Thursday 30 June

An earlier start awaited us this morning. Today we headed for the port at Murter to catch an old-style sailing ship to the islands and national park of Kornati. We arrived in good time to make the voyage west. The weather was an unually overcast and the wind cool and refreshing in contrast to the blazing weather we experienced so far.  Within 15min of the trip we had already hit the first drops of rain, however, it didn't detract from the reagle beauty of our surroundings. The dramatic vertical cliffs  and azure blue water gave us the feeling of being in an ancient but majestical place. Our route took us to a tiny island where fresh braaied fish had been prepared for our lunch.  Whilst not the preferred taste for the boys it was an authentic Croatian meal which they will remember for some time.  Our next stop was another island well known for its 'beach' and swimming. The beach itself was only a sliver of sand but the water was beautifully clear. Having bought some cheap goggles we all went for a swim but were soon driven to shelter by a passing shower. The weather continued to improve and by the time we returned to port a whole day had been enjoyed exploring the Adriatic and a perfect evening was in store. We stayed in Murter for supper and took our time to browse through the markets for good deals on momentos and gifts.