I was so excited to return to the island of Solta. Getting off the ferry in Rogac, I took the bus to Stomorska which is about a 20 minute ride. Traveling through the familiar landscape I really felt like I was returning to a special place. Inhaling, feeling the serenity, and peace of my surroundings, I felt like I had come home. Added to my excitement was knowing that I was going to see my dear friends Lidija, Ante and their family who were my AirB&B host last year and again this year.
We've kept in contact through the year and I was very excited to see them again. They made me feel so welcome and so comfortable, I truly value their friendship.
I did several hikes with LIdija, Sonjia and Sonjia's young daughter, Renada. Ranada is precocious and very cute! She is so smart and kept trying to repeat everything I said. I offered to teach her English if she would teach me Croatian!
We hiked through the olive groves stopping at fig trees were Sonjia and Lidija taught me how to find the best figs to eat right off the trees. I soon became obsessed with finding fig trees that had ripe fruit on them on my hikes.
I spent most of my days walking, hiking and enjoying the beautiful beaches in the village. I would spend my day at the beach and at the end of the day would go and watch the sunset at the Africa Bar with a cold beer.
It was a great time to be there in mid September when the crowds were less and it was not quite so hot. The days were beautiful averaging temperatures in the mid 80's and then cooling off at night.
I did rent a motor scooter for a couple of days from Ivo at Service Solta who I had met the previous summer. The thing I loveed about going back to Croatia after spending the summer there last year were all the connections and friends I had made. Knowing how to get around, where I wanted to go, and what I wanted to do, which made traveling so mush easier and enjoyable.
I took off on my scooter looking for new adventures and new coves to discover for swimming and snorkeling. My first stop was lunch at Restaurant Pasarela in Rogac with it's beautiful views and delicious food. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Croatia.
With the motorbike I was able to travel from Stomorska to Maslinica, on the western end of the island of Solta in less than an hour. I loved riding through the pine forest and olive grows with the scent of rosemary and lavender. There was no traffic on the two lane wide open road. With no people in sight and the wind blowing through my hair (well...what little hair I have even though I did have a helmet on!), I felt truly grateful.
Among my discoveries this trip was a beautiful cove named Stracinska Bay that I found traveling down a small, winding, gravel road through dense pine forests, olive groves, and vineyards. The path eventually opened up to the most beautiful beach. I love that element of surprise not knowing what you will find at the end of a long road. This bay had the most pristine, clear, water that I had seen on my trip. The snorkeling was amazing with so many large schools of fish swimming around me and the reefs were so vibrant and beautiful as well.
Another cove I discovered was located in Masslinica called Sipkova Cove which is the only sandy beach on the island. This was the perfect location on the most western point of the island to view some stunning sunsets.
I was sad when Ante dropped me off at the ferry for my departure. My time had been short in the small fishing village of Stomorska but I loved every minute. Spending time with my friends, taking in the beauty and just relaxing. I look forward to my return next summer.