getting in shape for summer

 

(Click to enlarge).

At last the snow has gone, and whoops it's spring all of a sudden.
With a friendly temperature of around 18 degrees Celcius, life looks pleasant again, as here most of life's pleasures are enjoyed outside.
All our neighbours are preparing their grapes for the growing season, and on and around their land they clean up and burn dead wood before the birds start to build nests.

Walking around in T-shirt again is truly a pleasure are the short but(unpresedented)fierce winter.
And hurray for me, it was the first time again to do some finishing preparations of the little roof I fell of three months ago (breaking six ribs).
No smashing this time, no shocking lack of air, no sweating close to fainting, still slightly unsecure, but all went well.
(Once you truly hurt yourselve, your system stores the signal and reminds you of how it felt and what to do/don't to prevent from experiencing the same sort of damage again).

Tomorrow two good friends come over to help me finishing it all, so finally that roof is ready, with under it storage and working space to weld, saw, screw and glue either wood or steel.
Never a dull moment since we live here, making a table or cubbord, or a small trailer for my 50 CC "motorbike".

No I never was and never will be like the bear on the picture, fysical work to me is as normal as eating, but work outs, training, fitness and jogging mean nothing to me.
Ok, I am slightly overweight, and yes my docter tells me to take care of my cholesterol, and yes I smoke and drink, but I feel fine, and going up a mountain is no problem, as long as I let my "diesel" get warm without overheating it.

So, with great respect for all who have a body of an atlete and run quicker than the cars in a traffic jam, who don't smoke and only drink water with a drop of lemon in it, neighter one of us can look into the future, and it's better to live happy than to die looking great.
As a matter of fact, I think I even look better than my furry friend on the picture, and for sure I sleep nice and warm every night, after a small glass of local rakija and some home dried figs.

Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.......the bear keeps lifting, and I am going to sleep in my warm cozy bed.
He may even win a gold medal or the bear olympics, I already feel a winner, living here in this magnificant country.

(Comments or critics, mail me at: see header of these blogpages in which X = @ of course).

smoke on the water..........

 

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Today, at the seafront, we had what's called here "orkanski bura", a wind that blows in gusts of about 200 km. = > 11 bft.
A truck on its side, trees broken, tricky stuff so to say, but fantastic to have a look and take some pictures.

Much of the weather is typical, due to the structure of the land here.
With mountain rigs from north to south (Rijeka to Dubrovnik) close to the seaside, much of the winds are blocked, coming from inland or sea (creating that great sheltered summer weather).
In these mountains however there are openings on many places, like in our neighborhood where the Cetina river flows through its canyon into the Adriatic.

A bit further away, close to Biokovo Mountains, there is a wide and deep gap, where I love to go when the weather is not so stormy.
The landscape there is rough and alpine, and rocks and trees are shaped by the furious winds that can blow there.

If you happen to visit this area, drive from Omis to Makarska along the coast and take the road up to Zadvarje, turn left to Slime, and take the very first narrow road left (ignoring the old sign there), and go up the mountain till you think its enough (It's a great walk as well).
The scenery there is truly beautiful, with specific local herbs, trees and flowers, and the view is JUST FANTASTIC.
(Do this in the later afternoon, take your picnic stuff with you, and wait till the sun goes down !!!!).

But forget it when this orkanski bura is blowing, as than you may end at the foot of the mountains, in the sea deep below you, or even, much quicker in heaven than you ever thought possible.
As than the wind there is as dangerous as hell !!!, reason why most of the trees there are smaller than a dwarf.

I stayed on the low side today, still (a bit) tricky, but hey, you want to see special pictures, so I just had to deliver the stuff (and for my own pleasure of course :-).

In some of the coming messages I'll tell you a bit about an other danger here.
Snakes, especially a type called poskok, better known as nose horned viper.
NOT the biggest danger, still something to be aware of.

PS:
A small joke:
I call the police here poskok, as like those snakes, they seek the side of the asphalt when the sun is shining.
And yes, when you ignore them, they also bite :-) !

If any question or remark, mail me, see header of this blog, with X = @.

a remarkable discovery

How strange can things be ! In my previous item about a strange concrete ship in the middle of the fields driving from Omis to Trilj, I was was looking for the proper spelling of the word "stecci". Those ancient grave stones brought via Google to a Slavic forum, full of information about many Slavic countries, among which Croatia/Dalmatia. And much to my surprise I stumbled over an item about Dalmatian soldiers fighting in the American Civil War. Truly amazing stuff, see for yourself (please copy/paste the line):

www.slavorum.com/index.php?topic=741.msg7638#msg7638

Even more surprising to me, as I earlier wrote about a "confederate" in Svinisce. He nor me have known the true story behind this coincidental little item I wrote because of the cap Jordan got from his sailor son as just a funny present to him. Some quotes from this amazing discovery:

During the American Civil War, many Croatians served as individuals and in organized Croatian companies. They fought for the South. Their service was not unusual or accidental, as they were a part of the South in numbers since the 1760's. They were in Mobile, Alabama; Pascaguala, Mississippi; Harrison Co., Mississippi; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Plaquemine Parish, Louisiana. A Dalmatian, Juan Matulich, was selling guns and whiskey to the Indians in the 1760's; another, Marco Givanovich, owned a pre-Civil War plantation worth over $400,000. Documents indicate they were known as Slavonians, and the majority came from Dalmatia in Croatia. George Petrovich Gettysburg, July 2, 1863 At 8 a.m. on July 2, 1863, practically the whole of both armies was upon the field at Gettysburg. The Confederate Army lost 28,063 men as killed, wounded and missing; the Federals 23,049. Some were Croatian. Corporal George Petrovich volunteered on July 22, 1861, at Camp Moore, Louisiana, for Company D, 10th Louisiana Infantry. (The New Orleans Business Directory for 1860 lists George Petrovich at 111 Chartres Street, with a fruit store.) His enlistment papers state his residence at New Orleans.

