Last leg…

Made it!

How hard can it really be?

We didn’t make them sleep on the floor all night.

Cheers Malta!

View from dinner - mixed reviews on the waiter

Good evening, Valletta

Fancy ice cream

Is anyone here a lion proctologist? \240

Good night, Valletta

A solid 8 - 10 hours and we were ready to go this morning. \240Today’s plan, drive to the other side of the island and board our 2 hour boat tour. \240Seems easy…

Roundabouts, driving on the left, questionable transmission. \240Must be Monday! \240We made our way to the meeting point with a quick stop for boat snacks along the way. \240Quick note, if you get this rental car we’re driving maybe don’t park on a hill because the reverse gear seems optional. \240Or, have a couple boys at the ready to give you a little push to get out of your parking spot and you’ll be on your way in no time!

Our boat captain, Casper from Thailand, pulled up dressed in his Mickey Mouse shirt promptly at 11AM. \240He dumped out his previous two passengers and we boarded the No Worries for our 2 hour tour. \240We anchored in the Blue Lagoon and while we didn’t see Brooke Shields, we did swim and the boys got in their first cliff jump. \240

Part of the experience is to bring bread to feed the fish. \240While we didn’t get anything specific, while I was enjoying a swim Casper started launching small portions of his sandwich toward me and several fish swarmed to eat it. \240As long as they weren’t phiranas I guess it was nice.

We went around a couple of different areas, all which were quite busy with many boats and people enjoying the day. \240The ice cream boat passed by but at that point we were tending to Cameron’s minor jelly fish sting. \240The boys were swimming to another jumping spot when they quickly reversed. \240The fish got Cameron in a few different spots and, since no one was willing to pee on him to soothe the sting, Casper whipped out a credit card and scraped the area. \240Apparently this helps remove the several tiny needles from the skin. \240So the trip was also educational. \240That event wrapped up the swimming for the day but we saw some cool caves and wrapped up our trip. \240All in all a great morning!

Casper administering jelly fish first aid via credit card

We started our journey back to the hotel and made a much needed pit stop along the route for lunch. Peppi’s On the Sea and our waiter, Mr. Sexy was the perfect combo. We enjoyed the view, food and drink then made a safe return to the hotel. You have to laugh or you’d scream in this car. By far the most entertaining way to get around. Great driving by Jim!

Turn right at this dude to get back to the car. Met a lovely couple from the CLE on our walk back.

Reverse gear optional. Cameron said, we will just wait out here in the event reverse isn’t an option.

We relaxed a bit back at the hotel and ventured back into Valletta for dinner.

From there Jim threw the car into reverse (yay) and we made our way to the fishing village area for lunch before heading to St. Peter’s pool.

We found a lunch spot overlooking the colorful fishing boats. \240

The adventure continued as we made our way on the single lane road over the hill to St. Peter’s Pool. \240We weren’t sure quite what to expect but it ended up being quite a thrilling afternoon. \240St. Peter was apparently a thrill seeker. \240We spent a few hours watching a few divers who clearly knew what they were doing as well as meeting some other novices like us visiting for the first time. \240Jim and the boys all jumped while I stayed on camera duty and supported the local bar with a couple Cisks in the shade. \240

The boys met 3 girls from the UK and spent the afternoon chatting it up, encouraging the hesitant one to finally make the jump and swimming around the area. \240

Oncoming traffic? \240Who knows!

On the return trip we met a car and both had to pull in our mirrors to successfully pass.

Beautiful and fun afternoon

This place had more rules than anything. \240Clearly all the rules apply inside, step outside into the clif/water area and anything goes!

We had a long day in the sun and opted to have dinner overlooking the harbor at the hotel. \240A great way to wrap up the adventurous day - and leave the car parked :)

We are currently in flight on Turkish Airlines to Ljubljana, Slovenia with a layover in Istanbul (go ahead, sing it…). If our day goes according to plan we will arrive at the Seslar’s by 9PM local time.

Our last day in Malta was another enjoyable one. \240Jim and I each got a muscle relaxing massage at the hotel, Cameron enjoyed a run and Brandon channeled his inner teenager and slept until 11AM.

