HEAVENLY KORCULA

  Having heard and read about the southern Dalmatian island of Korcula, we rethink the rest o four trip to spend 3 days at a boutique hotel there on the seafront. It is everything we need at this point, walking distance into the old walled town, spectacular views every direction and warm, friendly hotel staff, catering to our every need.  

  We are in the little capital walled city of the island of Korcula north of Dubrovnik, south of Split. It is supposedly the birthplace of Marco Polo so we are Marco Polo-ed everywhere we look. The little eponymous resto in town is good for a seafood feed, but we have to rap up warm to get there, it is really cooling off in the evenings now here on the last.

  They are had 3 months of summer of record-breaking heat, 30-40 degrees every day, and the bushes, trees, even palms have died. Everyone is craving rain, we are not.

  First day here, took a drive to top of island and back, looking for a nice place to lunch and wineries to taste wine. No on both counts. Closing down for the season everywhere - but lively in town. 

  Gorgeous views at the top of the ridges of islands all around in clear blue sea, lovely little villagers scattered in the hills and vineyards everywhere, on the steepest slopes so all hand picked. Zig zag roads so Ted is happy with hairpins and hardly anyone else on roads. A few brave cyclists.  No rain today, clouds rolled over but that's OK.

  We visit a few wineries but they are really quite small-town compared with other wine regions we have visited. At one we have to be ‘expected” but when we get there, it is full of one boisterous large group of young people and a German couple sitting 2 tables away chain smoking! Hardly the ideal for a wine tasting, $15 and a meager hint of 3 wines, which is all they produce. Roll on Chile and Argentina next spring...  

  We have dinner back in Korcula on the roof of a building jus under the bell tower. Ted finally tries the black squid risotto, and declares it a big success. I send my fish back and then tackle a replacement plate of spiny scampi. We are wrapped up well for the night damp air now and I return for a nice soak in my bathtub at this lovely little hotel.