Thanks to Kathi King for sharing these photos of Hvar from her sailing on Royal Clipper.



The fleet might be moving towards the Caribbean for the winter, but it's not too early to start to think about booking a summer sailing in the Mediterranean! Hvar is a charming and ancient city with clear blue waters and cobblestone streets. It is also somewhat of a celebrity hotspot since two superstars offered their glowing endorsement. It is definitely worth a vist! Read on for fun facts about Hvar, Croatia!



• Hvar holds the oldest public theater in Europe.



• As host to "Ultra" music fest, Hvar is known as a hot destination. It is made even hotter by the endorsement of superstars Beyonce and Jay Z. The power couple was even inspired to name their daughter after some particularly lovely ivy.










• Hvar was put on the market in 1932. There is no information available as to who sold it or who bought it. The only thing certain is that it is no longer for sale.



• 'Hvar' means where in Icelandic.






• Croatia is credited with inventing the necktie.



• Hvar is the self-proclaimed "sunniest spot in Europe" with 2,715 hours of sunlight in an average year.






• There are many different regional dialects in Hvar, and the island has a long history of stone masonry. As a result there are eight different words for 'chisel.'



• If you give birth on the Jadrolinija Ferry from Hvar your child will ride free for life!






Have you sailed to Hvar, Croatia, with Star Clippers? Share your fun facts and experiences in the comments below!

We have so many talented guests! Star Clippers guest Paul was so kind to recently share his photos from his northern European tour on Star Flyer. In his final post, he's shared some sketches he made along the way.

None of the sketches were or are intended to be finished articles in themselves but rather to serve as a basis for future paintings. I use the photos for further information on a scene, colour, shading details and so on. Many of the sketches have little stories and definitely memories. When I do the paintings, the holiday comes back to me. So its good value as I get to enjoy the holiday at the time but I get further pleasure from it afterwards.

[caption id="attachment_13426" align="aligncenter" width="550"] There had been some rain when I did this one at Tsarkoye




[caption id="attachment_13422" align="aligncenter" width="550"] I did this from a pontoon that was pitching and tossing like a bucking-bronco at Mariehamn.




[caption id="attachment_13431" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Okay, confession time: I did this from a photo. It was far too complex to do on the spot.




[caption id="attachment_13421" align="aligncenter" width="550"] We bought some icons in the church shop that cost about 23 Euros.




[caption id="attachment_13432" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Visby also from the deck of Flyer. I left out the ugly industrial building which was blocking the view.






[caption id="attachment_13427" align="aligncenter" width="550"] The Stockholm, a Stroma cruise ship

A big thank you to Star Clippers’ guest Paul for sharing fantastic photos from his northern European tour on Star Flyer.

Our Star Flyer cruise ended on Tuesday 16th July and we had a couple of days in Stockholm before returning home.



So, which is the best between SPB and Stockholm. Good question, and you could spend a good evening in a pub debating that one.



Stockholm is older, and it too has great buildings and great history. It is also a city that has developed around rivers and canals.



Personally, I like the two.



We had a great holiday, met some lovely people and enjoyed seeing some wonderful places. We had an uneventful journey home and you cannot ask for more than that.

Thanks to Facebook fan Jürgen Scholüke for sharing this stunning image of Star Flyer at Hamburg, Germany.

Special thanks to Star Clipper guest Virgie Vuylsteke for sending these photos of her recent trip.

Here are a few photos from our fun cruise aboard the Star Clipper.

We can never have too much of Montenegro! Thanks to Fred Harder for sending in these excellent shots of Kotor.

Here are a handful of photos I took in Kotor in 2011. I thoroughly enjoyed our stop at Kotor...and the long approach in was visually spectacular.  It is a rare occasion to visit a 'new' country; that alone made it a fun stop for me.  I sailed with some friends on the Royal Clipper that summer and invited along a lady as a travelling companion.  It was our first date; an extended one at that.  We are now happily engaged to be married.

 

Thanks to Louise Dibble for sending in some beautiful photos of Kotor, Montenegro.

Managed to climb half way up the hill 14 months after having open heart surgery! Was very proud of myself and it was definitely worthwhile to experience the beautiful view. One of my favourite ports.

[caption id="attachment_12409" align="alignnone" width="550"] Star Clipper sailing towards the mouth of the bay of Kotor








[caption id="attachment_12408" align="alignnone" width="550"] What more can I say, stunning!!