Island Mljet, Day 1: Arrival and First Impressions

The day has finally arrived – I’m going to island Mljet. It was my wish for a long time, and it finally came true. 6 days of wandering through the narrow roads and small villages seemed like a good plan :)

Of course, search for good photography locations is a must.

The car was loaded with baggage; clothes, cameras, laptops and food. Yep, we could not rely on the tiny grocery store in our village and it’s working hours. It turned out to be very smart decision.

After the relaxing drive on the highway and a little less relaxing drive through the local roads, we arrive in Prapratno – ferry boat station on the southern side of peninsula Peljesac, one of the lines which connects mainland and island Mljet.

It looks like a rather new ferry station, built to increase passenger transfer capacity to the island. Mljet is becoming more and more popular every season, so the ferry line is very frequent – five times a day.
Since we have arrived quite early, we killed some time drinking coffee and making photos.

Couple of images from there:

This is how it usually looks like:

To make an interesting photo you usually have to change the angle of shooting which includes lying on the floor and other stupid poses. People there found that very funny so they started taking photos of us. I wasn’t distracted by that. :)
And here’s what happens when you put crop lens on the full frame camera. The result isn’t necessarily bad.

Filip in action:

The ride was very pleasant, the sea was rather calm, so I couldn’t help but notice these hyper-ultra-modern command board. Ok, they don’t use it anymore, but they were there. Who knows… :)

When we were approaching port of Sobra on Mljet, one crazy guy made sure things are not as usual. He was coming from the right side of the ferry in full speed and didn’t even bother to slow down or to change the route. The captain of the ferry was giving him sound alerts trying to warn him, but the guy on the speedboat didn’t seem to care too much. Or he fell asleep. Or was busy with some other things… However, this was a very close one and he was really lucky nothing happened.

Rugged and steep coast of Mljet:

After 45 minutes we arrive to Sobra. Our accommodation was also there, so there was no need for any more driving.
My first impression was: ‘That’s it?’ Houses along the sea compacted into two rows under the steep hill, two restaurants, one shop and that’s all. Later, we will find out that most of the villages on the island look like that. The terrain configuration doesn’t allow for much more, so the whole village life is located on the main street along the sea. There’s simply no room for anything more.
First photos from there:

Since the cars are allowed on the road by the sea, the restaurants had to think of where to put tables and chairs for their guests. So they made something like wooden terraces above the sea. And that really adds to the mood, cause you feel like floating above the sea. By the terrace they placed a cage where they keep fish and shells for the restaurant. So you are sure they are fresh, as they were swimming ten minutes ago. :)
Picking up shells:

They have to be put back afterwards. We have to eat them fresh, don’t we?

Next is ‘fishing’ for the main dish…

Yummy!

Since there are no big boats or yachts in the bay, the sea is crystal clear. And the best of all is silence. There’s no loud music or too many people. Perfect getaway place for those who enjoys that kind of vacation, of course.

And here is a local driver and his loud racing car. Wherever we went on the island, he was somewhere around, proudly making everyone aware that he’s there. In the night, you could almost hear him driving on the another side of the island. Very funny guy, in love with his car :))