This morning the Sea Cloud expedition explored the alleged birthplace of Marco Polo, the first European to explore Asia in the 14th century.
We docked in the eastern port in the early morning and set off for a tour of the historic center of the town, visiting the four-nave cathedral of St. Mark and its impressive treasury.
The highlight of the visit was the oldest tradition that the devout Catholic inhabitants of Korčula have been keeping alive: an old folk church ceremony and a weapon dance called the Moreška, which dates back to the middle ages, originally danced only on special occasions, and now presented to us in the local theatre. It is an elaborate production involving two groups of dancers, engaging in a mock battle over the fate of a veiled young woman with a happy ending. All dancers are amateurs and of different age, which made us amazed at the scale of physical fitness and concentration required to perform this kind of a weapon dance.
Some of us used the opportunity to take a swim off the rocks beneath the walls of the old town, and in the afternoon we had the opportunity to get on a Zodiac and take photos of the Sea Cloud with opened sails, using the skills we learned on the previous days in our photography lectures.
The rest of the afternoon was reserved for a very interesting lecture on the history of Croatia that helped us to have a better perspective and understanding of the western Balkans and its recent history.
In the evening we continued our sail, excited to be visiting Dubrovnik—the pearl of the Adriatic—the next day.
