Text Ilkka Sirén

Let’s just put it out there; winter sucks! Sure snow is nice, winter sports, skiing, Christmas etc. but let’s be honest, Summer was the reason why we humans were put on this Earth. If you disagree you are just lying to yourself. In Finland we have a very short summer which has taught us to learn to appreciate good weather. If that means cold beer, swimming and semi-naked people, so be it.

Sometimes you have to play it safe. Finnish summer can be quite “cool”, let’s say. With this in mind me and my wife decided to pack our stuff and head to Croatia for a week. The blue Adriatic Sea seemed like the perfect spot to chill out for a few days. Our accommodation was a bit out of the ordinary. We stayed in a lighthouse. No hotel staff, no random tourists, just us and the sea.

A really beautiful spot and nothing like any other accommodation I’ve ever been in before. It took about 25 minutes by boat to reach the lighthouse from the mainland. It’s a very small island and the house itself is very modest with a kitchen and a couple of rooms. There was of course the lighthouse keeper who lives on the island but he kept pretty much to himself. But I did made a new friend, his name was Mr. Jellyfish. There was plenty of dolphins around the lighthouse but those were a bit too fast for my taste. This jellyfish was more my speed.

After a long day it was nice to catch the sunset at the lighthouse. We witnessed some pretty spectacular sunsets. The dolphins swimming in the sunset was a total cliché but beautiful nonetheless. It was even my wife’s birthday so the situation called for some port wine. By coincidence I happened to have a small bottle of Churchill’s Reserve Port in my luggage. Whatever the situation and wherever you are in the world there is always time for port wine. Due the small size of the Reserve Port it’s perfect to take with you on trips. Because you never know when a glass of port is needed. With us it’s needed quite often.

We sat on the walls of the lighthouse. The place looked like a small fortress and the setting was an almost perfect spot for sipping some port. The velvety and spicy port with its smooth finish lingered long after the last rays of sun bounced off the calm surface of the Adriatic Sea.

The whole stay in the lighthouse seemed a bit surreal. Something out of B-class movie starring Kevin Costner. But it’s an experience I can highly recommend. Being completely isolated with your thoughts, with the ever fascinating “big blue” and a glass of port just to make things perfect. I will miss this place and really hope I can return one day. After all, these situations where you can truly unplug yourself are quite rare. Just have to make sure to bring enough of supplies, meaning good port wine.

Contacts
Churchill Graham Lda
Rua da Fonte Nova, 5
4400 -156 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 22 370 3641
Fax: (+351) 22 370 3642
E-mail: office@churchills-port.com
Website: www.churchills-port.com