Saturday, June 29, 2013

June 20th, Zadar, Korneci Islands



6/20     Thursday
            The tour to Korneci Islands is on a not-too-big mostly wooden ship. It’s about half full, and we’re glad to be ahead of the crowded season, because there are still people at every table. As we clear the waters around Zadar and head out to the archipelago, we’re served breakfast, a ham and cheese sandwich, no coffee. We have a lively family group next to us, playing one enthusiastic game of backgammon after another, with Grampa slamming the table every two minutes. Talk about annoying…
            The ship cruises out for a couple hours, reaching the nearly barren Korneci islands, taking us along under a rock cliff, not nearly as dramatic as Pictured Rocks in the USA, perhaps, but still a good view. We stop at a small harbor to disembark for a swim in a big salt lake. We find a little shady spot for our swim. The water’s too warm for me, but very salty and fun enough. We watch as hundreds of tour boaters come into the park. Some get into the water, others climb up a small rise where, from the lookout peak, one can see the grey shape of land that is Italy in the distance, about 130km away.
            There are some wild donkeys on the island, and three of them meander by as we’re leaving the beach. They look pretty scruffy. Not unhappy, just scruffy.
            We have lunch on our return trip. We’re pleasantly surprised to find that it’s grilled whole fish with salad. And wine. Everyone enjoys the lunch as we travel back through the islands. (Everyone except for one tweener boy who is having a big mope, he apparently was totally bummed to see the fish lunch. Eventually his little sister finds him some bread and peanut butter to save the day.) As we sit with our plates full of fish bones, Bob starts tossing them out to the seagulls. As soon as I call him out for being so déclassé, everyone else joins in and soon there are fish heads flying out all over the place. There’s plenty of wine, so everyone is much friendlier on the way home. We chat a while with some Canadians, Quebec Separatists, aka delusional, and a young couple from Switzerland. 
            When we get back to Zadar, I am ready for a real swim. We head to the promenade with the Sea Organ and jump in. AHH, cold water! Much better.








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