Stari Grad on the island of Hvar is the oldest city in Croatia, settled by the Greeks in 384 BC.  It's also the small, beautiful port town where we stayed while on Hvar. If you wander the narrow streets, you'll find bougainvillea and oleander spilling over the stone walls, St. Stephen's Church with it's deep ringing bell tower and little squares all along the way lined with colorful shutters. It's an incredibly quiet town during the day. We drank coffee each morning in the main square with ... continue reading...

We had our first bad experience renting a house and while we were struck by the importance of home, or in this case, the importance of a home base and what a difference it makes to have a good one you feel comfortable in, all I can say is this: what an amazing blessing it is that we got to explore this gorgeous and fascinating island together as a family!!  Hvar is full of stunning vistas, interesting ports and towns, amazing food and wine, and thousands of years of history.  Pine ... continue reading...

There are my babies, happily playing with their favorite toys (dirt and rocks) on the ancient Stari Grad Plain. Lavender has been cultivated on Hvar for centuries. We drove the old road from Stari Grad toward Hvar Town, passing hillsides dotted in wild lavender, grape vines, rosemary and the abandoned village of Velo Grabje. We also passed hills and hills covered in ancient stone stacked terraces that date back all the way to the 4th century BC! We pulled over and the kids were in heaven ... continue reading...