01.10 - Day 260 - Sutivan to Split (ferry)

Tuesday 1st October - Sutivan (Brac Island) - Split Ferry, Croatia (Day 260)

After a final morning walk, with no school work at the moment it’s easy to pack up and leave by 9:30am leaving Villa Anni, driving 10 minutes over to Supetar and catching the 10:30 ferry over to Split on a large car ferry. 

Surprisingly very busy, considering we barely saw anyone on Brac Island. It’s an easy 45 minute flat journey from which we then park the car nearby as our upcoming overnight ferry leaves from the same port. 

As the sun beats down we stroll to the smart waterfront, the land reclaimed to add space in front of the old Diocletian Palace. It’s mostly free to wander around, though guided tours with their leader bearing a raised paddle or umbrella are 2 a penny. 

It mostly now houses shops, restaurants and gelaterias on every corner. It’s a place where a tour would help bring it to life to engage the kids or perhaps we could have done some pre-reading. 

Still, browsing a few shops, market stalls and of course snack stops at bakeries we ‘waste’ half a day, eventually rewarding Sienna and Seb with the promised gelato. In the market I had found a replacement stone ring - hopefully this one lasts longer than the one bought in Utah. 

Picking up some pieces for picnic dinner we collect the car and make our way ready to drive onto our second ferry of the day. 

By 6pm we’ve driven into the belly of this huge ferry and on the 7th level deck get our key for our cabin. We’d set our expectations at Vietnam overnight train level, so are pleasantly surprised by the space in the cabin (no window, but a shower). The kids are more than happy for bunk beds. 

In the main lounge area we eat our dinner whilst other passengers who have not paid for a cabin claim lounger chairs or more private corners. 

Dinner and card playing is only interrupted by our casting off, with Sienna, Seb and I standing at the back watching Split fade away behind us in the dark night. 

Thankfully the water is perfectly calm as we drift off to sleep in our cabin.