Arriving back in Split around midday on the 16th September to spend 2 nights with the oldies, before casting out to Hvar for a further 3, I was very excited for a week of parent-son time, after 9 weeks of travelling with friends. Being the good son I am, I spent the afternoon running around Split, booking into restaurants for dinner and collecting groceries for breakfast and beverage supplies for the next few days, so they could rest up after their lengthy transit from Greece. It brought a smile to my face as soon as I saw them and I'm sure they were delighted to see me back to good health, without all the bumps, bruises and scariness of my face from the last time I had seen them. We spent the days doing much the same as with the boys; shopping in the markets, visiting Bacvice beach for a swim and having social drinks by the port for sunset. The main thing that was different however, from being with the parents as opposed to travelling with a bunch of 20-something year old budget travellers, was the heightened level of fine dining that was enjoyed. The dinners at Split didn't involved chicken wraps or cheese Burek's, rather it consisted of soups, seafood plates of mussels, scampi, grilled and boiled fish, squid and salads. I could literally feel my health improving and my body thanking me for every bite I took.

Whilst 2 days in Split seemed to fly by, the three of us were all very excited to be heading out to Hvar; and it well exceeded our expectations. If Dubrovnik is considered the jewel of the Adriatic then I don't have words to describe Hvar. It is a paradise; a perfect holiday destination for any type of travellers; young, old or families. Whilst Dubrovnik is more of an old town with an interesting historical background, Hvar is the glitz and glamour of Croatia's Dalmatian islands, with beautiful weather, unbelievably clear water, a solid nightlife and swamped with immaculate boats & yachts docked from all around the world. With only 3 days here & a lot to get through, we had to jam pack as many things into each day as we could. With the first day for scoping out the many swimming spots of the island, we watched the sunset from the luxury of our ocean view balcony overlooking the Pakleni islands off the south-west coast of the town, thinking to ourselves 'we should get a boat and go over there one day'. And that's exactly what we did for the next two days.

The second day we decided to go for a morning walk up to the fortress that overlooks the island; of which we got a nice 180degree view of the Hvar coastline. Whilst the steep incline up the hill was a struggle with my current fitness level, it was well worth it with the views on offer and the photos taken from up there. After catching our breaths, we jumped on a water taxi to head over to the islands & checked out Zdrilic & Mlini beaches; two of the more known and accessible beaches of the islands. We spent a few hours here sun-baking and snorkelling in a very protected bay, which gave us a good taste and indication of what the islands offered and prompted us to book a speed boat for the following day.

With a speed boat in our possession on the final full day, we were able to access more beaches, including a small white pebbled beach in a cove off the mainland of Hvar, called Pokonji dol Beach, which was a great destination for a morning swim. However, it wasn't till we arrived at the bay of Palmizana that we were truly taken aback. Slightly further north than Mlini beach, we drove into this bay to what you'd think was the definition of paradise. Luxurious boats docked throughout and the owners jumping off them into deep aqua water that was so clear you could see the fish and the ocean floor. I think it was more of a honeymooners destination but it was well good enough for us to set anchor for the day to swim, snorkel, sunbake and have a couple of beers. We made a quick pit-stop on the way home via Hula Hula bar on the mainland coast. Similar in many regards to Potatohead Beach Club in Seminyak, but with a much more relaxed vibe and less pedantic crowd (not to mention that you can actually swim in this water without copping Bali belly), Hula Hula Bar is well known in Hvar for its sunset. Therefore we decided to dock here briefly, have a few drinks and watch the sun descend on what had been an awesome day.

With the parents leaving early the following morning on their way to Dubronik, it gave me time to sit on the balcony, overlooking the Pakleni islands and think to myself how great this place is, perhaps even pipping San Sebastián to the number 1 destination of our trip so far. After spending the past two and a half weeks in Croatia, it is the first time where I have noticed the time has actually flown by, which is mainly due to how good of a time I've had whilst being here. From Croatia sailing with Contiki, to hopping around the islands at my pace, it has become easy to see why so many people recommended it to me, as I would in turn recommend it to anyone looking to travel Europe in June/July next year. It's definitely a place I'd include in my itinerary again. With Croatia coming to an end, it signals the end of our tanning & swimming opportunities in Europe, as I head back to Split today for my early morning flight to meet up with the boys and many other friends in Munich for Ocktoberfest, for what are our final few days on the continent. Not a bad way to end what has been a whirlwind ten weeks of a European summer eh!