Mljet part I - The long road

With the November rain slowly but surely initiating the cold part of the year, what can be better than memories of a summer long gone?
I couldn't quite explain my longing for the sea last year, but I felt like I'd need another break just before routine would take over again. After much consideration, I was left with two tempting island getaways: Mljet or Lastovo. Since both seemed to offer solitude, tranquility and lots of nature, I couldn't possible make a pick until I realized the trip to Lastovo would include quite a long ferry ride. I might still want to visit it one day, but for the moment, the winner of my virtual competition turned out to be Mljet.
After an early wake-up and a long road lined by dark grey clouds and thunderstorms...

... the motorway would take us into the deep south of Croatia, past the mandarin plantations in the Neretva region and further past the Bay of Mali Ston and on to the small village of Ston.  

Our first major stop of the day would include an opportunity to get a taste of fresh air and stretch on a walk through the seemingly abandoned settlement next to an ancient saltwork. 

Guarded by the recently renovated Great Wall and its fortresses, the village used to be an important center of the region. 

For us, it was the first sense of getting closer to our destination. A short stroll through the empty streetsc

... a short stop at a former Franciscan monastery that now serves as a nursing home for elderly nuns...

... more empty streets and abandoned houses...

... alongside a couple of inhabitated ones, too.

And after a round of hiding from the rain, it was our time to move on to the ferry port Prapratno, and on to what is known as Croatia's greenest island.

Luckily, due to the short distance from the mainland, I didn't need to position myself next to the lifeboats *just in case* for too long. The breeze on the outside deck turned out to be quite fresh, but then again, it was a short drive only and only a while after taking off, one ould already see the silhouette of Mljet's hills coming closer and closer.

After having firm ground under my feet again, it was time to start wondering about what lies ahead. Could it be that the stormy clouds will be keeping us company for the rest of our stay, or will the wind be able to blow them away? And how exactly would it feel to be stranded on an island that has roughly 1000 inhabitants who are living in a total of 16 settlements? Wouldn't it be too lonely in the middle of a National park that is inhabitated by 300 people in 5 villages only?

~ to be continued ~