Day 85, Saturday 19 July - Sutivan, Brac Island, Croatia

Keeping up to date with my journey
Aside from the recent episode of Doctor Huw & The Daleks (see below) the mediterr annee blog has been a little quiet this past month. As this magnificent journey progresses, it seems the  Facebook page has seen the regular action so keep an eye here (you don't have to join Facebook to view this page). Nothing other than the book will of course tell the full story! Indeed in past weeks I have thought how best to juggle both blog and Facebook and have come to conclusion that with limited time, internet and a lot to say, I will focus on the Facebook posts from now on. These seem the easiest for people to access/be notified of and are an easier way for me, often by smartphone to tell stories short and long. So I encourage all of you following my journey around the Mediterranean to regularly check in with the Facebook page whether you are members of Facebook or not.

Day 84, Friday 18 July - Sutivan, Brac Island, Croatia

Never too much of Brac.......

That's what the T shirt says and for those who are checking my progress here but are not viewing the mediterr annee Facebook page will note I have not moved in the past 10 days. I have spoken little about the discomforts and challenges of paddling day in day out for 8-10 hrs a day. The rashes and wrenches, the effects of salt and sun, pushing on when you want to laze on the beach.

It was not my plan to visit the city of Split on the mainland and if I should then not to spend time in a little loved attraction; Split Hospital. A little pain on the left knee started 12 days ago, like a insect bite gone septic. But there was nothing there on the surface. Then some 10 days ago the knee ballooned and I could hardly walk that morning. I set off paddling to the nearby gorgeous village of Sutivan. No doctor there, only back 10km in Supetar. I don't like 'back'. Bugger it, it will be ok. I got ready to paddle over to small Solta island. Then Ivo walked past, enquired about the journey and I'm suddenly in a car to the doc in Supetar with this great guy who runs an outdoor adventure business on Brac with his wife, the lovely Eti. Doc is worried about thrombosis (all that sitting!) and sends me across the water to Split. After all manner of tests and scans, 6 hrs later no thrombosis (Yay and Double Yay!!) but an inflamed bursa and instructions to rest, ice and antibiotics.

So, after not stopping for more than a day at a time in the past 80 days, I've now been here in Sutivan some 10 days. The knee is improving, but slowly and I don't want to set off only for it to flare up again. The great thing is that not only am I in a wonderful place but Wendy, my wife, has joined me here. The first time we've seen each other since I left Australia 4 months ago. We did plan to meet in Slovenia, at the end of this magical paddle section and before the next stage; 3 months trekking through the Alps. But Wendy arrived in Italy and within days was en route to Croatia. Every cloud.......

There is a long way to go on this journey and fair winds have been with me in spades since I left Turkey. Rough weather is to be expected too.