We will take a car ferry to a nearby island today for some exploring.

Date night was a success, but it’s left us feeling rough this morning. We hang around the house all morning until lunchtime, when we get smoothies and breakfast wraps at a cute place down the street, Balancana. The woman who runs this place makes everything herself, and completely from scratch for each order. It’s very good, but we have to be patient waiting for it.

After our snack, we pile into the car and drive the 15 minutes to the ferry. The kids are stoked to drive onto a boat, like we do in Sweden. The ride is only 25 minutes–the perfect amount of time for a cappuccino and drawing pictures of the sea. We arrive in Ugljan, an island used for locals to vacation and for some to commute from to the city. The island is surprisingly untouched, with lots of different vegetation, but largely large bushes covering the rolling hills. Several small towns dot the coast.

We drive to one of the towns to check it out, and the kids find a playground. We determine the beach here is really a place to jump in from cement, and that’s not going to work for us. We get back in the car and drive to another town. These towns are so small, you’d think finding the beach would be simple, but we actually pull over and ask directions for the first time on our road trip.

This beach is like a little undiscovered oasis! There are a few people here, but it’s largely vacant. So different from all our other beach experiences here in Croatia. And … there’s a playground! Oly is super excited and asks permission t run over there while we are still packing our beach bag at the car. It’s a cute little playground with a pirate boat! Oly drives the pirate boat, singing songs, for at least 20 minutes. I’m allowed on the pirate boat, but he asks me to put my camera outside the boat because pirates don’t have cameras.

Lillian attempts to get in the water for a couple minutes, but she really isn’t a fan. I’m hoping swim lessons back in New York will increase her enthusiasm. Oly doesn’t even try. He plays on the playground and then in the rocks near our blanket. We left our sand toys at the last beach in Cavtat, and in their absence, the kids create a game where they fill Oly’s socks with rocks and dip them into the water.

Stefan and I go for a swim. I’ll miss this refreshing clear water.

Pack it up and drive to another town. Realize it isn’t the one Stefan meant to take us to, so we get back in the car and drive on to another town. The view from the road of other mountainous islands off the coast is incredible.

We get to Ugljan Town and sit at Konoba Ugljan to have a snack. Tomatoes, cucumbers, grilled chicken and fried calamari. White wine from Korcula that we enjoyed before in Dubrovnik. Perfect weather and calm atmosphere. We decide to take a later ferry home and order dinner: pork and chicken in shrimp sauce.

We buy lots of fruit from the local vendor before getting back in the car.

We arrive at the car ferry 50 minutes before it leaves and hang around in the port. I’m tired, and the kids are crazy. It’s nuts how much energy they get when they’re tired. We call my brother to wish him a happy birthday.
Oly sings a song about driving the car on the boat. And finally we are home again. A full day of doing nothing.