In 1754, the English author Horace Walpole gave us the word serendipity from an ancient Persian fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip, Serendip being the old name for Ceylon or Sri Lanka. According to the story, as the young princes travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of. 'This discovery', wrote Walpole in one of his letters, 'is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word.'
Journeys have a way of creating their own momentum, and anticipating serenditpity seems especially true of Lastovo. One of the first people we met on our initial exploration of the island cautioned us that the Lastovo experience is unpredictable and quirky, a place of surprise and discovery where you often least expect it.
Our week-long holiday on Lastovo is designed for travellers who would like to experience life in the slow track, on an island described by the WWF as ‘one of the ten last paradises in the entire Mediterranean’. The programme includes accommodation in one of four self-catering apartments on Skrivena Luka (Hidden Bay), a day trip by boat to the nearby island of Mrcara and an evening excursion to the lighthouse of Struga.
Tiny Mrcara is a part of the Lastovo archipelago. Its name derives from the word myrtle, an evergreen shrub with aromatic red berries that grows everywhere. Except for a family of resident goats and mufloni, the island is uninhabited. The coastline is rocky and indented with numerous coves and inlets. A canopy of juniper and pine blankets the interior. Rosemary, sage and lavender grow wild by the bushel.
Your hosts, Branko and Rada, live in Split during the winter, but at the first sign of spring re-locate to Mrcara. Three bungalows in a clearing, a 'summer kitchen' on the beach and a covered pergola draped in fishing nets is their idea of paradise. The excursion to Mrcara begins in Ubli harbour where Branko will meet you with his boat. A row of wooden benches, a few crates of beer and a bundle of fishing tackle is about all it holds. That, and an outboard motor. The 30-minute journey to Mrcara takes you across the bay and into a channel of pine-fringed islets splashed in paintbox hues of blue and green. After disembarking at the pier on Mrcara, Rada will welcome you with homemade brandy and a basket of warm fritule. The day will be yours to explore the island – a Robinson Crusoe landscape of wooded trails and clearings, panoramic lookouts, secret coves and rock-strewn beaches. Ask Branko to tell you about the history of the island, the animals that live there, the green fields where crops were once grown, the artesian wells and abandoned olive groves. You can swim, snorkle, beachcomb, help with the cooking, visit with your hosts, or simply stretch out and listen to the crickets. At lunchtime, Branko and Rada will prepare a small feast –anchovies drizzled with olive oil and matar, proscuitto and cheese, fish caught in the nets that morning, fresh greens and roasted potatoes – all washed down with a carafe of homemade red wine and a shot or three of brandy. Later in the afternoon, you can go fishing with Branko. Or enjoy one last, delicious swim before heading back at sunset for Lastovo.
The lighthouse of Struga sits on a rocky promontory eighty metres above the entrance to the bay of Skrivena Luka on the island's arid southern coast. It was built in1839 by the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph and is still in use today. Jure Kvinta, the lighthouse keeper, lives next door with his wife and children in an area just big enough to kick a soccer ball without it flying over the edge. Jure's parents and his parents' parents were lighthouse keepers. In fact, Jure was born in a lighthouse on the remote islet of Palagruza. Amiable, shy and always on the move, Jure's main job is watching over the light. During his free time, he fishes, mends the nets, keeps the boat, does repairs, maintains the property, and shuttles the children back and forth to school in Lastovo Village. His wife Nada does the cooking and gardening, takes care of the guests who come to the lighthouse, juggles home and family, and tells the stories. Our excursion to the lighthouse is a journey to another world. A glimpse into a lifestyle few of us will ever know. Our friend Vinko, the proprietor of Villa Klara, will be your guide. The walk to the lighthouse takes around 30 minutes. There, Nada will greet you with a sampling of homemade brandies she and Jure make from grapes grown in the family vineyards elsewhere on the island. While Jure runs back and forth between the kitchen and shed, stoking the fire and cleaning the fish, Nada will give you a tour of the lighthouse and share as many stories as you are interested in hearing. Be sure to have a peek at her garden. Encircled by drystone walls - on the edge of the precipice - it has to be one of the most splendid patches of kitchen greenery anyone could imagine.
At sunset a table will be spread for two outside on the terrace or under the fig tree by the lighthouse. There dinner will be served, under the stars, high above the twinkling lights and deepening shadows of Skrivena Luka. Depending on the season and catch of the day – a typical menu will include a tuna pate, fresh greens, Swiss chard, potatoes, chargrilled Adriatic fish - caught in Jure's nets –garnished with olive oil, herbs and garlic, a bottle of wine, a flask of brandy. No wonder the Romans called it Augusta Insula - the Emperor's Isle.
Our Emperors Isle holiday venue:
