It was quite bewildering because although the hospital itself was easy to find and not far away, all of the signs were in Croatian and it was difficult to work out where to go. The hospital was austere and dated. When we eventually found the right place there was no reception, just a row of chairs and a closed door. We were told by one of the red-uniformed medics passing by just to wait. Before long, the door opened and a young female doctor appeared and publicly asked what all of the patients were waiting for. If we'd been able to understand, we'd have surely have found out some intimate details about everyone there.
It didn't take long to be seen and I thought I was going to get away with being prescribed some antibiotics, but at the last minute, the doctor changed her mind and decided to send me to see a specialist. At another hospital.
Arriving at the second hospital, half a mile away, was as confusing as the first, but yet again a helpful medic showed me to the right place and made sure my paperwork got where it needed to be. There was clearly a system in place but it wasn't obvious to me how it worked. The locals seemed to go with the approach of hovering loudly by the relevant door in the hope that this would get them seen first, but the medical team ignored them and respected the queue!
I was seen in turn, asked a few brief questions, then after a lot of scribbling, stapling and stamping of paperwork, sent back to the previous hospital.
I had my EHIC card with me. I've never needed to use it before and having heard stories about how it is often ignored in many EU countries, I was skeptical about its value, but it seemed to smooth the process immeasurably and I was glad I had it.
By the time I received my prescription, I'd seen 3 doctors in two locations, the whole process had taken less than 2 hours and cost the grand total of £3.50. Like their airport processes, the Croatians seem to have a good handle on their medical services, even if it is not apparent until afterwards.
The original plan for the day had been to get the 14:30 ferry to Hvar which we were still able to do with enough time to spare for lunch.
There are seven car ferries a day leaving Split for the two hour journey, past forest-coated Brac, to Hvar. The sun was out again in the milky blue sky, interspersed with a few fluffy clouds and we enjoyed a refreshing breeze in our deck-top seats.
The sea was inky blue, glistening in the sunlight and dotted with the white sails of yachts and we had stunning views of the mountainous coast stretching southwards.
Passing Brac.
We're staying our first night on Hvar in the small town of Stari Grad on the northern shore, then tomorrow we head to Hvar town for a few days. Driving into Stari Grad, we passed Stari Grad Plain - perhaps the oldest allotment in the world, having first been cultivated by the Greeks 24 centuries ago. Our accommodation is on the hillside above the town, it is peaceful with views of olive trees and the cultivated patches of Stari Grad Plain in the distance. We're about to head to the harbourside in search of some dinner, but no alcohol for me tonight.
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