some things never change

Another picture from a friendly contact in Holland.
(Click to enlarge and enjoy it's details).
He took it in 1968 when visiting our country as a tourist.
And however in black and white and almost fourty years ago,
trust me, it's all still there !
Where ?

In the Zagora my dear reader, in the hinterland !!!!!
I wrote it before, the Dalmatinski Zagora is where you MUST go,
at least once.
It's perfectly ok with me that you enjoy the Adriatic beaches, and it's great you at least visit Trogir .
A fantastic historic small town (under UNESCO protection) without cars,
but of course you want to get it all.
All ?

So next you visit Split, Dubrovnik, Krk waterfalls and go for a fish picknick or a rafting day on the Cetina, and perhaps you go up Biokovo Mountain, but still, still, still you did'nt féél !!!!!!
Feel what ?

The Zagora my best reader, the Hinterland !!!
As there you step back a bit in time, and you'll find nothing special.
So why go there, if nothing is special ?
Because that's so special !

Because there you find the very best people, living in humble houses in small villages, but they live a good life and any visitor is more than welcome as a guest.
Don't be surprised they start talking to you, than offer you a drink and something to eat to it, and as all drinks and food are home made and full of (sunny) taste, you'll have a great experience.
If not the greatest experience of all holiday you spend here.

However I am not a guide, nor in any (tourist) business,
I'll gladly help you to find your way into the the Zagora.
As there is always somebody who wants to guide you into their world.
Ain't gonna cost you a fortune;
if you're pleasant company they are as well.
(And if I cant find one, ok, than I'll show you around a bit).

Just send me an email at the address in the header of this blog,
and I'll help you out.
But don't tell éverbody, as it must remain a secret well protected.
So you (and me) can experience Dalmacija in all colours between black and white !


Thanks again Rinus, for a perfect picture !

the occasion makes the occasion

Senj 1968


Once in a while an unexpected pleasant occasion occurs, worth sharing.
I had some (minor) problems using an update of Picasa, my photo tool to create this blog.
The update introduced some new buttons, but also seemed to have erased another.
This erased button however was my MAJOR button, called "blog this".

When having a problem with my computer, I first walk away from it, to have a smoke and a coffee, giving me time to think about it, followed by walking onto our land, as there I realise there is more under God's sky than bloody computershit.

Still, I had to solve this thing, so walking back to my pc I decided to pray for some help, or at least post a question on one of those many forums (fora !) about using pc's without stress.
Whooaaaaahhhhhh, pc's without stress, ha ha ha.

Still all those brilliant developers of hard- and software first create a thing you can't live without, next they change it (they call that upgrades) and after that they create forums (fora !), helpdesks, and more upgrades, trying to kill you in a digital way by helping you out (and deeper in).
Computers and I will never be friends, unless they stay the way they are for ever and ever.

This time however, somebody called Digidorus (what's in a name), answered my cry for help, and easily sent me to the section where I could recover my VIB (Very Important Button).
It helped, he helped, maybe even my prayers helped for once.

And after thanking my kind clever contact will all my heart, he sent me a picture from the days he was visiting Croatia, in those days still part of former Yugoslavia.
(Yes, there have always been many tourists visiting this country).

Here's the picture, in black and white, taken by him at the harbour of Senj in 1968.
When taking a closer look, you'll discover nothing has changed over time, only the color and the cars.
Everything stayed unspoiled, but that's Croatia as it is, was and will be!
(Yes all you nerds, some things are perfect, so why change them.)

Puno hvala, thanks a lot Rinus !

a bit croatian language, ali polako, sve polako !

It's not very likely your gonna need the word PUNICA, but still the story is funny.
On daily basis I try to add a bit to my Croatian communication.
Being a Dutchman the language is horrible, and as far as I know only the Dutch, the Flamish and South Africans understand Dutch, reason why I write my blog in English.
To me a Slavic language is/was like abracadabra, but slowly it shows its secrets.

The very best (and first) word I learned was "polako", meaning take it easy, or slowly, slowly.
And still I love this word, as it perfectly explaines the Dalmatian mentality.
Do NOT however conclude Dalmatians are lazy, far from that !!!!
They love the good life, but they work very hard to do so.

Lucky me, I can speak and write in English, with German as second best, and if needed some French.
And lucky me again, my mother in law is from Split, and lived most her working yars in Holland,
so she frequently puts some new knowledge between my ears.
Also my wife, neighbours and friends help me a bit when I stumble through the words I use.

Already I manage to go shopping, and a (very) basic conversation is possible nowasdays.
Some of our neighbours, especially the youngsters, speak English, but it's a lot more fun when one can communicate with people around, as that is like the cherry on the cake !
Hvala Bogu (thank God) I maybe slightly less young/older, but still not stupid (or worse).

I won't however bother you to long with different words, as if you want to learn basic Croatian, there are various options to be found on the internet.

A couple of funny examples however, I like to share with you.
Brod (bróód) for instance, means boat, but sounds like bread in Dutch.
Kruh (kroeg) means bread, but sounds identical  to pub in my native language.

