It is hard to believe that we are winding down this wonderful trip to Croatia. The coast of Croatia is beautiful. Each day the sun comes out, the water sparkles many shades of blue, giving us (Zee and I) the time to explore and discover new things.
We remained on Brač in the town of Bol for one more full day. Finally, we had time to wander for a full day. This town was quaint and unhurried. First we walked in one direction and then in the other, discovering interesting sites along the way.
These photos capture part of our walk to the church and the Dominican Monastery Museum.
On our way to the Dominican Monastery, we came across this abandoned hotel.
It sits perched above a small pebbly beach on the eastern edge of town and enjoys uninterrupted vistas across dazzling azure waters to the wooded hills of Hvar, just to the south.
You can’t stay there, sadly. It was abandoned when tourists stopped coming to the island of Brać during the Balkan Wars.
In the early nineties it was used to house refugees. But when the war ended, and they moved on, it was stripped of anything valuable and left to fall into disrepair.
There’s always talk of it reopening. But a dispute with the Dominican Monks in the nearby monastery is complicating negotiations. The hotel had originally been a Dominican school, you see, and the monks were forced to sell it by greedy Communist officials keen to turn a quick profit.
The murals are painted by artists who gather here every July for Graffiti Na Gradele.
For five days each year the hotel becomes a hive of activity.
Streets artists come from all over the world to paint over last year’s efforts and create new masterpieces of their own. There are workshops for local kids, Hip-Hop concerts and even rap battles.
And then the hotel goes silent again.
The Dominican Monastery museum in Bol is one of the largest and wealthiest museums on the island of Brac. The Dominican Monastery is located on the east side of Bol, on the Glavica peninsula. It was reopened to the public in 2021, harmoniously blending modern design and cultural and historical treasures.
Next to the Dominican monastery is a church of St. Mary of Mercy, built and rebuilt at various stages throughout the 16th century. It received its present-day Baroque form in 1641. The main altar, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the work of the world-famous Venetian painter Jacopo Tintoretto. The authenticity of the painting is confirmed by records of the monastery archives, which describe the acquisition of this precious painting in detail.
Then we walked in the other direction. We discovered Wind-surfers, and learned that this area is a place where championship windsurfing competitions are held. Competitors arrived from all over the world to compete.
The following morning we drove across the island of Brasc to meet the ferry. Our time on this lovely island had come to an end and we were off to Hvar. Tomorrow Hvar. I promise.
But not before we met up with one more of the feline population.
