The word for a door in Croatian is vrata, which comes from the old Slavic word vorta. It’s always plural, in the same way that trousers or pants are in English. And vrata means both the opening, and the object we use to close it up. Now that may be a wooden door, glass door or wrought-iron gate, inside or outside, in the house or garden or field – vrata covers all types.
One of the great benefits of catching the early morning ferry into Split, is the opportunity to wander around the backstreets when they’re not so busy. On this particular Sunday, we had a plane to catch, but that wasn’t until lunchtime. In the meantime, we could have breakfast on the Riva, and explore the old town.
Where I grew up, in Edinburgh, only the older stone houses had working shutters, and those were on the inside of the windows to keep out the cold in winter. In much of southern Europe, houses are shuttered in the summer to keep out the heat. I also really enjoy the ability to close out the world when it gets cold, dark and wet in winter, especially when there’s a bura blowing! It’s all terribly convenient, and so much cheaper than extra heating or air conditioning.
Along the road past Stari Grad international airport, some new signs sprang up last summer, not so much giving directions, but indicating interesting things to look at. Very helpful! And that was how we finally noticed the largest trim I’ve yet seen, tucked away behind some trees, its weathered stone walls looking so natural in…
Tvrdalj in Stari Grad is a fine example of a fortified summer residence, best known for its fish pond in the courtyard. Wikipedia lists Tvrdalj as a castle – but that seems a rather grand description to me. Looking at the collection of buildings around the fishpond, and the lovely walled gardens, all set in…
Hvar is a karst landscape, made out of limestone like the rest of the coastal range from the Dolomites down to Greece. That means surface water is rare, because it dissolves minerals in the rock and finds its way underground, making caves and underground streams. On the island here, there are caves up in the…
Go Hvar 