Well, recently, my mother in law teached me the word Punica, meaning mother in law, and Hvala Bogu it does not have a similar word with a different meaning in Dutch.
Funny enough however, Punica in Holland is a fruit juice, so another word added to my "hard disk".
Ánd never forgotten, because Inga is the very best Punica in the whole universe !!!

Pozdravi iz Svinisce.

when Omis was Almissa

Long, long ago, long before cars were invented, there was a small town called Almissa.
Not very famous, nor important, however, its pirates were !!!!
Still every year in summer a pirate festival takes place, with even a ships battle on the Cetina.

Omis, as its name is today, still is situated on the same spot,
and the old dirt road nowadays is a regular road, towards a bridge that connects the two sides of the river.

The old city walls have mostly dispeared, and the waterfall far in the back only shows after heavy rainfall.
Of course Omis has grown, with at the painter's point of view a big shopping centre with the name Studenac.

Biggest problem today is the heavy traffic, through the center of the town.
However there is a modern highway a bit inland, connecting Zagreb, Split, to (almost) Dubrovnik,
a lot of the traffic still  uses the old "Magistrale", the coastal road.

For people who like to see the Adriatic and its islands, it's a fantastic road for sure.
Problem however is that most truck traffic also uses the same good old Magistrale, together with a flood of summer traffic of people who like to look at the sea, standing still in a traffic jam for "ever".

If you drive this road, still worth the views, DO be aware, that almost every ten meters a car may leave or enter the same road, so keep your foot close to the brake at ALL times.
You would'nt be the first (nor the last) to finish your holidays "slightly" different, with a "slightly different" car.
So please be careful, especially after an occasional summer rain, as than it feels like driving on ice !!!

The Magistrale, this coastal road, goes through the centre of Omis over what's called Fosal.
A beautiful street, with old trees left and right of it, and lots of shops where tourists can buy their souvenirs.
(Sorry, but most of it is plain shit in my opinion, not worth the money spent, better used to have a drink or a pizza in countles many small friendly restaurants.
(I could tell you to go to the beach called Brzet, where our favorite place Zvizdan serves your pizza or grilled fish in the shade of the pine trees, less than five meters from the sea, but I won't !!!!)Some secrets are better kept secret, so forget I ever told you please.

Currently work is in progress to build a tunnel, connected to a new viaduct or bridge,
bringing passing traffic around the centre of town, and believe me,
that will be like coming from hell to heaven !!!

Still a lot has to be done, huge sums of money are involved, and as we all know, there is a crisis going on,
in which it seems all investors have died.

Let's hope the global economic situation changes for the better as soon as possible,
so this project can be finished, bringing the centre of Omis back to those days of Almissa.
Not returning to those horse days, as when all people come on horseback we'll have a lot of shit again :-)
If you want to see a lot of horses, better go to the Alka of Sinj, or the large wild horse group around Livno.

Still, it's a romantic picture I thought nice enough to show to you.
(If you want to see more..........................................mail me at: see header of my blog).

happy 10th birthday IZOR webcam

A little while ago IZOR, the Croatian scientific institute for oceanographic and fisherie studies, celebrated the 10th. birthday of its fantastic dynamic webcam.

Being an absolute fan of the institutes webcam and its also very informative website, I decided to dedicate this item to those scientists that do a fantastic job in every aspect, especially this webcam.

For many years I very frequently visited their website, as still living in Holland than, it was the regular start of my working day, gathering data to get going again in the good old rat race.
What was the weather over there, how was the temperature, and sometimes, when a ship was passing, heading for Split's harbor, I followed that for a little while, before starting my daily activities.

Not only I checked the webcam, when I had the time for it I also learned a bit more about their scientific work, discovering new species, controlling water quality, even publishing the price of fish.

Living in Croatia nowadays, I can easily check weather, temperature, even the price of fish, simple by going out, to the fish market for instance.
Still, over the years this webcam kept me connected to what was to be my new homeland.
And to tell you a tiny very personal detail, it not only helped me start my working day again and again and again, it also sort of kept me dreaming of a day to come, the day I could say "enough is enough", as I slowly started to truly hate my job.
(The profession was great, two mergers, from Dutch to European to multinational American, were horrible).

So here I am now, in Croatia, every moment I wish able to check the blue of the Adriatic myself.
The 10th. birthday therefor, of the dynamic webcam IZOR, overlooking the bay of Kastela is well worth three cheers, so hip hip hip hurrah that fantastic webcam of IZOR !!!

And should you be in a position somewhere on the globe, feeling sad about having to dream in stead of experience Dalmatia, keep dreaming, click on the webcam and you'll feel a bit better !!!

Dreams do come true, and I know that's a fact.

rebuilding history.......with cherries

Today many people overhere plant new olive trees, and of course these trees already used to be here for a very long time.
The oil produced from these trees mainly serves personal needs, like many other fruits and vegetables,
and of course grapes to make a bucket (or container) of wine to keep the glasses filled.
The old Romans knew it, one good reason to build Salona and Spalatum.

Much of the agricultural activity today still is done to stuff the private stocks for much of the year.
And those good old Romans took their share in those days.

