Very early start - from Gatwick or Manchester - meant that most of us slept the distance to Split on the Dalmatian coast.

From here we took taxis down to Split port to catch our ferry one hour to Brac. Brac is the largest island in Dalmatia.

Ivana, our wonderful local guide, was at Supetar port to welcome us. We had minibuses the short distance to Sutivan - our home for the next week.

This little fishing port is now a low key resort. Here we were to stay in apartments or a couple of small pensions, all eating breakfast and some of our evening meals at Pension Dora's restaurant.

While our luggage was taken by car or minibus, most of us walked to our accommodation along the front or up narrow streets above the water.

Later most of us went for a walk along the front for a dip at the first little beach.

Practically all the beaches on the island are stony, or there are smooth rocks that slope down into the water. The water was delicious after our journey even though the sun was leaving the beach.

Some of us stopped for a drink on the way back to our apartments to get ready for dinner.

In the evening we ate at Pension Dora - then everyone headed to their beds very early!

Lovely blue sky, sunny but not too hot, a breeze blowing - perfect weather for walking!

After breakfast at Pension Dora, we made our packed lunches, and were driven to the start of our first walks.

I took the gentle walk which was to start from Skrip - the oldest settlement on the island dating from the Illyrians over 3000 years ago.

We walked into the village - lots of old houses built of beautiful Brac stone (this same stone was used in the building of the White House in the USA!)

A service was going on in the church, so we headed to the museum - whose foundations are themselves Roman.

It's a very simple country museum with artifacts from different ages, but also two stone friezes of Hercules looking very strong, and other Roman remains found nearby.

A little chapel close by caught our attention, following which we set off down the hillside amid the olive groves and vineyards to Splitska.

Lovely views of the sparkling sea and the Croatian mainland across the water as we walked, and then of Splitska below us - buildings of white stone and terracotta roofs arranged around a small cove.

A swim felt more important than a drink, so we walked around the headland to a stretch of smooth sloping rock with both shade and sun - and careful access to the water.

The nearby beach lacked shade at this time of day.

A lovely dip later, plus some sunbathing, reading, or snoozing in the shade, we returned to Splitska for a drink at the cafe beside the water. It felt very idyllic!

The Intermediate walk with Ivana & Lorraine had meantime been from D. Humac - about 4 miles beyond Skrip.

They visited the church here then set off for to quarry where huge blocks of white Brac stone has been quarried for millenia - reason for the ancient settlement at Skrip.

From here they walked through the olive groves to Skrip to also visit the museum, then descend to the sea.

However, rather than walking directly to Splitska, they headed to Postira, then finished along the coast to Splitska - joining us for a drink at the cafe on the waterfront.

Back in Sutivan, a lot of women headed for the beach and a swim, while others did washing, relaxing, sitting on balconies, or exploring the village.

We met up again at Pension Dora for a chat about the next day's walks, then ate in small groups next to Sutivan's small fishing port.

A lovely evening and delicious food. Lots of us ate the wonderful fresh fish - sea bass or tuna.

The wind from the north east - the bora - was softer today, but still the skies were without a cloud.

After breakfast at Pension Dora we set off on foot out of the village, up to St Roc church - named for the village's patron saint.

We saw the graveyard with its cypress trees...

Our morning route was the same for both groups - but taken at slightly different paces, all walking through the olive groves and pines across the headland behind Sutivan.

On the far side we descended to Bobovisca inlet - beautiful blue sea with white buildings around the water, and sailing boats moored to the quay or anchored further out.

The cafe/ bar was closed - so there was no temptation - and we headed around to a swimming spot where most of the group indulged!

After lunch here, the Intermediate walk headed back to Sutivan via upper Bobivisca and Loscisca - the second being larger with a superb church and many old buildings spreading over the hillside.

5 minutes behind them, the Gentle walk followed on, and finished at Lozisca by catching the public bus home from there.

The Intermediate walk continued on with Ivana over a hill and down a ravine back to Sutivan on foot - extending the length of their walk to nearly 11 miles.

Back in Sutivan, some of the Gentle group sat on their balcony and read while others headed for the beach for a second swim!

Later we all met up briefly at Pension Dora to talk over the next day's walk and also what women fancied doing on the day off that would follow - kayaking, sightseeing in Split by ferry, just lazing on the beach....?

Followed by dinner at different restaurants around the harbour.

Clouds gathering as we walked to Pension Dora for breakfast - and a forecast with a change to wind from the south and a possibility of rain later.

Today we were driven up towards the centre of the island - to start our walk to the highest point - Vidova Gora.

Our route took both groups past Podgazul early on - an old shepherd's settlement near valuable mountain grazing.

Podgazul now hosts an unusual restaurant with food cooked traditionally in deep hot ashes. There was no one there so we wandered around the old buildings - a lovely place.

From here we walked along gravel and earth tracks between the trees - Black Pines mostly, which only grow above 400m.

There were opportunities for blackberry scrumping along the way.

We passed 3 clay lined dew ponds on the way - a natural feature which shepherds have used for years, and with one of them built a wall around to increase its capacity.

There was also the occasional ploughed walled field - with very rich looking soil from the clay.

From here the land rose again and a short way further we reached the road to the summit.

