After a lazy breakfast we set off at 9am for a walk along the tree lined shore around to Hvar. It was about a kilometre and there was a view at every corner, culminating with views of the lovely little town set above the water!
We had a guided tour of the town - all the ancient buildings and narrow alleys, and then had a coffee while while watching the yachts setting off for other adventures and more tying up in their place. There were tenders bringing tourists in from the cruise ship and the whole place was getting ready to celebrate the same festival as those in Split.
After a while we boarded the coach and headed off across the island to a spot Gasper was taking us for lunch. We passed lots of little farms with vines, potatoes and other veggies growing in terraced plots among millions of rocks that had been stacked up by the farmers for centuries. The rainfall here is very dependent on the winds that blow up off the Adriatic Sea and because of the hilly terrain and no rivers there is no irrigation - or much water at all for that matter, with Hvar's water coming from the mainland by undersea pipe!
Lavender was one of the staple crops grown here for many years, but a series of fires a few years ago wiped out pretty much all the plants! The veggies etc grown are pretty much for the use of the locals only and by the look of it farming is a very basic life - and pretty hard as well.
We wound our way up a very new and beaut road before stopping at a tiny settlement called Humac on top of a hill - a cluster of extremely old buildings and a church dating back to the 14th century! This was our "Be my Guest lunch" with a local family and we all looked at each other and thought that it was going to be some experience! How wrong we were! The couple who own the buildings have set a restaurant of sorts there - no running water or electricity - and Trafalgar tours, as well as many tourists, visit regularly. We sat in a terraced courtyard under olive trees and enjoyed a magnificent spread of cold meats and cheeses, then meats cooked in pizza ovens under clay hoods - basically steamed! There was veal, lamb and octopus and it was absolutely delicious, all washed down with as much homemade vino as you wanted!
The group all had a ball - and we got to know many of the others that we had not had a chance to catch up with properly. Suffice to say that a few vinos loosens the inhibitions nicely and a couple of the tour who had been very quiet up until now really came to life!
It was just after 4pm before we staggered back to the coach, after having a quick look at the old church, which like the houses was built in the 1400s and had been restored by the couple who owned it! Such a commitment to preserving the history of the island!
On arriving back at the hotel we had a quick nap and then showered and headed into Hvar for a walk - later on enjoying the beautiful views out over the bay and walking home about 11pm.
It has been a really beaut day on the quaint little island and one that will stay in our memories for ages!