Of course I know many Croats live all over the world, not only in Germany or the Netherlands, but many of them in Australia, America, Canada and elsewhere. Just recently one of them from a neighbor village , Theo Brstilo with wife and kids, flew over the ocean to find himself and his kids a better future. For that is still a big problem over here, with good education and well motivated people, but mainly/only jobs in the tourist season, and that is not only a pity, but a shame as well. Most of the earlier industry in the coastal area has disappeared and much of the initiative is blocked in early stage by an overkill of rules and paperwork. I hope I will live to see the change in the current situation, somehow boosted by the membership of the European Union. So Ikea, Volkswagen, Philips, Unilever, Canon, Suzuki, Caterpillar, Bayer, Beneton and lookalikes, don't only sell your goods here, but start some production units too. People here want to work, not only in the tourist season, but all year round !!! (Still, it's amazing to see that Croats did not only move to find a better life, but even lived to die in the American Civil War).

wanna cruise ?

Just a funny, surprising, weird photo taken on the road to Trilj.
Trilj by the way, used to be an important stronghold in the Roman days.
With Solin near Split (Salona and Spalatum in those days)as a very important Roman town and later on the growth of Split, with the well known palace of Diocletianus still remaining in all it's glory.
Salona however was the most important Roman town in those days, with more than 20.000 inhabitants.
It had everthing we know Roman cities of, including a large amphitheater and a still visible aquaduct.
Much of it all disappeared over time, especially when the Ottomans came close to the coast overhere.

For people interested in archaeology this is a absolute goal for some holiday excursions, as in Solin for instance still a tremendous lot is to be seen and visualised, and various museums in Split show splendid collections.

Back to Trilj than, which was as I said a stronghold for some Roman legions in their quest for deeper and further penetration of the surrouding land.
One good reason was that gold and silver were mined in what's now Herzegovina, and of course the nice climate made it possible to enjoy Dalmatian wines, olives and fish.
For those interested there is a book available that describes all known and hardly known locations and sites where still a lot is undiscovered (due to lack of the money to do extensive archaeological research).
See the header of this blog for my email address, in which X = @, and I'll gladly send you the details how to get that book (in English).

Now, what about that strange ship in the middle of a field, left from the road.
On the road to Trilj, there is a group of "stecci", ancient grave stones with remarkable inscriptions.
The stones show a variety of pictured people, hunting, dancing, working.
Here is only one spot they can be seen, on many other places a lot more can be seen.

Now will I tell about this crazy concrete "Costa Concordia" or not !
Ok, don't twist my arm, I will, I will.
I don't know who built it, or why or when, but it used to be a dancing, a party boat if you wish, where from all around youngsters used to go to dance, party, and kiss.
For some reason it lost it's glory (like more cruisers do), making it into a completely desolated monstrum in the middle of the land, falling apart slowly.
Somehow those old Romans were much better builders, using pure stone, brilliant techniques and less chemistry.

Not being a journalist nor scientist, I will use the next spring to check out some of those hardly known archeological sites, as it keeps me amazed how much there is to be discovered in Dalmatia for those who not only come for a suntan.
So this will not be my last item about archeology, hoping you are interested as much as I am.

PS
Do mail me if you have any questions or remarks, I'll gladly answer them whenever I can.
As all I want is to show a bit more about all hidden treasures of Dalmatia, Croatia.

the very last snowy picture

 

Trust me, this is the very last picture with snow in it, as I (and you) have seen enough of it.
With today a temperature of 17 degrees C. there's hardly any snow left, and the first insects are buzzing around so why write about snow ?

The answer is simple, I was scrolling through my pictures, and decided to ad this item, because one of our (very helpfull)friends is on it.
The friend, Lero Tafra, lives in the nearby village, and was so kind to dig out some fire wood from deep under the snow.
To me, digging (with my six healing broken ribs) is still a no no, so he decided to dig a while, as somewhere under this load of snow was my well isolated stock of dry fire wood.
It took him a while, but in the end, we loaded our garden house with enough wood to heat our bones during colder nights.

Lero lives in a place called Gornje Tafra meaning upper Tafra, as many places overhere are named after the earliest families that lived and still live here.
With about twenty houses, however he is the last of the "mohicans" there, as almost everbody today is just a "weekend inhabitant" except him.
They all have some house at the seaside now, where jobs and schools are near.

As soon as work in the fields is calling, many people here come to their weekend places, to take care of the grapes, cherries and olives and to plant a lot of potatoes and a variety of vegetables, as the soil here is excellent and the growing season long and wealthy.
And of course they also come over for the weekend just to enjoy country life in their old family property.

