Billy white and my self Jack white on the fortress Fortica in hvah croatia.
DAY 1.
Our boat left for sail from Split on the 22nd of June 2013 with our Sail Croatia tour with busabout. Extremely dehydrated and hungover from the night before 'Our first night in Croatia'
Our Sailing Captain tied up the boat on the ferrie harbor next to a flotilla of boats. Surrounded by the view of what id always imagined a Mediterranean town to look like, old white stone buildings, orange tiled roofs and groups of middle aged men sitting round circular tables drinking expresso coffees and smoking cigarettes. We all walked towards the town center. Our group leader "damo" puts his hand in the air as he asks up to all come togeather. He points the group in a few directions...
1. St. Stephen's Cathedral,
2. The bars around the dock area
3. The fortress Fortica (Spagnola) which is a 25-30 minute hike up a hill
Hung over, unmotivated but determined to find the nearest kfc
" Found in the capital Zagreb about 287mi away"
Billy expresses the importance of not lazing around and getting the most out of our trip. Dragging my feet to the supermarket, we agree a picnic would be sound! Our basket is half full of breads, cured meat "prsute" green olives, cheese, a slab of butter, a few local beers.
On our trek up, we walk though the narrow side streets full of restaurants and little children selling sea shells and dried up urchins which have been neatly placed on a stack of white tissue wrapping paper. The steps though the streets are steep!
We get to what appears to be the start of the mountain. Surrounded by tall pine trees, over grown cactus plants and stone retaining wall connecting to the gravel walking path.
not even 100 mts up the hill and you can help but stop to gaze and the city below. The entry to the Fortress Fortica is only a stone though away!
Weve made it! Greeted by a young man sitting on a wooden chair with a hand full of tickets. As the sweats seeping though our pores we hand the man the money and ramble on. This magnificent military fortress is 98 percent stone and other two percent is made from steel which would have kept the prisoners in there sells.
" The building consist of a circular tower, ravelins, loopholes, guns, jail, corridors, and a chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist"
Billy im getting hungry les eat! We climb up and over a wall and happily situate our selfs on a flat section on the castle roof (The Stone Roof we are both sitting on in the photo at top of this post.)
To our absolute amazement, shocked by this breath taking view, we decide to celebrate and crack open our beers to have a cheers!
This photo represents to me the first feeling i remember having on my trip which made me realize that i was actually over seas, and in another country.
I will never forget the smile on my brothers face as we had a cheers and said to each other,
(this is living)
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