It was two thirty in the afternoon, when we arrived at the airport. Flight Air Serbia, from Belgrade, landed on time. At the moment of leaving the aircraft, despite the crowd on the terrace of the airport building, I managed to get some shots of our friends. The meeting in Split, and during our trip on the Caribbean, with Miki, Verica and Stephany, planned two years ago, when we bought the boat and decided to sail around the world to Australia.

Very similar life experience in New Zealand, our relationship have developed into a wonderful friendship, and even I can say more than that, we feel like family.

Miki loves the sea, and he also own a nice motorboat in Auckland, where very often, goes fishing and comes back with a very good catch. Verica likes to sail, but larger cruisers inspire her and give more confidence and security, therefore, this meeting she expected with big eyes and excitement. Stephany is a pretty girl without prejudice, every situation adjust and not afraid of anything except bees facing in tow, like an elephant when he see a small mouse.

Excitement of the meeting contributed to the Mimi, who landed with our friends to meet Dino and Pipo and spent an unforgettable time hanging out with them. Mimi has a wealth of travel experience, and is a faithful companion of Miki, Verica and Stephany on each of their journey, for fifteen years. Recently, full of impressions, she returned from the cruise by Hawaii. Dino and Pipo were so excited to have stumbled into each other in the competition who will be better and more to win her heart.

It was nearly four o’clock when we arrived at the ship. The heat was shocking and the temperature very high. There was no wind, which made it difficult to stay longer in the boat. It seemed that a marina is in the fire. While Mickey and Peter were refreshing with a cold drink, I helped Verica and Spephany to immediately unpack and settle in the cabin.

Late in he afternoon we decided to escape from this hell, we looked to go into town. Since our friends have never been in Split, we have tried to show them the oldest and most attractive parts of the old city, the Diocletian’s Palace.

We had dinner in a popular, old City Cafe “Central”, opened in 1780, on the square. We sat at the very same table where the “Doctor Vice” was sitting every night, in the popular series “Velo Misto”, recorded in Split, which gave a special charm and delight. He followed the inevitable ice cream, and then we went down to the waterfront.

Seeing the sea, Stephany has received overwhelming desire to swim in the warm night in Split and we are across the waterfront, headed toward the beach Zvončac. In Marina Labud, next to Zvončac, there is a restaurant in which we used to, my husband and I, in the cold winter nights, we knew came and drank hot tea with rum. Tea was served in beautiful tall glasses whose heat we heated frozen fingers.

Stephanie’s swimming extended to ten o’clock in the evening after which we had to rush back through the city to catch the last bus to Kastela.

Avoiding the heat, early in the morning, we went to Split to the market to buy everything we need for a boat. Peter does not enjoy the great shopping, unless he really must. In order to avoid that obligation, he was tried to find the nearest restaurant to drink coffee. While we, Verica and I saw that something’s not forget, Miki was dragged behind a heavy suitcase full of potatoes, fruit, bread, and at the end of a large watermelon. After all, he was feeling as if his hands extended to the knees.

The main split market, colorful oasis in the center of Split, in the summer, teeming of the elderly, the young and curious tourists who are enthusiastic with traditional look and approach of sellers, from early morning. On the market, it is possible to find almost everything from flowers, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats, to shoes, toys and souvenirs. The invocation of customers and negotiate, it is all part of culture of this famous market. Finally, a bag full of hand we joined Peter in the restaurant at the end of the market, which has kept a table for us.

That afternoon we sailed in Nečujam on the Island of Solta. The wind was good for sailing. Verica was a surprise to both sides enjoyed the bow of the ship with no signs of anxiety and fear, while Stephany has texted messages to her friends in New Zealand.

Swimming and enjoying that we provided a bay that night, were as a reward for the fatigue and sweat that we were covered in pulling the food. With top mood, laughter and joy, we have our first dinner together and it all we poured with champagne. Night fishing did not work and we have all gone to sleep.

Dino and Pipo were obviously enjoyed the company of Mimi, anywhere there was none to be seen. All day they circled around the ship, explaining Mimi how to sail and drives the boat. Also, they prepared a cocktail party on behalf of welcome to Meermowe’s Great Adventure. On Šolta we spent two days. Long walks along the sea, jumping, swimming and diving remained behind as the unforgettable moments of our association.

Our next destination was Hvar, the sunniest island in the Adriatic Sea and one of the ten most beautiful islands in the world. Indented coast, numerous picturesque and crystal clean beaches, plenty of sun, untouched nature, smell of lavender, olives and wine, are the reasons why we decided to bring our friends here. Heat and calm weather forced us, along with sails and engine use.

