We departed from Hvar right before breakfast and as our rooms are on the lower deck it is incredibly loud when the engines kick in. I can see why the boat stays docked in one location all night rather than cruising along. We had a “Swim Stop” scheduled in the morning where the boat anchors near the shore and we can hop in the water for a swim. They also had paddle boats and floaties and the kids loved it. The water was a bit cold to start with but no one seemed to mind.

Post lunch we just lazed around the boat and read books or had a little nap. The sun is quite strong and the weather is warm (bordering on hot) so everyone found an airy place in the shade on the different decks. We are sharing the cruise with a few retired couples from Queensland, a group of 4 friends from Finland and a couple of other local families who are celebrating the dads birthday. Its an eclectic collection, and other than meal times people just stay in their groups.

We had a second “Swim Stop” in the afternoon, however the water here was a lot colder. It didn’t seem to deter anyone and the paddle boats were again the favourite. Emily even decided to paddle all around the boat all by herself. There was a cave right near the shore and some of the other adults went exploring in there too.

For the night we docked in a town called Trstenik which is a tiny little town on the Peljesac Peninsula. We took a bus to a winery for some wine tasting and dinner. We also got to visit their donkey farm – which seemed like a weird addition. You could definitely smell the donkeys before you saw them – however the kids loved feeding them. It was a lot of fun till one of the donkeys decided to sneeze on all of us.

Dinner was a traditional meal which only included produce from the local area. The restaurant doubled as the room where they cured their ham for prosciutto and like and there were legs of ham hanging all around – and the smell was quite distinctive. Dinner was a whole lamb cooked in a rotisserie over an open fire. The potatoes and vegetables are placed in vats under the lamb and collects all the dripping fat making it incredibly succulent.