The international spa experience is always somewhat unique. \240Jim and I each had the same male massage therapist. \240He appeared very gentle and polite upon greeting me. \240He showed me to the lovely and calm room and handed me a small package indicating it contained a disposable panty. \240He asked me to change, get under the towel on the bed and then stepped out of the room. \240I will live the rest of my days not knowing if I put that thing on the right way or backwards but we go on….

I thought selecting medium pressure would be safe but that apparently means something a bit more intense in Maltese. \240😳 The gentle and unassuming therapist turned up the intensity and I did my best to breathe through the 60 minutes. \240I’m sure my muscles will thank him but for now, pass the Advil and water.

Jim opted for the afternoon by the pool and beach while the boys and I ventured into Valletta to tour the National War Museum. \240It was a hot walk through town but the tour well worth our 10 Euros each as we covered everything from the Great Seige when the Maltese fought off the Ottomans all the way to Bush and Gorbachev signing the agreement to end the Cold War. \240Lots of cool artifacts and education on the importance of Malta through the years. \240It’s a kick ass, strategically positioned, little island.

After stopping for a quick drink we made our way back to town and enjoyed our last dinner at Rampila located on the original gun emplacement overlooking the defense ditch and entrance into Valletta, originally built in 1582. \240It was a lovely and delicious way to end our time. \240We collected a couple more souvenirs and made our way back to the hotel, packed up and enjoyed a few more minutes on our balcony.

Farewell, Malta. \240You are beautiful and we hope to return one day.

We loved driving to the Seslar’s for our 3rd visit. It definitely felt more familiar to us all. We walked around to the back patio to the welcoming smell of Andraz grilling burgers for dinner. We enjoyed a lovely evening outside eating, drinking and catching up. Great to be back.

This morning Cameron and Andraz went out for a run and the rest of us enjoyed the morning drinking coffee and having breakfast outside. We left the house around noon for a light and easy hike up to lunch. PSA: when people who live in the mountains suggest a light hike, don’t believe the light part and don’t assume that walking in the Midwest will in any way prepare you. But, we all made it and took in the pristine Slovenian scenery and enjoyed a lunch of traditional Slovenian food once we reached the top. But damn, we had to get back down. \240Might need that massage dude again.

Our next adventure was to the grocery store to stock up for the boat. We head out very early tomorrow and we all took part in gathering the provisions. Assume the line of people behind us weren’t thrilled to see our heaping 2 carts but 7 people for a week need a fair amount of food and beverage.

The rest of this evening we will order pizza, finish up some laundry, pack up and get to bed early. No Laskos tonight - they’ve all been packed for the sail! 🍺

Early call, cramped quarters, nap the best option.

We drove another 90 minutes and arrived in Trogir with less than 0km remaining in our gas tank 😳 We like to live life on the edge. Thankfully the last distance of our trip was downhill!

After that little thrill, we made our way to the marina, unloaded our two cars full of supplies and boarded our home for the next week, The Albatros! \240It was still a little rainy but as we completed the boarding process and found a place for everyone and everything, the weather improved. The captain decided we should stay in the marina overnight to ensure the storm had completely passed. So we walked over the bridge into Trogir, explores around a bit and enjoyed a great meal.

Captain and the skippers

We entered our sleeping quarters just before midnight - life on the sea truly begins.

We woke up to a clear sky and bells ringing this morning. Ready to set sail later this morning.

We first anchored near a bay known for having an airplane at the bottom of the sea. Apparently this wasn’t the result of a true plane crash, which is good, but rather the result of a plane being tossed to the bottom for people to charge 40 Euros for others to explore. Cameron and Andraz made their way to see the plane prior to the proprietor making his way via jet ski to inform us of the fee. We said no thank you and moved on.

We sailed for a few hours, had lunch on the boat and Brandon tried his hand at fishing, dropping a line behind the boat as we sailed. We found our spot for the rest of the day and night around 2PM. A process to get the boat secured. It’s amazing to watch the Seslars execute the process. The Matejkas observe and try to learn. Our goal by the end of the trip is to be C students. We’ll see.

A couple other boats were near us as we anchored and Andraz secured the boat by rope to the rocks. The boat next to us wasn’t thrilled to see us to which Tomaz broke into singing Happy Birthday. His theory, no one will frown on a birthday celebration, so we will have a birthday celebration. 🥳 Later in the day that boat left either as planned or maybe not. I guess that’s life on the sea.

