I didn't really know much about the Dalmatian Coast before we arrived here. After a short time I have learned, this place is amazingly beautiful. The water is a beautiful blue. The architecture and land are just what I expected of a Mediterranean environment, even though we are in the Adriatic. Everything is so clean and safe. I love it here and wish we had longer to explore.
View of the suspension bridge from our balcony.
View from our balcony. All the houses looked like this, white with red tiled roofs.
We had breakfast in the room to make it easier to get to our excursion meeting point on time.
Waiting on our bus.
Ready for action!
I couldn't pronounce or remember our tour guide's name.
We headed away from Dubrovnik to take a panoramic drive on the coastline.
Passing over the bridge. The water was amazing.
We stopped here to be hosted by a family. They showed us their old olive oil press and to treat us to authentic home grown food.
This is the son of the owners. He handled all the talking and did need a little help with translation. I believe he said this olive oil press has been in his family for generations and is 300 years old.
The process starts with a horse powered mill that grinds up the olives and seeds into a paste.
This is the press which is hand driven.
The past is spread onto coconut rope "bags."
The man walked around the mill and the horse followed him.
This grinds the olives and seeds.
The bags are stacked at the bottom of the press.
The screw on top of the press is turned by hand and the oil drips out the bottom into a well like structure.
Water is boiled here and used to get the oil to rise to the top of the vat where it is captured. This is the hot press method.
After seeing the demonstration, we walked around the house to outdoor tables prepared for us with the family's home grown produce, bread, olive oil, and wine. It was so beautiful and the garden so lush, it felt like being on the set of Mama Mia!
Here's the Papa extolling us with a toast.
He was growing a bit of everything. His tomatoes were luscious.
I was sad to leave. They were a lovely family.
They use a more modern process to make their olive oil now. The old labor intensive method isn't used anymore.
The view from their home.
We drove down the hill and continued to our next stop.
Our next stop was a small vineyard and winery called Vina Vukas.
This is a small family operation as well.
Flowers line the walkway.
The owner offered us a tasting of six different flavors of grappa.
We sat under this kiwi vine.
When I saw these luscious hydrangeas I thought of Joy and Tanner's wedding.
Stored bottled wine.
They also sell olive oil.
They have won awards.
He offered us a tasting of three varitals.
I spotted this stone pot by the door. Olive oil was stored in stone pots.
Our next stop was Ston.
Walls and fortifications surround the small town. They were built in the 1300s. In September there is a competition to run up the walls. No thank you.
Ston is famous for its saltworks. They have been making sea salt here since ancient times.
Fortification built to protect the town and the salt operations. According to our guide the salt was so valuable it was traded for gold.
Ston was originally an Illyrian settlement, then a Roman Colony since 167 BC.
The Church of St. Blaise. I think there is one in Dubrovnik as well.
The town was small. This town was built at the sight of the former one whi h was destroyed by earthquake in 1252.
We're standing in a square. They have a salt festival every year in August here.
Cats were brought in to eat rats to combat the plague.
The other sine of St. Blaise's church.
Old olive oil press on display.
We drove down to the marina. These walls were very tall.
We took a boat ride out to an oyster and mussel farm.
Oyster farm
They served us an herbal grappa. No me gusto. They seemed very proud of and attached to drinking grappa daily.
The boat owner demonstrated how he grows and harvests oysters.
In a brief mishap the umbrella he was using for shade blew up on top of the boat.
He pulled up the preharvested oysters in the green basket and shucked them while he talked.
He uses this webbing to catch baby oysters from the sea.
Then they grow in this basket until they are larger.
He cements the oysters on a rope and uses a float to keep up with them. It takes three years before they are ready to eat.
Ricky got a double portion- his and mine.
He said they were good, but salty.
Next they cooked some preharvested mussels in a wine sauce right on the boat.
We sailed back to the marina, then it was time to get back to the ship.
We walked past a restaurant with this big wooden box of sea salt out front.
After all the food and wine and sun (it was another really hot day) we had supper in World Cafe and called it done.
If you every get the chance to visit the Dalmatian Coast - GO! It was beautiful. If I had one more day I would explore the old town of Dubrovnik.
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