“This time around, I did not know the destination of my trip. When I boarded my ight to Croatia I nally had some time to let it sink in, but still I had no clue what was awaiting me. After arriving in Split I went straight to the harbour to catch a catamaran which took me on a ve hour trip to Lastovo island. From the start the nature and the serene quality of the island made the most impression on me, aside from the brightly lit sky at night. There is something to the simple life, where people don’t worry about stuff too much and don’t get involved in each others business. Visiting Lastovo felt like a small escape from reality.

Even though the people on the island live relatively secluded, they proved to be very hospitable. In their broken English, they asked me questions about what I was doing on the island, and they showed a lot of interest in my stories. With one local family I traded a drawing for a dinner, while the family told me everything about their family and the island’s history. It was a blessing to have the island almost completely to myself and sit on the mountain tops with some lunch and a sketchbook.

Every morning I would get up around six in the morning to start drawing along with the sunrise and the fishermen throwing out their nets in the sea. All of my experiences and all of the things I encountered are incorporated into one portrait. The colours are based on this faded mint green that I saw on many of the windows and the old red concrete bricks of which the houses were made.”

Travel diary

Thursday, March 23, 2017

After a flight to Split, Croatia and a catamaran boat ferry for almost 4 hours i arrived on Lastovo, an island with only 800 people living here and so much unrepped nature. Today I will explore the area by bike. In the next couple of days I will show you a lot more from Lastovo.

After arriving on the island of Lastovo yesterday, and enjoying the view from my apartment. Today was all about exploring the island. I walked from my apartment over to the town of Lastovo, the main town on the island.

I tried to rent a bike, but this proved more difficult than I thought it would be. Luckily, once I got there I was greeted by the owner of the local bar. She told me I was the only tourist in the village. She said something I couldn’t understand to a dog and the dog barked back at her and started walking. She gestured I should follow the dog and I ended up at the steps of an old castle. Covered in salamanders, the view was breathtaking!

Friday, March 24, 2017

While walking around the island of Lastovo, I found this spot to sit down and work on some drawings and sketches. Look at that view.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

This morning I woke up early at 5.30 to start drawing for my print. Around 08.30 I went out with my bike again to look for Jurjeva Luka, an old army station. It was a ride of about 30km, on my mountainbike. Up and down hill. But I made it.

From Ubli I went to Pasadur and after a short walk and a climb up the hill I reached a deserted army station, which I had hear about. Thrown in windows, a rusted guard tower, and old decaying wall paintings. Time has stood still here, very glad to have seen this part of Lastovo while I was here.

Monday, March 27, 2017

The last two days of my trip I'm spending in Split. After having been on island with almost no people around I have to get used to being in the city again. This morning I got up early again to walk around the market where people sell their locally produced food and other stuff. After a short little breakfast in the harbour I sat down to draw some more elements for the print. After that I walked towards the station, where I tried to walk into the tunnel, but after 50 meters I walked into some construction works who told me to get out. So unfortunately I only have pictures of the entrance!

Earlier today I tried to walk into a train tunnel, to catch a glimpse of the tunnel. But some construction works saw me and told me to leave. I decided to go back again in the night. After waiting for half an hour at the platform I took my chance and walked down the track into the tunnel of central station Split. In the tunnel I met a couple homeless people who lived down in the tunnel, when they saw me the started shouting at me. But I handed out some cigarettes and everything was okay. I talked with some people and drank a bit of wine with a guy from Germany.

Being in Split for two days has been the complete opposite experience from being on the Lastovo island. I'm glad I experienced both.