The First Parachute
After our early morning escape from the storm on Zlarin, we settle into the port of Privac. The village is very quaint and quiet as we head ashore mid morning to check out some of the sites including the supermarket, which is always top of the list for Di-chief food gatherer! We notice a very modern museum with interesting wooden models sitting outside. The museum is only two years old and is dedicated to the works and designs of Fuast Vrancic who grew up in this village in the 16th century. Faust was obvioulsy a very clever man and is credited with developing a dictionary covering five languages. He was also fascinated with birds and flight and designed the first parachute which looks amazingly like a modern para glider wing. He invented numerous machines for harnessing wind energy and energy from flowing streams. The machines were primarily used for powering mills and lifting things. Outside the museum there is a model of a man swinging in a parachute which could actually be seen from our boat out on the water-we thought it was a scarecrow of some sort! The museum has many interactive displays and a film about Faust's life and projects. His body is buried at the local church not far from where the museum has been built in his memory. We have visited a few museums on some of the islands while we have been in Croatia but this one is quite unique and most informative.