Cameron made his way down 10 meters to check on the anchor with Tomaz. Took a couple tries but he did it. For a kid from a land locked land, that’s a big accomplishment. 🤿

After lunch everyone relaxed for a couple hours. Napping, laying in the sun, taking a spin on the paddle board or simply watching the boats and the sea. Brandon is quite determined to catch some fish so he and Tomaz set off swimming with the fishing gun in tow and strict instructions for Brandon to stay behind him at all times. They were gone for close to an hour but Brandon kept up and emerged from the sea with his contribution to dinner, or perhaps appetizers.

Thankfully we had sausages to grill alongside the catch of the day and had another great meal on the boat. A little more night fishing, swimming, paddle boarding. We had \240a few glasses of wine and watched the moon rise before we called it a night. All slept well and we awoke to more sunshine and clear water. \240

We left our quiet harbor at 945AM and sailed for about 4 hours until we reached the island of Vis. The water was so blue and conditions favorable for sailing. Andraz and Cameron did a little rope surfing along the way. We took turns selecting songs on the playlist; everything from country to rap to traditional Slovenian songs. Quite the eclectic mix.

We arrived in the harbor just in time as all of the spots in the marina were filling up quickly. We got one of the very last spots and they pack the boats in there tight. Being we aren’t experienced sea goers we basically observed and tried not to get in the way as the Seslars maneuvered the boat into the spot, speaking in Slovenian and ensuring we didn’t crash. Sort of stressful but I can’t say I was ever worried - only that I would somehow be in the way. All good and we were set for the night.

We quickly met our neighbors, a family group from Sweden. Tomaz and Jim greeted them with a beer and the rest of us set off in various directions. Cameron went for a run, Andraz went to research our afternoon tour options and Brandon and I set off for the old church on the hill for some drone flying. He spotted it on our cruise in and wanted to get a little closer.

It was a hot walk but we made it and grabbed some cool footage of the area.

We met back at the boat and set off for the next excitation. Apparently it’s a thing to rent beater rental cars and explore the island of Vis. When in Rome…

We made our way to the local floral shop/beater car rental location and got one car and two scooters from the place next door. We only had about 4 hours as she closed at 830PM and she took about that long to rent us the car and explain everything we could see. Ok, thanks very much, gotta go.

Tomaz, Rosanda, Brandon and I traveled by car while Jim, Andraz and Cameron enjoyed the scoots. Safe to say no one is getting a speeding ticket on these things. Barely made it up a hill.

In the continued theme of our active adventure we climbed up to see Tito’s (former Slovenian president, not the vodka) cave during the war. A hot climb of several steps after our earlier climb to the church wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but off we went. The stair path up to the cave was also flanked with several black widow webs that we had to avoid just for a little extra thrill 😳🕷️Good God!

We poked around the cave then headed back to the beaters, avoiding the black widows of course.

Our next stop was the town of Vis on the other side of the island. We parked and walked the town. By this time I felt sunburned, exhausted and wiped out but the town was beautiful. Part of the movie Mama Mia was filmed here and we also got our first glimpse of the people and bots participating in Yacht Week, an event attended mostly by the 20 something crowd. You pay for a week on a yacht and tour around various islands to party. Have fun kids.

We made our way back to the marina, but not before getting lost on the narrowest of narrow streets trying to return the car and scoots. A group effort to maneuver the streets, use the landmarks on the map and find our return parking apace. There are several creepy Croatian cats wandering around the area, these two apparently parking attendants for the rental returns.

We trudged our way back through town and flipped down n one of the restaurants. Water, a good meal, good company and some ice cream made for a good end to the day. Not a lot of relaxing, but lots of opportunities to explore.

Goodnight, Komiza.

We had to anchor and hop on a little tour boat that lead us through the caves. The blue light creates through the reflection of the sun. Oh, but to enter the cave everyone in the boat has to duck down so our heads aren’t knocked off upon entry….ok, heads down everyone, we are going in!

The entry was well worth what we saw once inside. Amazing. Beauty. Nature.

We got dropped back at the boat, enjoyed a quick swim then were on our way again. Off to the submarine tunnels used in the war and more exploring of bunkers and such.