Vidova Gora at 780m is in fact the highest summit in all the Dalmatian Islands.

The wind was buffetting us from the south, making it hard to take photos of the islands and sea below.

However we could see Bol and the extraordinary Zlatni Rat beach close by - a V-shaped pebble spit going out into the sea (above).

The Intermediate group had arrived first, naturally, and were exconsed in the cafe when the Gentle group and I arrived - drinking hot tea, and mostly wearing their extra fleeces or anoracks!

The Intermediate path from here was down an old zigzag trail first built by the Romans, which took them down the face of the escarpment to Bol.

Ivana's concerns about the strength of the wind caused several women to swap to the Gentle walk at this point.

However the path turned out to more sheltered than the summit with the wind in this direction.

Bol is the only real touristy place on Brac - the only place with big hotels and package holidays etc - but still attractive.

The Gentle walk had meantime turned back down the road a short way to go adventuring in the woods.

We took small paths, trails and sheep tracks (or wild boar tracks) looping through some lovely woods out of the wind.

At one point we crossed a section of limestone pavement, and wound our way through the bushes and pines largely off path - regaining tracks further on to regain our pickup point.

No sooner had the minibus taken us back to Sutivan than he was off again to pick up the Intermediate walkers from Bol - who had celebrated with a drink on their arrival there!

That evening it rained off and on, and we ate indoors at Pension Dora - glad not to be eating beside the harbour where it was windy.

Today was our day off from walking. The rough sea put paid to the sea kayaking as all but one woman were beginners.

Instead half the group headed to Split on the ferry to see Diocletian's Palace - the ancient centre of Split. Here are some of their photos.

Other women hired bikes and explored this end of the island, 3 others hired a car from Supetar and explored further afield.

Some women relaxed and read in some sunny spot out of the wind.

We met up again at 7pm to chat before going out to eat - some women ate a la carte at Pension Dora to avoid the wind... Very delicious!

We were due to walk to the Blaca Monastery today, but woke to grey skies and threatening rain.

We swapped today's and tomorrow's walks around - and headed off along the north coast of the island to the only sandy bay instead.

The Gentle walk started from Splitska - where we had walked to on the first day.

When the skies opened as we got out of the minibus, we decided the walk should start with a hot chocolate or capuccino!

From here we took the coast path eastwards to Postira (where we stopped for another hot drink!).

From here we continued along the coast path to Lovricina beach - stopping at another cove on the way for first lunch.

The rain started again as we neared the beach - and we were well esconced in the little cafe there by the time the clouds opened and the thunder started.

The Intermediate walk had meantime started from near Supetar - walking eastwards through low hills to reach the coast at Splitska.

From there they continued in the wake of the gentle group (and were spotted arriving in Postira for a drink just as the gentle group were getting ready to leave!)

We all ended up at Lovricina - where our minibuses collected us from.

After showers back in Sutivan, many of us congregated at Pension Dora for an afternoon of cards, codes, book reading and cups of tea

There were also biscuits from the supermarket, and grapes from Bronnie's landlady!

Today we were driven to near the Blaca Monastery - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We walked down into the gorge where the monastery is hidden. It was built here by hermits wishing to get away from the world and to escape persecution from the Turks - and later, from pirates.

Both groups did the same walk today, so we all benefitted from Ivana's local knowledge as we wandered around the monastery.

A fascinating monastery: the position of being a monk here - or even 'the' solitary monk here - was passed from uncle to nephew until 1963 when the last monk died.

The monastery is built into the gorge side - and the church is built into the original hermit cave used by the first 2 monks.

One monk was an astronomer, and there is a huge telescope in one of the rooms - once the biggest telescope in Croatia - which cost the monastery a year's worth of income....

The fire was the heart of the monastery - kept alight the whole year, and only ritually relit Maundy Thursday. Children taught at the school here had to bring a piece of wood each day as payment.

From Blaca we continued down the gorge to the sea - a beautiful walk surrounded by pines, olives and craggy gorge sides - with glimpses of the sea ahead of us.

The first to arrive ate lunch on the beach at Blaca cove.

Most of us then walked along the south coast towards Bol, to reach 'Ivana's beach' - a stunning little cove with clear clear water where many of us swam.

Lorraine started a 'nature table' for all the shells and other sea creatures women were finding on the beach!

Back at Blaca Bay, we had a treat in store for the afternoon - a taxi boat to get us from here to Bol where our minbuses would pick us up later.

It was a great trip along the coast - seeing all the little inlets and hamlets, and a few other deserted monasteries on the mountain slopes.

At Bol we motored around Zlatni Rat - the famous current carved pebble beach that extends out into the sea here...

We were dropped off on the beach with time to wander along the promenade to Bol, stopping to shop at the small stalls here, or to indulge in an ice cream.

Back at Sutivan, our last dinner was at Pension Dora - following which Lorraine stood up and thanked Ivana who had been a wonderful local guide in every way.

Finally, time to pack before our early ferry back to Split and taxi to the airport in the morning.

Last saucers of milk too for the local strays we'd befriended...

The next morning we caught the ferry back to Split and boarded our planes for Gatwick and Manchester. This holiday will definitely be repeated next year, re-graded as Gentle & Low Intermediate.