The summer season is fast approaching and the foreign media keeps showering Croatia with praise
Last year, we followed The Guardian’s Kevin Rushby on his ambitious five-week tour from Istria to Split – on foot. It seems Croatia completely won him over, as he’s back for another trip, this time for something completely different from his previous stint: a vacation at Struga lighthouse on the remote island of Lastovo.
Rushby is always on the lookout for his next destination, so when he found out visitors could stay at the lighthouse, he was instantly hooked. Judging by his piece for The Guardian, he seems to be taken over by the quiet island that doesn’t see hordes of tourists like some of the neighbouring Adriatic gems. On his way from the port of Split to Lastovo, he had to change ferries on Korčula, a much livelier place than the island he was headed for. Once he boarded the ferry leaving for the port of Ubli on Lastovo, he immediately noticed a shift in the atmosphere.
“Now there was only a van, a clapped-out Volvo filled with timber, and a couple of tourists. The jet skis and speedboats had disappeared. An older, less salubrious ship appeared and we boarded. Local passengers settled into the lounge, a 1970s Formica paradise, unpacked homemade sandwiches, opened flasks and started card games. I relaxed. I liked Lastovo already.”
Rushby became friends with lighthouse keeper Mladen soon upon arrival, and joined him for a spearfishing expedition twice. He explored the island and talked to Mladen about his peaceful, no-stress life on Lastovo.
“In the days that followed I explored a dozen lonely coves and rocky shores in my canoe and drove to Lastovo town, a place of ornate chimneys and evocative ruins. In the evenings I sat on the wall and watched the rotors of my giant cosmic helicopter. I was beginning to feel lost to Lastovo. I wanted to become a lotus-eater and stay forever.”
As it turns out, Rushby isn’t the type to stay attached to one place for a long time. There are numerous gorgeous destinations waiting to be discovered, and in his own words, he’s always pushing off for newer words. Nevertheless, as he himself admitted, the tranquil Adriatic island came very close to stopping him.
Read the full article here.
