To motivate the girls for the return hike down the mountain from Vidova Gora's peak, I may or may not have suggested that all their hard work on the trails earned them a gelato when we got back to Bol. That (plus listening to the How to Train Your Dragon audio book) gave the girls an extra spring in their step on the almost 2 hours trip down.
Gelato
Feet back in Bol, the girls and I headed out immediately for our hard-earned gelato. Doug passed & opted instead to churn out a blog post back in our apartment. Us Bohagirls happily ate our gelato along the water, watching the boats and people of Bol pass by. We ran into a lovely older Swiss couple we had seen on both the ascent & descent of the Vidova Gora hike. The were enjoying a glass of wine in the gorgeous setting & magical late afternoon sun, and it got me jonesin' for one as well.
After finishing our (we all agreed very average after 3 week in Italy) gelato, I told the girls I wanted to walk back to a little grocery store I had seen near our place. Truth be told, it was the teeny tiny seats outside Gastro Maximum that originally caught my eye; I'm a sucker for anything tiny.
Hatching a Plan
I popped in and asked for a recommendation on a white wine. The lovely woman working there narrowed it down to three Croatia whites. I opted for the one from the island of Brač. My original plan was to bring it back to the apartment for Doug & I to enjoy on the apartment terrace ahead of dinner. Wine cozy in its bag, the girls & I walked over to the nearby playground so they could run around for a bit. It was such a stellar location for a playground, just feet from the water. I texted Doug something to the effect of "I'm at the playground with the girls. I got us wine for later. I's so beautiful outside. Come meet us!". Almost immediately Doug texted back that was on his way. Yay!
Inspired by the Swiss couple I saw earlier enjoying their wine with the light winding down, I popped back into the bodega, asked the shopkeeper to open the bottle for me and if I could borrow two glasses. Why wait? Why not just enjoy the wine now against the gorgeous Adriatic Sea backdrop while the girls played carefree on the playground?! I had the wine set up for us on one of the teeny table & chair combos just outside the bodega. Best part was that Doug showed up in his bathing suit, ready for a swim! This prompted the rest of us to want to join in!
Adriatic by Sunset
A quick pop back to our apartment for bathing suits, towels and a deck of cards, and we were all ready to jump in! The crystal clear water was so inviting; we couldn't resist. Sadie was first in, then Paige, then Doug (check out his entry jump in video below) and I was the caboose. It was fantastic. The warm rays of sun made the water sparkle all around us. We were all smiles & giggles in the water.
After the swim we all toweled off. Doug & I cozied up on the mini stools to enjoy our Brač wine. The girls sprinted off back to the playground. It's been so fun to let them be independent, but still within sight; it's good for all of us. The girls eventually boomeranged back to where we were sitting to play the card game War at the adjacent table. We were entranced by some nearby fisherman who we had seen when we left town earlier that morning for our hike, and who were still on the same pier, meticulously (but in a very chilled out manner) painting & restoring a boat. Next up was a guy with his spear, scouting the calm waters for what we presume to be his dinner catch. All the while, the sun continue to set and spark new, beautiful rays of pinks, oranges and purple shades.
The whole late afternoon spontaneous wine + playground + swim session really felt magical. It was a few hours that I know Doug & I both felt immense gratitude for being able to experience moments like this together as a family. It was an afternoon that we have bottled up to cherish always.
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