May 20, 2020 - There has been one constant source of entertainment during the lockdown on Hvar - wonderful birdsong.  

Probably the best decision I have made in the last 20 years was to self-isolate back in Jelsa on Hvar rather than our current home in Varazdin. Don't get me wrong, I love living up north, but the beauty and nature and that gorgeous Adriatic Sea as companions for a couple of months of lockdown, compared to being housebound in a bleaker climate made the decision an easy one. 

I wasn't what to expect with a lockdown on Hvar, and there were many surprises with much reduced human activity, no tourists and a chance for Nature to come out and enjoy the sunshine. And that included one thing which has been my constant companion on Hvar these last few weeks - birdsong. 

We left the island a couple of days ago after 63 days. Island life is dictated by ferry times, and that meant a very early start to catch the 05:30 from Stari Grad to Split. A last few moments of enjoying the view from the TCN terrace at 04:30. And a free birdsong concert!

What a great way to start the day.

Birdsong concerts have been a feature of my life these past few weeks. My daily routine had me mostly chained to the laptop 16 hours a day, but I did have one precious hour to sit with a beer and enjoy the beautiful island I moved to in 2002. 

This is the birdsong concert from The Bench in Exile.

Cafes finally reopened on May 11. After weeks of an empty main square, tables and chairs came out. This was how it looked the night before things reopened. The last concert before the return of humans. 

Fancy surrounding yourself with a bit more nature for your early evening birdsong concert? Choose from the numerous benches in the park.  

Birdsong and bench tourism - the perfect social distancing entertainment combination for season 2020 on Hvar. 

To learn more about Hvar, check out our Virtual Croatia series - Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Tools to Discover Hvar.