They say that home is where the heart is and that’s very true. It is also where you make it and my new home is perfect. Just perfect. I still miss Cape Town and my beautiful Jadie and Tristan and our wonderful family and friends, but I think I can do this.
Leaving Spain certainly turned out to be different to planned. What was going to be a forced two week stay in Italy ended up being a mad rush to pack and leave, with four hours notice, to catch that freight ferry across to Croatia. With the Ancona to Split ferry crossings having been rescheduled three times on us already, we were more than happy enough to detour up the coast to Zadar with no further plan on how to get south to our yacht. Yep, I guess we were nomads already.
“ What I am learning is that plans just no longer work in my life and going with the universe's direction is turning out to be a lot easier.”
The feelings to receive special permission to travel as foot passengers onboard the cargo ferry were overwhelming. We calmly exited the ticket office and then spontaneously started screaming and jumping into the air with absolute joy. Gathering ourselves we ran back to our Airbnb to throw our clothes into our suitcases, quickly cook our dinner as a takeaway and head the 3 km's to the ferry terminal - what is up with all these 3 km walks in my life? By 8 pm we were standing outside the border control with a certain amount of anxiety after our dismal Spain experience.
While waiting for them to open we started chatting to two Croatian skippers who were heading home after delivering a yacht to Italy. We spent an hour getting to know these wonderful people who were also ultimately heading, like us, to Split. Shortly before boarding our wonderful new friends offered us a lift in their car from Zadar to Split, some 150 km’s down the coast. Is the Pope Catholic? yes! And with border control being a great experience and the ferry personnel helping to carry our bags, things were definitely starting to look up.
We entered the ferry, dodging the trucks and were directed to a portion of a lounge, as most of the boat had been closed off due to the virus, which was to be our bed for the night. A quick, enjoyable gin and tonic later (what, do you think it was only dinner I prepared as a take away?) and with ear plugs inserted I settled in for the night. It was with a happy heart that I fell asleep.
Arriving by 7 am the next morning our entry into Croatia went smoothly, accompanied by the good looking police officer carrying my suitcase for me 😁. Yes not only the Spanish have good looking police. Once we presented our personalized approval letter from the border police directorate we received that prized passport stamp - my smile could not be bigger. While getting a quick coffee (and internet access) we discovered with excitement that the weekly Wednesday ferry from Split directly to Milna, where our yacht is moored, was running that afternoon. After all the mishaps I just could believe this was happening - we had more than enough time to catch that ferry.
So the four of us - with 2 x 23kg suitcases, 1 x liferaft, 2 x togbags, plenty of Italian takeaways for their friends (even a loaf of bread) and a baby car seat - squeezed into a VW Golf to begin the trip to Split. After much luggage manipulation and with bags and baby chairs on laps, the four of us were on our way!
Boris, my new BFF, insisted that we join him for a traditional Croatian lunch at one of his favourite local restaurants before he dropped us at the ferry terminal. How could we say no to some local cuisine of Cevapi? What a lovely surprise. The bigger surprise besides the delicious food was the generosity of Boris who snuck away to settle our bill - I truly love this nation.
The final leg of our five month journey to GypsyDjango was the fortunate 30 minute ferry trip to Milna on Brac island. With my eyes closing in exhaustion it felt like just five minutes before we arrived. Our final walk to GypsyDjango, in this small town, was not three km's, but just 300 meters! Dragging our suitcases this last bit we tried hard not to run.
We were here; our final destination and somehow we made it. It felt surreal, I don’t know how else to describe it. When I began this journey and penned it for my blog in the “about me” section, it was to learn more about life, absorb new cultures and gain and give inspiration along the way. I certainly feel that with all the support we have received along the way that some of these goals have started to be achieved. While GypsyDjango might have been our final destination, this story has only just begun. With so much more on the horizon to be shared - without any plans 😉- it’s time to start the next chapter.
Within three days of arriving at GypsyDjango we have prepared her to sail, removed half of Croatia's sea life off our prop, been up to watch three sunrises, experienced our first lightning storm, anchored at night in the most idyllic bay and completed our maiden sail. If this continues it will be an amazing journey.
Waking up onboard at 5 am to make some coffee and sit peacefully on deck watching the sunrise makes this all so worthwhile.
“Now we breathe and let the rest of this journey unravel as it may as we begin our life living on the sea with the wind in our hair.”
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