A good thing is that slowly people are returning today, when duty is not calling anymore, or te kids are studying elsewhere.
For us and them, the easy going peacefull life here, with good roads, tap water and internet :-) is like living in heaven after many years at the coast, with its noise, cars, and :-( in summer season large crowds of holiday visitors.
Still, it's just a five minutes drive down to the Cetina Canyon, and another five to town (for shopping) and the gorgeous Adriatic beaches.
We call this an excellent example of having best of both worlds, and it is !

Enjoying the first true (early) spring time, this will be my last item about a unbelievable winter period, unprecedented to all, even to the oldest among us.

PS:
I would like to know how and why you got connected to this blog, so if you have the time, do write me a short message to my address shown in the header of this blog (with of course X = @).

Have a great time wherever in the world you are living, and keep following our life in our hidden valley in Svinisce.
Next item will be as sunny as possible, that's a promise !

when the snow disappears...........

 

When the snow disappears, the bears wake up.
Just kidding, we don't have bears around, not even far away, and even harsh winters are unusual in this Adriatic climate.
If you want to meet bears, you'll have to go inland, to the Lika district.

Wolves and lynx there seem to be, but heavily protected and very seldom seen, boars there are a lot more, still not easy to be found, but we wouldn't have hunters if there weren't boars.
And of course, in the area of Biokovo Mountains the chance of spotting various wildlife is common.
The bear on the picture however, that came out of hibernation, is now living in the USA.

The story behind it is charming.
Two years ago we were walking on the beach, and found it floating ashore.
It looked terrible, but I said to my wife it came swimming all the way from Italy (visible on a very clear day).
I picked it up, cleaned it when arriving at home, and from that moment on, it followed me on every business trip or holiday.

And (funny me), I took pictures on the most uncommon locations, resulting in a load of bearpics and the story to them.
(Which this is a result of as you can see).

One day I met a friend in Split with her young daughter, and when the little girl saw the bear, she fell in love with it like young girls do.
I couldn't resist her asking eyes, so the bear stepped away from me, and even further than I thought possible, as the family went back to the USA, due to the lack of workable jobs in Croatia (which still is a big problem today *).

So the bear is now living in the USA, but I still have the pictures, making it possible to me to write a little story, about winter leaving, temperature rising, snow disappearing, and bears getting up.

*)
To investors, company people, producers and dealers: DO KNOW this country is truly a great chance to start a factory or sales office today, as it soon will enter the European Union, it's people are well educated workers (and still a bargain), the infrastructure is good, making Split with it's deep water harbour an excellent location to penetrate the Balkan markets and beyond.
Many companies already discovered this emerging market, so wake up, as only bears sleep during winter season !!

nothing beats "domaci"

 

"Domaci", or home made, is a much used word in Croatia while "polako" (take it easy)is second best.
Wine, olive oil, pancetta, prsut, that delicious home made dry ham, and many more things are made at home by people who not only learned it from parents and grandparents, but take pride in the art of it, and of course the taste !!!

Still a novice myself on many items, I always was and still am a fairly good cook, but baking my own bread, cookies and such was a bit behind my horizon.
Recent snowy times gave me the possibility to go for it, so I asked a neighbor to teach me the art of home made bread.

She showed me how to start a fire in the (large) fireplace, how to check the heat of the floor, and of course how to work ingredients into a fantastic bread.
And it smelled and tasted like a thousand angels were..............

One thing leads to another, so on the picture you see a traditional Dutch roll, stuffed with spiced minced pork meat, which by the way I baked in my more familiar electric stove.
For this type of rolls using a real fire in the fireplace is a bit to tricky for the novice I am.

The name in dutch of these rolls is "worstebrood", I have no idea what name they have in english, and as it's new for Svinisce, I call them "lovacki kruh", meaning hunters rolls.

Anyone interested to make them, see my address in the header of this blog, with of course X = @ (against spammers) and I'll gladly send you instructions to get going yourselve.
Still a lot to learn about wine, sausages, olives, but a lot of the good old knowledge still is available to me.
You don't have to be a conservative to appreciate traditions !

happiness is.........

 

Happiness is.....sitting around the table with good friends while the woodstove is heating your bones, with a bottle on the table and a glass in your hands.
And what if everybody is having fun, trying to steal your bottle ?

Well, for every problem there is a solution, also in this matter.
You take a rope, tie it to the bottle and put it around your neck.

And boy did we have a great afternoon, still with a lot of snow outside, but temperature on the sunny side of the wall rising to a pleasant +15 degrees C.

Our friends/neighbors, came over to dig out some of our fire wood, while I still can't do that due to my earlier broken six ribs.
And having done so, with nothing else to do as all land is still covered with a thick layer of snow, we joined inside, where temperature was even better than on that sunny outside wall, with like I said, a bottle on the table and some food to accompany the drinks.

So, even while Dalmatija still looks like the Alps, we sat together sipping some (just some) results of last years sun.
Sun, grapes, wine, a perfect combination to celebrate Dalmatija's wealth, even when economy is still in a bad mood.
As you can see, we're not in a bad mood, not at all.
Cheers !

PS.
The bottle contained a delicious Traminac wine, a highly advisable white.
Croatia grows an ever increasing lot of treasures, from a wide range of known and unknown grapes.
Ask for them, or even better, come and get it as soon as the snow disappears.