In the Bay Tiha we sailed in the early afternoon. Tiha consists of seven bays and it is a favorite anchorage for boaters. It is far for 8 km from the Stari Grad, so we decided early in the morning to walk to the town. We left Stephany on board to sleep, because her computer chips are more acceptable than 16 kilometers of walking in the sun at a temperature of 35 * C. The road was started from the next bay in which we had to switch with a dinghy. By tying a boat to a little pier, we started to climb up the hill on private property to the main dirt road.

On the winding road, it spread the wonderful views of the sea and beautiful bays on both sides of the coast. It was an ideal place for us in love.

We enjoyed commenting on the names of the bays, the laughter to tears and jokes, until the sun rose higher, and uphill and downhill remained behind us. We did not even notice that nowhere no shade.

An hour and thirty minutes it took us to get to the center. Stari Grad is the historical heart of the island of Hvar is the oldest city in Croatia. That same year, 384 BC, when it was born in Trakia the famous Greek philosopher, Aristotel, Greeks from the island of Paros in the Aegean Sea, founded the city on the Island of Hvar, and named it Pharos. The settlement is situated in a pine forest, some hundred meters from the beach Lanterna. The Stari Grad is in the hot summer days the rare Dalmatian place where the air is fresh and invigorating sleep. In the old town is still preserved traditional architecture and as such is of great touristic value. It is an ideal place for long walks and excursions. Abounds with taverns and restaurants with domestic food and traditionally good wines.

All together this charming town impressed us. To take a break and come to our self, we entered in a cafe to sweeten with cakes and ice cream, to have a cup of coffee and drink three liters of water. Miki’s desire for a cream cake looked unfeasible when the waiter said that the cream cakes have just been made, he put it in the fridge and its not ready to be served. Not knowing what it expected a surprise, sadly ordered milk-sheik. How is the owner of the cafe a real fighter for his guest, which is rare in Croatia, has isolated one cream cake and put in the freezer to cool the turbo. We just were about leaving and at our request to make a payment, he asked Miki, does he might want something else, it was sad and humorous response, “I want a cream cake but they are on cooling down in the fridge,” whereupon the cream cake jumped out of the freezer and landed in the front of him on the table. Wow, “fuck, he really brought a cream cake, and I was just kidding” was spontaneous Miki’s comment. So, he unexpectedly enjoyed sheik and cream cake.

With all the warnings we cannot buy anything, as we walk, we still went into the store to buy only “two things”, “necessary for the ship.” We went out, of course, with a few bags, which we mainly in backpacks, dragged Miki and myself. It was lunchtime when we returned back to the ship. The sun was at its zenith and it was harder than before.

Eight kilometers was standing in front of us, like an endless red carpet, and everything that we didn’t notice before, we saw the double after.

We looked like nomads, yet we only camels missing. Slow progress we have made and we could not walk more than a comedy and laughter than from the sun and heat. Good thing, Stephany was not with us. Surely she could not have the time or the strength to use iPhone. Verica has started to slowly take off her clothes until she wasn’t left in a swimsuit. She was feeling tired and hungry, bread from Miki’s bags has never been sweeter. When we arrived at the pier, Peter and I took all the stuff and rode to the boat with the intention of moving him into the bay. During this time, Mickey and Verica were cooling in the sea. Stephany has long been stood up, and enjoyed the boat.

Meanwhile, Dino, Pipo and Mimi have cruised the bay enjoying the shade of umbrella in the beautiful surrounding which gave them Tiha. Mimi was impressed with Dino’s song “O Sole Mio”, not noticing the whole swarm of wasps that followed them.

For lunch, laughter there was no end. Tiha bay we left before we had planned because of the great rush of flies and wasps of which we have barely survived.

The days passed and our friends stay on the boat drew to a close. We did not have enough time to sail over long distances, so we briefly visited the town of Hvar and back again on the Island of Solta. The remaining two days we spent in swimming, walking and baking cakes. The night before leaving Split, we had dinner in a restaurant in the marina enjoying the seafood specialties and Dalmatian’s chard.

It was short but sweet. In such a fast pace ended our relationship with many wonderful moments, far more than you can fit into this post. Miki loved sailing and he likes to think about the idea to sell his motorboat and buy a sailboat and four of us should sail from Europe to New Zealand. Before the dream becomes reality, he must find out how to convince Verica in his idea.

On the day of their departure, we said goodbye to Mickey, Verica, Stephany and Mimi. We were sad on the road, looking at their backs and taxi that are increasingly moving away until he disappeared behind the corner.