Boat trip to Supetar, Brač Island

Friday May 17 was a spectacular day.  Felt like full summer-- blue sky and sun all day with a high of 25C.  We had purposely decided to wait to take our boat trip to Supetar on Brač Island on a day we knew it was not going to be windy or cloudy at all. 

Before we caught the 12:30 p.m. ferry, we returned for a short visit to the Art Gallery in the Old Town Hall.  When we stopped in yesterday, we hadn't realized that the whole building was a gallery and we only checked out the main floor.  There were two additional floors with the temporary exhibit of Raffaela Zenoni.  It was a fabulous exhibit.  We both really liked her work.  She had wonderful captions for all her pieces.

Second floor gallery

The Other Ancestral Gallery-Mette van Haren, 2019 "If you spend a long time with Mette van Haren, then at some point, which can take a while, she reveals to us her hairstylist?"

The Other Ancestral Gallery, 2018, "Antje comes from the land of tulips and her
                                                             gaze follows the windmills."     
                                                                                            
The Other Ancestral Gallery- Mr. Behrens, 2014 "Mr Behrens is a television newsreader, perhaps.  He greets the viewers with one laughing and one crying eye.  Sometimes he waves into the camera and doesn't stick to the manuscript.  He is not familiar with the teleprompter.  He speaks French, even though his name is Mr. Behrens.

The Other Ancestral Gallery-Urte, 2014 "Urte lives in a Norwegian fiord.  It is a pleasure for her to talk to her echo.  The rocky walls in front of her house make it possible.  
She does the asking and they answer her."


Allan admiring the paintings

We caught the 12:30 ferry to Supetar on the nearby island of Brač.  It is about a 50 minute ride and costs just 12 euros return (each).   Brač has an area of 396 square kilometres, making it the largest island in Dalmatia and the third largest in the Adriatic.  The island has a population of around 14,000 with about 3,400 living in the main town Supetar.  There are 22 settlements of various sizes on Brač.  The island is known for its beaches, the white limestone used for Diocletian's Palace, and its olive oil which has a protected designation of origin.

Leaving Split--- good view of the Marjan Peninsula and Forest Park where we were on Thursday

Allan relaxing on the boat

Very smooth ride-- perfect day for an Island visit

Arriving in Supetar

We decided to first pay a visit to the Ivan Rendić Gallery, housed in the second floor of the local library.
Ivan Rendić (1849-1932) began sculpting early on in life, thanks to the stone working tradition of the island of Brač, where he was raised.  He finished arts school in Venice in 1871.  Later he lived and worked in Trieste where he made the bulk of his works.  He was the "first famous and educated Croatian sculptor of the Modern age".  He made around 200 statues with his most famous works being public monuments raised in honour of famous Croats, which are found all over Croatia.  From 1921, he lived in Supetar. 

Outside of the Library/Gallery

Eugen Kumičić, Croatian writer (1850-1904), 1903

Marin Držić, Croatian writer (1508-1567), 1899

Emperor Franz Joseph, Austro-Hungarian emperor (1830-1916), 1898

Queen Elizabeth, Sissi, the Austrian empress and the Hungarian-Croatian queen. The Wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, 1899

Ivan Rendić, portrait- Joso Bužan, 1905

Bartolo Goić, A captain from Supetar, 1895

Very near to the Gallery is a restaurant called Konoba Vinotoka, which I had read was an excellent place for Dalmatian cuisine away from the standard harbour fare.  It was a very peaceful location with lovely outdoor dining with some shade.   We had a great lunch.

Croatian family having a feast... lovely garden beside the restaurant

Allan with our lunch--- seafood platter with marinated anchovies, salted anchovies, shrimps, and tuna paté and a seasonal salad

Statue in the garden next to the restaurant

We walked down towards the harbour and stopped at the Parish Church of the Annunciation.  It acquired its present form in 1887.  The first church was the Basilica of St. Peter.  The second church was mentioned in 1604.  It was destroyed by fire in 1727,  A new baroque church was built but was too small. It was expanded to its present form in 1887.

Parish Church

Freestanding clock tower next to the Church was built in the 18th century.


Stations of the Cross along the wall

Inside of the church

Just outside the church, there were some amazing mosaics from the 6th century.  We were amazed that one could walk on them.  They were part of the original basilica floor.

Mosaics from the 6th century

We peered down a few of the small streets near the harbour

We caught the 3:45 p.m. ferry back to Split.  While we were waiting on the boat, I was able to get a good photo of the horseshoe-shaped harbour.  A lovely small town.

Supetar harbour-- bell tower in the distance


It was so clear out- view of mountains approaching Split

We wandered into the Palace area, hoping that D16 would be open for coffee-- unfortunately, they had just closed for the day.  We decided to hang on the Riva (promenade) before heading back to our place.

All quiet on the narrowest street in Split

We sat out on the Riva enjoying the sun and sea 

Splitting Split-our last full day

For dinner, we went to Konoba Dujkin Dvor, serving traditional Dalmatian cuisine.  The menu had a lovely story about a poor fisherman, Roko, and his wife, Dujka.  Roko only had a boat to offer her as their residence, which he named in her honour "Dujkin Dvor" ( Dujka's palace").  The restaurant was named in their honour.  There was an inside part to the restaurant and a lovely outdoor part facing the Adriatic.

The outdoor section where we dined

Allan had a delicious grilled sea bream with Swiss chard Dalmatian style and I had Dalmatian pašticada (a braised beef dish cooked in a fragrant sweet and sour sauce) with Dujka's hand-made gnocchi.  

Fantastic dinner

Friday was our last full day in Split.  On Saturday, we take a 10:00 a.m. bus to Zagreb.  We arrive at 2:45 p.m.  We will be sad to leave the Adriatic Sea, but we are looking forward to visiting the capital of Croatia, Zagreb.  A shift from Italian influences to Austro-Hungarian influences in northern Croatia.  

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