Nicola, Mate for his friends, the guy on the picture, is a great character.
Even though he lost one arm from some WW2 shit in his younger years, it never stopped him to live life to the max, but that's worth another story some day.
Hvala Mate, ja te volim.

this could be the last time

 

The Stones sang it "this could be the last time".
Maybe the last time I don't knowhoooo.
(For those loving good old songs from those golden days of rock 'n roll, check youtube).

Today temperature is finaly rising, and so this could be the last time we'll see Mosor Mountains this white.
Because this type of weather seems to happen only once in fifty years, I might not live to see it again.
Great, as however I wish to live to be a hundred years overhere, this was once but rather not again.
And all those people in Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia just might wish the same, covered in tons of snow, isolated from everything that makes life livable.

Whatever the outcome of weather reports for the next week, let it be at least everyday some sun and melting snow.
The Alps should be white, Everest too, and well MontBlanc would'nt be MontBlanc if not a white mountain.
Great for all those high peaks, but this is Dalmatia, with the highest peak about 1800 meters high.

Our nearest high mountains are on Biokovo (Nature Park), and yes, that's covered in thick snow during winter many times.
And yes, I love to drive up that mountain and stop where a nice walk in thick snow starts through stunning nature.
Driving however these days is only for die hards with chains round their tires, brains and feet.
For me, loving to look around a bit in Dalmatia's fantastic nature, these are conditions I rather not test my driving skills.

Soon I hope to get out again, to enjoy the variety of nature around us.
Pictures and stories will follow, as I guess you want to see a bit more than snow, snow and more snow.
Anyone wanting to mail me, see the header of this blog for my address.

Let the sunshine in, as this is Dalmacija/Dalmatia, with green nature, grey rocks, a blue sea and a golden sun !!!

I'm dreaming of a................

 

NO, I am not dreaming of a.........white Christmas, hell no ! For those who are as "old" as I am, I want you oldies to remember that famous Woodstock Festival film, in which there was a rainy moment and all in the crowd shouted "rain go away" to some rhythm. (Am I that old, yes, that old !!!). So in my mind I shouted like thousands of people those days "snow go away" and tapped the rhythm with my feet. It seems to work, as of tomorrow temperature is rising again, but it will take at least a week to remove all of our snow, as on average it's fifty centimetres thick, but on many places more than the triple of that. Statistics say the average day temperature for Split is about eleven degrees C. on the right side of the line. And as always, statistics say what people put in it and want to see come from it. Bloody liars, that's what they are, well paid bloody liars :-). As you can see, I am fed up with this snow. I did not choose to live in Dalmacija to meet Heidi, nor do I like those purple cows from Milka running up and down the slopes. If I want to ski (and I love to ski), I rather drive two hours into Bosnia, and return to sunny Dalmacija as soon as my temperature drops. I like my meat from the grill, I like to enjoy my glass of wine outside, and I love the smell of herbs and the sound of crickets around me. Sorry to all people who live in "winter wonder land", but their winters are a bit to long for me. I prefer one or two days of snow, max. 20 centimetres, than some sunny days, followed by a bit of rain, followed by more sun, and most of all, I like the variety of landscapes Dalmacija has to offer in such an amount on such close distance. Snow’s nice, but when it covers the whole world around you, it gets to be like a painting with no paint on. (For the snow blinds, look, and look again at the picture above, with only some white in the ducks, and a variety of greens, greys, browns, orange and even some blue). That's how a nice painting should look, not the all white version I see for already ten days in a row. Snow's great, sure, white and pure, but too much and too long makes me dream of.........Spring........and not of Christmas !

simply bread

 

Simply bread, oh no, there's nothing as delicate and precious as home made bread, so there is'nt such a thing as "simply bread".
Sure, the white spongy stuff everybody can get from stores is named bread, and I guess they use the same basic ingredients, but there are so many additives in it, to increase it's color, smell and "freshness".
There's a whole industry producing hundreds of additional materials with loads of E-numbers in it, to make life of the baker a bit easier.

But do you get a tasty nutritious bread from it ?

We already have the pleasure to once in a while get one of our neighbor's home made breads, traditionally baked on a stone floor heated by a wood fire.
And believe me, that's the very best bread you'll ever taste.

Due to the slippery snowy conditions we "suffer" nowadays, I started to bake my own bread like she does, and today I both baked a bread and twenty "worstebroodjes", a traditional meat stuffed roll from the Netherlands.

All of it was a true delight to do, working the dough by hand, preparing the stuffing for those rolls, and than, the ultimate moment of delight, the smell from the oven (as baking on woodfire is still a bridge to far for me).

Problem however is, that those twenty rolls were quickly reduced to less than ten, as everybody visiting wanted to try them, and so did we of course.

With more snow coming the next couple of days, I can increase my baking skills, and as soon as possible I'll drive to the small town called Grab, where a traditional miller using waterpower, makes the very best flour.

Snow in Dalmatia, in this amount still is a pain in the (ass), but it gives me lots of time to become my own baker.
And THAT is one of the many benefits of life in the Zagora (the hinterland) as here people still know how to be fully self supporting, and I gladly learn from them to be that way too.

Should you plan to enjoy your holidays in Dalmatia (and right you are)a visit to the Zagora is a MUST DO.
As here, and nowhere else you get the real feel of Dalmacija !!! And should you want to bake your own bread, send me an email (see header of this blog for my address) and I'll most gladly email you some tips and recipes.

liberation day !

 

Yes folks, it was Liberation Day today in the Republika Modris !
Today a huge machine came to connect us to the world again.