Some ant by dinghy and some by paddle board because this is life on the sea. Not always easy, but worth it. We climbed through a bit so clear stone rock path, this time in our flip flops given how we accessed the spot. I learned that my J Crew flip flops, while cute, are not best suited for climbing a rough path. Part of the crew went the long route and saw some of the actual bunkers, while another group hung out near the tunnel.

Our boys love a good jumping opportunity and for one here. Brandon was first to jump off the 50 ft ledge with Cameron and Andraz following upon their return from the bunker. They love it, we hate it, on we go….

After the tunnel tour we were back on our way heading toward Hvar, our stop for the evening. \240Andraz, our tour guide for the day had the itinerary well planned and on schedule. A great 2 hour cruise where we held our small Independence Day celebration complete with chocolate muffins with little stars on top courtesy of Rosanda and Andraz.

We arrived in Hvar around 730PM, past the prime time to find an anchoring spot. Another slightly stressful time, but the Matejka stepped aside and let the Seslar crew do their thing. We found our spot and prepared to head in for dinner. This is the closest we will have to city life, so called for real clothes.

Yacht Week had ascended on Hvar and it was a little wild. Two girls from NY sat next to us at dinner and said the party they were attending was at a club, Carpe Diem, scheduled for 12AM - 5AM and was Mermaid theme so if we saw a lot of glitter that’s why. After dinner we stroked through the crowds and saw plenty of sparkle. Our boys would have welcomed the late night challenge but they’ll need to plan that on their own in a few years. We had our late night dinghy ride back to the boat and settled in for a motion filled night at sea listening to the party goers on shore. Good night, Hvar. Happy Birthday, America.

If you look closely you can see Cameron running along the path.

Jim, Tomaz and I headed into town to get a few supplies at the grocery store before leaving Hvar. Upon taking inventory of the fridge Tomaz determined that the beer supply had hit the red zone. \240We stocked up at the store then grabbed a quick coffee and I stopped in a couple of the shops I’d remembered from our visit 2 years ago. Jim and Tomaz went off to find more fish bait. We met back up and Andraz served as our DUber operator back to the boat.

While we were in town Brandon managed a quick shower and shave off the back of the boat. He’s getting the hang of it. 👍🏻

We left around noon and sailed for a good 4-5 hours between the islands of Hvar and Brac. An area known for strong winds we saw a lot of kite surfers along the beach and saile with wind power for awhile. Brandon did his best with the fishing line but no bites yet.

Preparing the new fishing line.

Rosanda made another delicious lunch. Eating around our big table in the deck has become a favorite time.

We found a perfect bay for the night, anchored and tied up on the rocks securely. Brandon continued on his mission to catch a fish. Tomaz went out first with the spear gun and came back with a really good sized fish. The land lovers from the Midwest got a lesson in fish cleaning - some almost puking 🙋🏻‍♀️🤢

Cocktail and a fish

Brandon spent a good hour plus out there trying his hand with the fishing gun. At one point I said to Tomaz, he is so determined. His response, he is boy.

And then, the boy turned fisherman returned from the hunt successful. A big celebration erupted, quickly followed by more ripping of fish inards and preparing the grill. A proud fisherman indeed.

Fishers of men

Knowing our quiet and dark nights are dwindling, the boys set off via board to set up the camera for some time lapse star photography over night. They came after setting the camera for the night. We will see if it’s still there in the morning.

Another peaceful evening of swimming, paddle boarding, star gazing and fresh sea air.

The student and the teacher

I took a quick swim before we pulled everyone in and set off for the day. Cameron and Brandon were the last in the boat. Maybe they knew this might be the last morning we did this.

We sailed for about 2 hours around the island and pulled into Pucisca around 1:30PM. Along the way we were fortunate to come upon a dolphin doing a few jumps for our entertainment. \240Andraz yelled “delfini” as he knew we were all hoping to see some along the trip.

After the dolphin gazing pause we were back on our way. Cameron took the opportunity to freshen up a bit with some salt water tooth brushing as he had the time.

As we approached our destination, the island of Broc (rhymes with crotch 🫢) \240you could see why many would pass by and not give this town a second look. The outer area contains a large mine for Broc stone. Quick trivia question….what famous building is built from Broc stone? \240Keep reading for the answer. A true example of don’t judge a book by its cover, don’t judge a bay based on the big ugly mine out front.

