An hour ferry-ride from Split, then a quick trip by car and boat to this beautiful, isolated cove. And there I stayed. The island is a protected wilderness, the house was an exception granted in the 70s, and once a gift from the government to a locally famous writer. I predicted that I would be a third wheel to Mirta and Vladko, but they did so much to make me feel welcome. Life in the cove has a relaxing pace, and a lot of the fun comes from learning the little rituals: making Turkish coffee, making a fire to cook Vlatko’s fish (he plays for Šibenik 11 months out of the year, and his month off he spends with his speargun, mostly underwater), scouting out the babes on the sea floor (the sea urchin babes, that is–they decorate themselves with small rocks to distinguish themselves from the males). Mirta told me an old Dalmatian saying: “A loaf in the shade is worth two in the sun.” It sounds familiar at first, but…not. And, of course, you understand it better after a few days here.
Last two photos courtesy of Mirta and her fabulous waterproof (and dangerous fish-proof) Samsung.