Away the isolation, away the risk of hundreds of dead chickens in the nearby chickenfarm, away the problems with medicines for elderly neighbors, and "most important" all nicotine junkies have their smoking friends again.
Food was'nt a problem, as all neighbors prepare their own pancetta, prsut (delicious smoked ham), kobasice (sausages) and earlier in the season all produce their own olive oil (and tasty that is !!!) and not to forget, their wine.

And traditionaly everybody here takes pride in knowing how to bake home made bread, with behind every house a group of chickens, that even on cold days produce their eggs put on the daily bread (and if needed a Croatian mc. chicken).

Next couple of days temperature will rise, so some of our snow will melt, but during the weekend more snow is expected.
And after that, as always as this is Dalmatia (Dalmacija), temperature will rise even more, as the sun will continue it's regular job.

And day after day we will see the snow dissapear, with more sunny days, and some planning to put seeds in the ground, cause in spring and later on, all delicious vegetables and fruits will grow again on this land.

So bye bye Republika Modris, and hello world again.

declaration of independence

 

Today, the people of Modris, part of Svinisce, part of Omis, declared the independent republic of Modris (Republika Modris).

Not because we don't believe in the benefits of the state of Croatia, nor the upcoming membership of Europe, but just because of the simple fact that winter isolated us from the rest of the universe, the world and the country.
But as soon as we're reconnected to the rest of Dalmacija, we'll share their values again.
Untill the army, manpower, machines or sunny weather make it possible to join life in Croatia again, we will live in the Republic Modris, center of Europe.

Common values of concern, sharing and mutual support and help are things we value more than ever today, in our winter wonderland, with snow from kneedeep to as deep as the tip of our nose.
"Are you ok today" is a common question nowadays, "need help or food" is another one, and from Kilo's mouth yesterday sounded "me and Lero will fight the snow for some cigarets in Kucice".

On a normal day, under normal conditions, Kucice is about five kilometers by car, the airco buzzing, the radio singing, but these are not normal days nor normal conditions.
So he and Lero went for a "nice" walk, and returned after a couple of hours with the so much "needed" smokes.

And as we shared together in our gardenhouse the last couple of days, with the woodstove heating our bones, they came in from the white to join in our mutual meal.
Three days ago we started to cook and eat together, the first day with a delicious fish soup, the next day with a fantastic bean soup with smoked meat (all of it home made !!!) and yesterday with a large lasagna.

On the picture you see our "mayor", who's name is Kilo, one of the heroes that that "came from the white".
The bottles in front of his sleeping head are a gentle joke from our side, the view however behind him is as true as it can be.

So, "VIVA REPUBLIKA MODRIS, Center of Europe" but let's hope the next days the sun will raise temperature again to normal values, so we can share the values of Croatia again.

no smoking gun

 

Due to snowy conditions you wo'nt see smoke coming out of the barbecue's gun.
We're isolated at the moment, not a bad thing at all, as we've got food for weeks, so every day we join with a couple of surrounding friends to enjoy lunch (marenda they say overhere).

At ten a clock I lite a good fire in the woodstove of the gardenhouse as round eleven folks come through the snow, which is from 0.5 meters to even 1.5 meters and on some spots even more.
Very rare indeed for Dalmacija, where winters can be cold up here (250 meters above sealevel), sometimes covered with a bit of snow, but this situation is extremely rare.

Even in Split, a town with about 200.000 people everything came to a halt, as even there they struggle through snow.
And for Split, with most roads and streets going up and down, that means "forget your car, no driving today (or tomorrow)".
Only some lunatics try it, and even for pedestrians it aint easy, resulting in about one hundred broken bone patients in the central hospital there.

I went for a walk today, had to be in that virgin snow to take some pictures, but believe me, it was a struggle, increasing my respect for those mountain monkeys (alpinists) that fight their way up Mount Everest, K2 or Nanga Parbat.
Lucky me, I was first, but being first also means going knee deep every step.

The walk was great, a low sun shining brightly, but I was "whiped out" after it.
So no smoke from the barbecue these days, but it can't always be summer.

Brrrrrrrr, snow's fantastic, but we did'nt move to Croatia to live in the snow.
So give us some sunny days again please, so I can add some CO2 to the system (sorry for the joke) while grilling some juicy steaks.

ten minutes from the Adriatic

 

In the brochures they say the Adriatic coast with it's palmtrees, oranges and olives is a summerparadise.
Which is true !

However, we live (just) ten minutes behind the coastal mountainrig, about threehundred meters above sealevel.
And as you can see, the situation here is slightly "different" in winter.
Slightly different it is indeed, and very unusual too, as it may freeze some days overhere, there may fall some snow, but it never lasts long, as the sun brightens (and melts) any winterwonderland when it peeps over the mountainridge.

Today however, all of Dalmatia is suffering under extreme winter conditions, all schools are closed, most factories stopped and moving is a risky thing, even in the coastal city of Split.

Blocked from any possibility to go shopping, we are using our well stuffed stock, including things from the freezer and many dry beans, flour, sugar and preserved milk.

And what do people do when there is "nothing to do", right, we join in our gardenhouse, and prepare various delicious meals, carefully accompanied by a glass (or two) of local wines.

The panoramic view is great, the company fantastic, and the food delicious, so a bit more snow does not hurt.
Not to much please as it's already more than enough for a nice picture !
Pozdravi iz Svinisce.

watch it for..............