View of the mine.

With 7 people on a boat for a week we were in great need of a water tank reload. We got situated at the marina and went into clean water gathering mode. Once complete we walked around and explored a bit and found many unique souvenirs at the local shops. The entire town is made of this white stone and marble. So you can imagine every form made available to tourists. Could make for some heavy bags for our return but worth it to collect a few things from this unique area.

Life imitates art

We ate lunch, finished up shopping and quickly made our way back to the boat. The guy at the marina was nice to give us a spot but we needed to leave to make room for large boats coming in after 430PM. It was a hot hot day - truly felt like summer - let’s fo find a place for a quick swim.

Answer to the trivia question: \240The White House is made of Broc stone.

We were off to find our evening anchor spot. This side of the island of Broc is more inhabited and doesn’t offer as many quiet bay options. We stopped at one, anchored and tied up but quickly decided it wasn’t the neighborhood for us. Just not quite as clean and pristine. So on we go.

A windy afternoon meant some pretty big waves to make our way through. PSA: when you’re sleeping in the front part of the boat close your window before hitting the waves 😳😬🌊

We found our spot and while not calm and quiet it offered a great spot for our last dinner and evening on the boat. Not like sleeping on the expressway like Hvar. More like sleeping next to a bus stop with the passing ferry bringing people to and from Split to Supetar. Boys were on clean up duty - executed successfully. Good night, Supetar. See you tomorrow Split and then return to Trogir.

We started our journey north back to Trogir. Another 4+ hour trip and it was windy, wavy and a little wild. It was by far the most active waters we had sailed. I have to say I’m glad we didn’t have these conditions every day. But it made for some fun opportunities on the boat complete with Andraz jumping the waves on the front of the bot (please don’t try this at home).

Last day at sea vibes

We stopped short of Trogir to enjoy lunch one last time aboard Albatros. Given the seas, I was thankful we waited calmer seas and reached a location in a bay for lunch or I may have lost my lunch.

We did our best to clear the fridge with the “everything must go” mentality. Overall our estimation of the food and beverage needed was pretty good for our party of 7.

We relaxed for a bit and some of us enjoyed a final dip in the sea to cool off. Jim assumed his position of pulling up the anchor and we were headed to refuel the boat before dropping at the marina, completing out Trogir to Trogir voyage.

Deck sweeping duty

Upon arriving at the fueling marina, the charter boat staff jumped on the boat like a bunch of pirates and took things from there. They quickly refueled Albatros and guided us back to our original spot in the marina. From there they completed the final technical check and we were officially back on land.

We had a pretty quick turn to load up the boat, get cleaned up and head out to dinner. Our 5 AM wake-up call tomorrow will make for a short night. But first- our all crew photo needed to be memorialized.

I geared up to head back to the 10 seconds of water shower. My bag well packed and wearing my flip flops turned shower shoes I was on my way. Marched in and was met with a line of 7 or 8 customers in front of me. Dang. I was waiting in line when Rosanda joined a couple people behind me and we collectively decided this was going nowhere fast and aborted the mission. Now that we were back in tbe marina and hooked up to water the in boat shower became an option. My 10 seconds of water management skills have been put on hold for now but I’d like to think I would have improved from the start to the end of the trip.

A cleaner crew made our way back into Trogir for our last meal. Andraz suggested we go to the same restaurant as the first night which was a great suggestion. We had the same waiter who recognized us as well making for a fun last evening. As we enjoyed our dinner and drinks we reminisced about the week, noting our highs and lows. Not many lows and the consistently rates high was the time we were able to spend together. Honestly, our families done know each other all that well and living for 7 days on a boat the size of a studio apartment could have made for more challenges than it did. We are grateful for the experience and the time the Seslars took to join and guide our voyage. We laughed at the idea of doing it on our own and agreed we never would have made it out of the marina. Cheers to wonderful friends.

At the beginning of our trip Brandon was proud to say they’d been invited to a strip club by some ladies working outside the local gentleman’s club. So on tbe last night he was compelled to pick up a flier as a souvenir. The Red Rose. Open until 5AM. We all agreed he could probably just meet us at the car for our early flight. A lot of laughs around the whole idea…

Goodnight, Trogir. Thanks for being welcoming.