27.09 - Day 256 - Povlja to Sutivan, CRO
Friday 27th September - Povlja - Sutivan (Brac Island), Croatia (Day 256)
If this is a sleepy almost out-of-season village in mid-afternoon, it’s almost a ghost town at 6:30am on my walk barring the pair of espresso drinking locals at the already open Konoba.
Past the neat stone houses and a few empty sparkling bays. Past also the snappily named Memorial to fallen members of anti-fascist movement in the second World War on one of the headlands.
We have a quick first breakfast of cornflakes before wrapping up the school term’s work in our Apartment Andrej, rewarding them with a second breakfast at 10am down at Konoba Stara Uljara.
The lady in charge - Andrea - tells us we are the last booking of the summer in the apartment; she’s been living above the cafe since June and will move back into the apartment after we leave.
And leave we do, deciding to drive via Bol on the south side of the island, home to Zlatni Rat, a small peninsular of sand - picturesque for sure once you remove the tourists and deck chairs for hire.
Instead, armed with the firm favourite meat burek from a bakery, we perch on one of the town’s other beaches before diving into the sea for a swim and snorkel.
In the warm sun we drive up and over to Sutivan, on the way falling to google maps and its confidence of what constitutes a road. A narrow track, branches brushing the car on both sides - all in vain anyway because the supposed animal sanctuary we were trying to visit we never did locate.
Arriving at Vila Anni the kids are thrilled to see a swimming pool. On booking it we thought there might be a chance of other kids in this sprawling house with 5 apartments - but no, end of season means we’re the only guests.
The room also scores well with one balcony overlooking the pool, another with a dining table looking out to the sea, 100 metres away and towards Split on the mainland. The kids and I locate the beach while Kate sources dinner from Lidl.
Soon enough we’re all in the sea again, the kids are nice and confident in the water and also happy there’s a small platform floating 30 metres off the stony beach - perfect for jumping, diving or pushing each other off. Dinner on the balcony as the sun drops to our left.