But....this area used to be famous not only for its olive oil, but also its cherries, with hundreds of trees allover the land.
Harvesting those cherries not only served private needs, but provided the jam- and juice-industry with high quality cherries.
Truckloads of them were driven to large factories to be used in quality food products.

Times changed, trees disappeared or died of plagues, wildfires and lack of attention, but mainly because people were moving to the coastal area where industrial jobs were loudly shouting for workers.
Cement, metals, gasses, chemicals, oil and steel,  the common "dirty" stuff modern times need and produce.
Today however, most of this industrial activity has died out, resulting in high unemployment rates, if not active in the seasonal tourist industry and all it's spin off.

Times today are changing again however, as yesterday night I was scrolling the internet and discovered an initiative that truly made me feel happy.
As in the area of Sestanovac, a small town not far to ours and connected to the main highway crossing all Croatia from north to (almost) south at Dubrovnik, some intelligent people started a huge project to rebuild history.

How....????
By planting an enormous amount of those famous Maraska cherries that used to grow here !
With modern techniques and knowledge a very large plantation has already been realised, reproducing the best of history.

It all started with the vision of one person, who motivated a group of specialists on as well economic, agricultural and biological aspects.

In the near future the harvesting will start, resulting in a FULLY ORGANIC high quality product.
That's what makes me happy, rebuilding the future......with cherries !

See for all juicy details on this website , if you happen to be looking for a truly green investment with only positive aspects, or just because you want to see how they produce 100% organic cherries.

Organic being the magic word today, is what we call DOMACI, as people here still produce their own food, and that means GOOD FOOD !!!

You can taste it, you can smell it, from a fresh egg to a sun kissed tomato, and yes, from those cherries too !
As this is not "stock market"  driven, nor "first the profit-than the quality", this is how it was and should be.

Think for a moment about why you eat what you eat.
Indeed !!!!!!!!

the value of freedom

Yesterday I received a couple of pictures from a friend in Holland.
They showed a prison in Austria, as human and modern as can be, with friendly places to sit, a workout place, and a well organised outdoor space to walk a bit.

Still it was a prison, where every move has to be approved, and all doors have a firm key.
It all looked spic and span, but one thing was easily forgotten.
It was a prison !

I was thinking a bit about it all, and concluded that whatever the circumstances, nothing beats freedom.
The picture here shows what freedom means, taken somewhere I do not even remember, but who cares, as the Croatian Zagora (the hinterland) has trillions of spots like this one.

An open landscape, some snow on Dinara far away, small red dots of some houses between the green, and water, the absolute essence to live, either for animals, plants or humans.

Nothing beats the feeling you get when you get going overhere, as this truly is a magnificant country.
And still there is the Adriatic coast, with its hundreds of islands, big and small, timeless little villages, historic towns, and thousands of secluded places to enjoy swimming in the clearest water.

The choise is yours, having a lazy sunny beach holiday or exploring all gorgious spots Dalmatia has to offer.
You're free to choose, as the Croatian/Dalmatian "menu" is endless.

Feel free, it's the very best this country has to offer.

STOP for a moment

Before I continue, I want to stop for a moment.
Writing my little daily stories about our life in our hidden valley, I regularly check the statistics Google gladly shows about the viewers of my blog.
Those Google people may think I am gonna get a dollar out of adding "sense", but no, that's not my intention, so to me those statistics are just a pleasant way to see if anybody is interested in my little "nothings" about living in Croatia.

And much to my surprise people from around the world are somehow reading my short stories.
Russia, America, Belgium, Holland, China and many more, with of course Croatia, and I guess many of my readers even are Croatians living far away.
As many Croatians in the past have gone far away from their beloved homeland, as options for a proper job and a better future were hardly available over here (and still are).

Whatever the reason to visit my blog, thanks for your attention, and I hope you enjoy reading some of it (not in perfect English, but I do my best to keep things understandable, and there is more English spoken around the world than my native Dutch :-)
I truly hope you get interested in Dalmatia's treasures, making you eager to visit this country.
With almost a 100 % certainty you'll fall in love with it's easy going way of life (like we did), making you an ambassador for it to friends around you.

Next item will tell a little story again, trying to show you that Croatia/Dalmatia is much MORE THAN just BEAUTIFUL, with a fantastic Adriatic coast, but a lot more than only that.

And what about you, my dear reader by coincidence or choice ?
Did you ever visit Croatia, was it only once or more, where do you live and how are you ?
As looking at those statistics I keep thinking "who are all those people from all over the world".

My recent pages I finished with a small question/ suggestion, and as I didn't add the option to comment to my blog pages, I invited you to mail me, see the header, or for once look here, as it's: pimdevosXgmail.com (in which X=@).
You don't have to send me money (we're fine, thank you), and I won't offer you cheap Rolexes, Viagra or such.
I am just bloody curious who you are, since you got to know me/us and our life a bit in our hidden treasure.

To finish, today temperature rose to a very friendly and sunny 20 C, not bad for the first days of march.
(Tomorrow however it will be clouded, perhaps some rain, and a (small) drop of temperature).
Never a dull moment however for sure !!!!

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.