Korčula
Day 7 of Italy-Croatia 2018 trip / Day 4 in Croatia
East side of Korčula Old Town and the Pelješac peninsula in the background
Off to visit a Croatian island! A visit to Croatia isn't complete a visit to an island. It took a long time for us to decide which island to go to (Brač, Hvar, Vis or Korčula) as there was a lot of factors to consider (how to get there, how to get around, what to do there etc.) But Korčula (pronounced “Kor-chu-lah”) won out!
The biggest issue was getting there from Split; it would take quite a few hours on a ferry (HRK 240 = AUD 52.57 for 2) but we sucked it up. We left our big luggage with Branko and made it to our 9:30 AM ferry, which arrived at around 12 PM with a stop at Hvar (at which most passengers disembarked at). The ferry was ok and pretty comfortable. We sat near the back to reduce the possibility of me getting sea sick. Luckily that didn't happen and I was able to eat breakfast!
Burek for Breakfast on the ferry
Our accommodation was Rondina House located in Old Town, by the water, but our room did not have a nice view. It was yet another unit turned into basic accommodation. The host here was not as friendly as the other hosts we had encountered.
Bistro Skver
For lunch, Bistro Skver seemed like a good choice. It was located just outside Korčula Old Town, so it was away from the waterfront. It was also kind of in a lane, so really non descript and kind of hidden wawy. There seemed to be a lot of locals seated and not many tourists.
The bistro had no menu as it changed daily. A waiter seated us down and told us what was on offer. By then they only had 2 options left out of the 4 they had that day. He explained to us what the 2 options were and we agreed to have one of each (HRK 80 = AUD 17.39 each).
I had the chicken, which was simple yet homely. It wasn't as tomato-y as it looks but still tasty.
Chicken
A had Sarma (stuffed cabbage rolls), which were stuffed with meat (couldn't tell which type!). It came with a side of sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. I don't like cabbage but I did like they meaty bits. The sauce was tastier than the chicken! A liked his a lot more than my chicken.
Stuffed cabbage (sarma)
Old Town
The town of Korčula has a lot of history. It's claimed (by the Croatians) that Marco Polo was born here but this has been long disputed. It's been under the rule of many different powers including the Venetians in the 12th century.
After lunch, we had a walk around. Korčula's Old Town looks a little like a mini Dubrovnik with its city walls, orange rooftops and Gothic and Renaissance style buildings. I have to note that there weren't all that many people around, which meant things were rather quiet, but I didn't mind.
Town Gate
Cathedral of Saint Mark
City wall as seen from the northern pier
Western Pier and Large Governor’s Tower
Fort Wellington
We left old town to take a small hike to Fort Wellington, a fortress on a hill which, if you're able to go inside and up to the roof, has great views of Korčula and the Pelješac peninsula. The walk up to the fortress wasn't so bad.
On the way, we encountered an older couple but otherwise, there were no other tourists. We had a quick word but unfortunately they didn't tell us that the fortress was locked up. Reviews on Google Maps did indicate that it was pretty unlikely you'd be able to get inside as it's usually locked up. How disappointing!
Fort Wellington
Not sure of what we should do after visiting Fort Wellington, we decided to take the long way down. We found the road and followed it down the hill. I was glad we did as we found this lovely view:
View of Korčula Old Town
We decided to have a nap as there wasn't a whole lot else to do in this small town.
Konoba Marco Polo
For dinner, we spent ages walking around having a look at all the menus in Old Town before settling on Konoba Marco Polo. I had really wanted to try “Makaroni” (HRK 115 = AUD 25), which hails from Žrnovo, a town on Korčula island, just a few KMs from Korčula town. The pasta is made using a little pasta dough, wrapping it around a stick then rolling it between both palms of your hand. The pasta here was silky and smooth. The sauce was actually quite stewy rather than saucy as you see in Italian pasta dishes. Very meaty and savoury, quite nice. A bit different to your Italian ragù, which is a tad sweeter. 7/10 #ipinions
Makaroni
A ordered a Rizot Sipa Crni (cuttlefish risotto) (HRK 105 = AUD 22.82), which is actually ubiquitous on the Dalmatian coast. He was happy with his generous and tasty choice.
Rizot Sipa Crni
We also got a plate of anchovies (HRK 56 = AUD 12.17) to share - it was exactly what we expected, so no complaints.
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