On the second day spent on the island of Hvar in Croatia, I explored the nearby towns of Jelsa, Stari Grad, and Vrboska. Vrboska is a village built on the canal with an attractive rainbow bridge. Jelsa has a nice church and harbour. Stari Grad has much history, an attractive harbour, and interesting back streets. In Stari Grad, there are many signs for tourists to talk about various important buildings. All of the towns were very quiet. (You can view photographs of my first day on Hvar by going to the Beautiful Hvar Island: Lavender and Mountain Views blog entry.)
On the way back to Hvar Town, a stop was made at the abandoned village of Velo Grablje. This village seemed to be more recently abandoned (perhaps in the 1980s), and there are a few abandoned cars around. I found this village to be creepier than Humac because it looks more recent. The church there still may be in use, and the bells rang while I walked around. The quiet was eerie, and the bells breaking this silence was disturbing. I could almost picture the ghosts of people and children on the streets. I did not wish to stay here for long. The roads down to the village are also narrow with sheer drops, without guard rails, and as the town is built on a hill, it is difficult to turn around.
On this day, we were lucky to witness an event in Hvar Town. Hvar Town threw a festival to celebrate one of its patron saints, St. Prosper. Dancing and a market selling local goods was set up during the day. In the evening, we witnessed the community coming together to celebrate the saint. The entire town seemed to fit inside St. Stephen's Cathedral to be a part of the ceremony. The patron saint was paraded around the old town square, followed by locals in religious dress. The remainder of the townspeople followed the patron saint. They walked around the square and filed back into the cathedral at the end of the ceremony. Food and drink was also held for the townspeople in the theatre near the old town square. The ceremony was beautiful, and it was nice to witness some of Hvar's culture.
The harbour in Stari Grad
Fishing nets in Stari Grad.
Overlooking Hvar Town from the fortress.
Buildings in the town square, in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral.
A flower shop in Hvar Town.
Hvar Town buildings
A market is set up for the patron saint's day in the old town square in Hvar.
Hvar Town
The well at the monastery, inside the cloisters
A cobbled street in Stari Grad
Beautiful lemons
The abandoned village of Velo Grablje.
The patron saint, St. Prosper, is paraded around the square.
The townspeople parade around the square with St. Stephen's Cathedral in the background.
Another view of the patron saint and the priest.
The start of the queue in the parade around the town square.
A boy holds a candle at the start of the procession.
The townspeople involved in St. Prosper's procession.
The procession
The townspeople and robed figures disappear back inside St. Stephen's Cathedral to mark the end of the procession and the beginning of the night's festivities.
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