The morning’s almost windless calm was a stark but comfortable contrast to the driving winds of yesterday, and that meant we were going to be setting all the highest sails on Sea Cloud. We only made about six miles in the three hours of sailing, but gathering guests on the working fo’c’sle for the explanation of the jibs, bowsprit, and anchor windlasses was worth the price of the becalming. Afterward, we struck the sails in favor of a late-morning swim from the ship before heading into dock for the afternoon at the port of Katakalon. This is the busy gateway to the great site of Olympia—home of the original Olympic Games and a sacred sanctuary, the spirit of which is still felt in the shade of the pine and olive trees. In the late afternoon, we had the site and exceptional museum all to ourselves for an unforgettable visit to one of the most revered spots on the planet.
9/23/2024
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Sea Cloud
Hvar, Croatia
On the last day of our voyage, we spent the morning on the lovely island of Hvar, known for its fragrant fields of lavender and rosemary. Our walking tour started with the Franciscan monastery, featuring a centuries-old cypress tree and a 17th-century painting of the Last Supper attributed to Matteo Ponzoni. We continued on to tour one of the oldest community theaters in Europe (dating to 1612), the Hvar Arsenal (instrumental in building and repairing Venetian ships), and the town’s stone buildings which often feature the winged lion of St. Mark. This afternoon, after a lunch featuring the famous Sea Cloud pasta wheel, we enjoyed a lecture by cultural specialist Zrinka Šapro on the history of Croatia, focusing on the 20th century. Hearing about the rule of Josip Broz Tito and the wars of the 1990s from someone with personal experience was a particularly fitting conclusion to our tour of this region so rich in history. Our final evening aboard included a cocktail hour and the guest slide show on the lido deck, followed by the captain’s farewell dinner in Sea Cloud’s elegant dining room, after which we bid our travel companions and newfound friends a fond farewell.