 

................hunters, but first of all, I am not against hunting !
I like to eat my bit of meat, and coming from nature is even better than coming from one of those industrial "farms" where chickens or pigs or even cows are the best clients of the pharmaceutical industry.
Having said so, I want to add nothing in the food sectot today can be trusted, as salad "grows" on islands of plastic foam in a basin filled with computer controled nutricious water.
Especially my fellow countrymen (the Dutch) are vegetable wizzards !

For instance, once there was the tomato, a typical summerthing, red, juicy and tasty.
Growers and stores decided however, they should at least be "fresh" for a week or two.
So man created the dutch tomato, a waterfilled shamefull red ball.
And when clients protested, they created "NEW", "BETTER", "SPECIAL" and many more of that group of marketing misfits.
If you want, send me a mail for further details, but be prepared to receive a negative advice (don't eat things that are of no value to your system).

Back to the picture, showing a traffic sign that saw to many angry (or blind) hunters.
Or perhaps they first tested their skills and guns before stepping into nature, to try to shoot some bunnies (sorry, but in nature they are called rabbits of course).
And as nature here is true nature, wide and rough, there is a fair chance they spend a great morning in nature with not a single shot fired.
Which may frustrate some hunters, making them into "traffic sign killers".

What's the logic in this little story, I must admit, there aint !
I broke six ribs recently in a silly accident, forcing me to stop making plans, doing things or even dream of it.
So what does one do when there's nothing to tell ?

Right, so till in a couple of weeks I hope !

another part of the world

 

Not even for a moment I hesitated to share this picture with you, however it's not from our Croatian neighbourhood.
For those who are interested, see: http://croatia-eolivas.blogspot.com/ The story behind it is worth sharing.
The person making this (and many other pictures) is Elisa, a charming lady with young daughter Beli and husband Davor.
Coming from the United States, they lived a while in Croatia, where Davor was born and grew up before moving to the states to study.
And me, always scrolling the internet for interesting connections to Croatia, I got "hooked" to their story, giving an inside view on Croatia through their eyes.

The three returned to America, loaded with impressions of a beautifull country, but urged to live in the USA simply because the chances of finding a decent job still are a lot better overthere than in Croatia.
(Still one of the biggest problems in Croatia/Dalmatia is unemployment, especially under well educated young folks).

I never stopped following their story, many times with great pictures and nice stories, and like this picture, a "must show" because it's simply amazing !!!

Thanks Elisa, for letting us share your many finest moments.

spring 2012 is in the air

 

In case you did'nt know, spring is in the air again, this time in 2012.
So Happy Newyear and let's head for spring !!!

a new year, a million years !

 

Another year coming, a million years of geological history in a single cave gone by.
The name of the cave: SPILJA VRANJACA, and trust me, it's a beauty !

About half an hours drive from Split, and a bit more from our area.
The cave is worth a visit for sure, and even worth more on a hot summer day, as temperature in it is at a steady 15 C. during all year.
Formed over many, many thousands of years (and still growing with every drop that falls) this picture only shows one of the numerous pictures you'll see.

And if the owner, called Marco, has the time for it, he'll shwo you around with many details he only knows to share with you.

The cave itself is a beauty, entering and walking around in pure delight is easy to every person, young or old, and should there be somebody in your group that does not dare to enter the cave, the surroundings are fantastic too.
Any lover of nature and anybody wanting to experience a "wow feeling" deep below the surface, just go for it, even if you rather lay on the beach.

And apart from the cave and its surroundings, Marco Punda, the owner, is a most friendly person who loves to share his love for this special place and it's unspoiled natural atmosphere.
And he might offer you a small drink, a so called domaci orachovic, a strong drink made from rakia, green wallnuts, some orange and many more various things, as everybody has his own way of making it.
His however is special, with a surprising green color and a charming taste (however still strong).

Happy newyear, another year for the cave to grow, drop after drop.

flying in or out

 

Santa almost knocking on the door, newyear coming soon.
Even the longest night in the northern hemisphere has been again.
So, let's go, heading for another year after the christmas diner has been joyed.

For me these last days of the year are even more "special" than expected.
I fell from a small roof and broke six ribs.
Another experience to write about ?
No..........I want to forget it as soon as possible.

Let's celebrate Christmas, as believers or just because it's finally quiet and peacfull for a moment.And than, let's start a new year, with lots of great moments. Flying in or Flying out, it's all just a matter of looking at it.

Till next, and all the best to all of you, pozdravi iz Svinisce, Sretan Bozic i Novi Godina.

just a door

 

