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