Peljesac Peninsula, Korcula

A few miles north of Dubrovnik, the Peljesac Peninsula extends into the Adriatic, almost parallel to the coast line. The first little town, Ston, sets at water level, and is connected by a city wall, that while it doesn’t seem to protect anything, runs up over a high hill to the town of Mali Ston (little Ston). The other cities of Europe with beautiful walls, are forever sensational, but the walled cities of Ston and Mali Ston are surprising. After the Great Wall of China, this is said to be the longest preserved wall in the world.

The economy of the Peljesac Peninsula is based on tourists, the production of salt, and along the shoreline they have special nets and devices to grow and harvest clams, oysters and mussels. The tiny marketplace in Ston consisted of two tables made of huge concrete slabs, each with a scale and the special brass scoop found in Yugoslavian markets. We always buy a little something in each market place, even if only an ice cream bar. We love to associate with the real people.

There was a very narrow twisty road leading down the cliff-side to the excellent campsite near Trstenik. As we were deciding what to do, a trash truck started down the hill, so we followed and let it run interference. If he made it, we could make it. The campsite had small refrigerators (we counted 160), arranged like lockers in a train station. We had an interesting discussion with the young lady who ran the campsite office.

The next morning we drove on to Orebic and bought 25¢ boat tickets to the island and city of Korcula, another of those captivating “who can imagine this exists” cities, with a stone wall, stone streets, stone buildings, and a stone Cathedral. There was a Greek colony on this island as far back as 400 BC.

While we were inside the “House of Marco Polo” in Korcula, an English lady, reading from her guide book, said, “Marco Polo never lived in the house on Korcula.” But it was a nice old house. References disagree in some details, but they do agree Marco Polo was born either here, or in Venice in 1254.

At the harbor we talked to an American couple who were sailing their yacht all around the Mediterranean Sea. They are planning a year or so of travel in this part of the world. After a couple of hours (should have been a couple of days), we spent another 25¢, and returned to Orebic.