Just a simple door, but the more you look, the more you see. I took this picture one day at the foothills of Mosor Mountains, in a deserted small town called Skocebi (hope I say it well). The place is reachable by car and foot, and worth an hours walk to see and feel a bit of it's history, however it's without inhabitants today. During the industrial revolution many people were invited to move to the coast, where the former socialist government had planned and built factories. Clever indeed, they offered modern housing, with tap water and electricity, a giant improvement for those who were used to catch the rainwater whenever they could. Not to mention electricity or heating in cold seasons. Life up there was harsh in those days, with no other transport than feet or donkeys, and whatever needed had to be grown, harvested and preserved in and around the house. Still today it's a regular habit for many people around us to be as self supporting as possible, growing their own vegetables, grapes for wine and olives for oil. Having chickens is a normal thing, mostly for the eggs, sometimes for their meat, and many (not all) keep pigs from autumn to winter. Just yesterday at many homes around us the pigs were slaughtered and the meat prepared for excellent pancetta and prsut (the delicious smoked dried ham). But today that's more a good tradition than a must. And don't forget that many (if not most) places today have good roads, electricity, telephone, internet and tap water. Many times when walking or driving around I am impressed by all signs in the landscape from those days when people worked all those small patches of land, higher on the slopes, moving stones, building walls, carrying water when needed, to grow whatever was needed to feed the family. And again, those slopes are pretty hot during summer days, and cold as ice during winter season. To me it's all beautiful to see, great to look around, discovering details you might not even think of. A simple wooden door it is, but look a bit better to see that little cross carved in the wood. Think back for a moment, to when some man (I guess) carved it, to ask for a blessing for his family. Just a door indeed. Just ???? (click on the picture to enlarge it)

not yet !

 

The weather overhere has been mild and pleasent untill now.
Hardly any rain, with day temparatures up to sixteen degrees celcius and more in the sun.
(In the shade it was rather fresh, but who wants sit in the shade on days like these).

Today started with a drizzle, still with views for miles and miles, clearly showing the cloud capped mountaintops around us.
And at the very moment I write this, the rain increesed and some thunder from far away sounds.

Thunder here can be pretty impressive when it's nearby.
As we're living between mountainrigs and slopes, thunder not only stays a bit longer, it echoes tremendously, all together making it to Dante's hell for a while, but even than, it's a fantastic experience.

The picture shows what has to come still, snow, and however the current weather is far from cold, it can be pretty cold overhere, with real snow for a couple of days, making a drive down to town a tricky expedition.
No problem, we are prepared for a couple of days on our own, with rice, beans, wine, meat and canned vegetables for "just in case".

And even better, when snow coveres our valley, most people stay home from their jobs (impossible to take the trip), and go out into nature, having a fantastic time out in a winter wonderland.

Snow here never stays long, and as soon as it's gone, it's time to drive down to the coast for a cup of espresso between the palms at the beach.
Yes, that's one of the great things here, the diversity of weather and micro climates.
And still, after "our"snow has gone, it's less than half an hours drive, to go up Biokovo Mountain, where the snow stays most of winter, and not just those centimeters we enjoy here.

What can one wish, with all these pleasures around ?
Nothing, as far as I know !
Yep, that's Dalmatia, also in wintertime a great place to be.

hvala bogu, it works again

 

For some silly reason the functions between Picasa and Blogger did not do what I wanted them to do. Hvala bogu (thank God) it works again, so here's a tiny update of life in our hidden valley. Life goes as it's meant to be here for us, slowly and in total peace. Yesterday I prepared a delicious meal for our best friends/neighbors, with a roast of young pig, a potato dish from the oven, cream and cheese to make it rich and tasty, traditional pears from holland (stoofpeertjes we call them), a dish of mushrooms and bacon, salad, and for desert a pie called "tarte tatin". All of it was fantastic, and we shared a delicious meal together, seated around the kitchen table, while the woodstove heated our bodies. Life is great overhere, social life even greater !! And however today it's raining, who cares, as we've got loads of books to read, and always something to do. We installed a washing machine, a dryer, a freezer, and next job is to create some space to get some of the many boxes from their storage in a garage in Omis. But first I have to finish a "little" job I am working on, building some extra storage behind our gardenhouse. Never did that before, but with some advise from friends and neighbors I'm perfectly pleased by the result so far. With no experience as a carpenter, nor in welding, nor in building jobs, I can tell you, you never know until you try ! And I do know now, with some good thinking in advance and no fear for beginners mistakes, you can do ANYTHING. (The kitchen on the picture above is history, as it's now a perfect place to enjoy my cooking skills).

SORRY, some failure in blogger blocks new entries

At last, time to (re-)start blogging again about our small life in a small valley.
For those of you who missed new entries, sorry but everything has a reason.

So sorry, but new entries in this blog are impossible at the moment. Due to some failure trying to upload new pictures and writing small tales to them is impossible. When uploading a picture from Picasa to Blogger (both Google products), there appears a message saying: "memcache is null for FormRestoration", what ever that may be. I posted a question to Google's brilliant Einstein clones (and many other people have the same problem, but until now no reply came. This message I cleverly entered by editing my most recent post (hope it works so you're informed), new posts however have to wait till some one in the Google offices gets away from the coffe corner and does what I and those many others need, a perfect connection between two Google products. In the near future I truly hope to enter some new stuff to "Svinisce, the hidden treasure". Till that moment it will be the perfectly hidden treasure. If anybody has a clue how to solve this problem (I tried various tricks already) please mail at my address in the header of this blog. Have a great day, wherever you may live, life is good, and good feelings are worth sharing !!! By the way, we finally moved to Dalmatia, and believe me, the last two/three month we had a hell of a job !
Moving from tulips (and wooden shoes) to olives and the Adriatic takes a bit more action than just packing for a holiday.
All of our belongings were put into a large (and I mean large truck)and after it arrived in Croatia we had to somehow put it all away in our small house, the garden house and even a rented garage.
And still we are trying to get things arranged a bit, to make some sort of "normal" life possible.

