11 Delano Connection

Donna lined up the Jardrolinja Catamaran to whisk us to our next destination, the high profile Dalmatian island of Hvar (“h” is silent but it sounds more authentic when you clear your throat just before saying “VAR”). She assembled a white binder filled with details of every aspect of our trip. With her on point, it was easy to relax and enjoy the ride without stressing over the details of the next transition. We had a few hours kill before our catamaran launch so we parked our luggage in the train station and took another adventure hike through Diocletian’s Palace along the Split promenade. The second time wandering through was even more fascinating than the first.

The boat ride was relaxing. We arrived at the port of Hvar on time and were greeted by brother and sister Zaninovich, our new host. They walked us from the promenade through the town square, passed the historic church, the market, the souvenir alley and the restaurant owned by a relative. Donna’s original booking was a 4-room apartment. At the last minute she was informed that one room was no longer available. Instead, a room at their relative’s home was vacant. Petey and I picked the new room. It was well situated on the second floor with a nice outdoor patio area for breakfast and evening dining. It came with a TV and its own air conditioning unit … a luxury in Hvar zimmers. The good news was that the eight of us were located close to each other, within balcony view and shared WiFi range. The bad news was that we were located close to the church … loud wakeup bells shook our rooms each morning at 6:00 AM.

We met Virginia, our landlady. She was proud to show off her place commenting on the quality of the room and by the way, “breakfast is included.” Virginia was the maid, the gardener, the shopper, the manager; she rolled her eyes, “and I look after my husband.” Their zimmer was also home to a menagerie of critters including: rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, three turtles in a garden pond and a burro or perhaps it was a mule. It sang in the morning. Virginia showed Petey how to feed the turtles, “Smash a snail and break off juicy bits. It’s their favorite.” Virginia’s husband’s job didn’t seem that stressful. From what I could see, he sat in the outdoor dining patio chewing the fat with his mom and brother.

That evening our party of eight enjoyed dining next door at the relatives’ restaurant, another relative with Delano roots. The stuffed bell peppers were fantastic as was the special one of kind stew. After our meal the restaurant owner spotted us a glass of desert wine and engaged in the latest gab from his Delano connection. He was a jolly soul, full of life. Coincidentally, I ran into him a couple of times during our stay, once at the fish house when I was fishing around then again at a car repair garage along my bike ride. He went out of his way to stop me and say “Hi” making a joke, “What’s the difference between in-laws and out-laws? Outlaws are wanted.”