Won't bother you with the load of things to arrange, our visa checked over here, everything cleared by the customs people, pay for this and that (and some extra as this still is Croatia) and a lot more.
I even refuse to tell much about the nice weather here, except that day we had to empty the truck and found that rain here means RAIN !!!
Enough to say we had a lot of friendly help, packing in Holland, unloading in Croatia, and lucky us, wetter than wet that day, we dried up already that evening, getting wet inside together with friends, and next day, sitting in the sun again, all that wetness was forgotten.

And slowly our "new" life here gets going, with many great friends around us, and a (n)ever changing view on the mountains all around us.
Even on a lesser day it's a joy to sit outside for a moment and look at the continuously changing panorama of a never changing Mosor Mountain.

We people may change, world economy may change rapidly, even life may change, but life over here, in our hidden valley hardly changes, with core values that come from ages ago and are worth to preserve into the future.
We have the intention to take part in life here, in a small social community, till it's time to say thanks, over and out.
Let's hope that moment is still far away, as we still have a lot to like and love.

I will absolutely keep you informed through this blog in the weeks, months and years to come, not only to give you an inside view on our personal life here, but also to inspire you a bit with what makes life worth living here in Dalmatia.
As this is far more than (just) a great country to have a fantastic holiday, and in case you come on holidays, plan to at least once take a trip into all those small valleys and small places where in my opinion) the REAL feel of Croatia is felt.

Thanks for your patience over the last couple of months, and keep following my little stories.
And anybody wanting to be in touch, feel free to drop me a line at pimdevosATgmail.com.
Till next.

a confederate in Svinisce

Jordan is the name, and no, I am not a relative of that other Jordan (Michael).

If live a bit above the author of this blog, overlooking their piece of land, and I used to be (and never forgot) a welder and ironworker.
So whenever somebody needs some job done in steel, I am the man to call for, as whatever the job, I'll create a solution that not only looks perfect but is perfect, lasting for ages.

Together with wife and sons I live an easy going retired life on one of the higher slopes of this valley called Modris (part of Svinisce).
And lucky us, we see a bit more of the sun, even in wintertime, but that's the benefit of living a bit higher on the ladder :-)

One of my sons serves as a waiter on a cruiseship, which brought him to the States once, where he bought me this confederate cap, and being a present of my son, I proudly wear it !
(And I could'nt care less about north or south, east or west, it's just a great cap and a great gift).

put on your singing shoes and sing !!!

Yesterday we visited our best friends in Podstrana, a village between Split and Omis.

They had their summerparty there, with lots of people, lots of food and drinks, lots of music, sining and dancing.

These gatherings take place in any vivid town or village each year, specially in summer, when the weather is fine.

Podstrana is somehow a special thing, as the town is divided in two pieces, one along the coastal road, more up to date, with lots of appartmenthouses, lots of tourism, lots of modern life, noisy and busy.

The other part of Podstrana, high up the mountainside, is the original settlement, going back centuries, and even in the old days part of the very first documented republic in this area.
The Repuplik Poljica was founded hundreds of years ago and managed to stay untouched by invasions from all sides, among which the Ottomans, one of the strongest invasions in the Balkan in history (but there where many more).


Each and every group manifested on this gathering, the fishers, the hunters, the youthclubs and the elderly folks, and they had a great night together, while the skies where clear, temperature just perfect (for another cold beer) and the food truly perfect (not for tourists but themselves, so it was excellent).

The traditional shoes in the picture where on the feet of a traditional singinggroup that performed that night.
Times change, even in Podstrana, but traditions are not forgotten here, as they are on the basis of this and every society.
Even when Croatia enters the European Union, because respect for traditions is what makes life here unique, even in modern times.

put it in the ground and take it out (after a while)

One of the small delights of living in Croatia is growing your own organic food.
Anything you put in the ground here, after a while (and some tlc) gives a nice harvest.

Not being experienced in agriculture at all, I sometimes ask my neighbours how and waht to do, the rest is just "wait and see".

Were we already eating our own cucumbers, tomaties and melons, this seems to be the right time to take the potatoes I planted out again.
A bit late in the planting season while we arrived a bit later than planned, there are a lot of smaller ones, but also an excellent amount of bigger potatoes, and the smaller ones will be eaten as well, either by us or by the pigs of our neighbours.

Nothing gets thrown away, everything has its value.

Already the ground is being prepared to plant cabbage, so even the winterseason will provide us with genuin quality vegetables, and still the sugarcorn, carrots and lots of fresh kitchenherbs are growing and rewarding us for their daily splash of water.
Chemical stuff is hardly used (not because I am anti), just in case it looks some additional help is needed to kill the coloradobeetles, I help mother nature a bit with some minimal cropprotection.

Not a farmer, I am (we are) pleased to see things pop up out of nothing, kissed by the sun we also like, so while the plants are growing, we drive down to the beach or the borders of the river, to jump in either warm seawater or nice clear cool riverwater.

Living up here in our hidden valley behind the mountains, I keep repeating over and over, is just fantastic.
Our air is clean, our skies are wide, our only noise is from crickets and birds, we see foxes and rabbits (not many), and still we are within reach of anything we like or need from outside our hidden paradise.

Advise to anyone planning to visit Dalmatia:
rent something on the backside of the coastal mountains, and enjoy this unique country at the Adriatic from both sides.
You won't regret it, trust me !!!!!

(Anyone in need of some additional information, see my mailaddress in the header of this blog)