Hvar town has been decorating for the festive season! A cluster of small huts has arrived in front of the loggia, serving food and drink, while lights have been installed around the pijaca and on the palm trees along the waterfront. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… here are a few photos of…
The island’s winter festivities begin on the eve of St Nicholas with the burning of a boat in Stari Grad. Starting around 6:30 in the evening, you can see the smoke rising from across town. That’s actually helpful, as we weren’t quite sure which was the church of Sv Nikola (St Nicholas). Mind you, we…
Vrboska was founded by fishermen, and the current residents take great pride in their heritage. Along the waterfront you will find a good proportion of shapely wooden boats in amongst the more modern fibre-glass ones. The local latin sail club (Udruga Lantina) is a bunch of enthusiasts who love to sail the traditional working boats…
Last night was a fun party in Vrboska, with a spectacular bonfire, klapa singing, food and wine. All day our neighbours were looking for old bits of wood, and we were encouraged to contribute. By the evening, there was quite a pile! This was the annual Žežin Sv Ivana, the celebration of St John’s Eve,…
This December, we came across a new custom in the villages of Hvar. Well, I say new, but only to us, and it turned out only the name was truly unfamiliar. Kolendanje is the local variation of very old folk custom in Croatia, with versions in many other Slavic countries. When we arrived at the…
Stari Grad’s 2400th birthday was a really good party over several days with lots going on and a great atmosphere. Sadly, I failed to take my camera along to the evening event as I didn’t realize it would be so spectacular, but I do have a few taken with my phone. I loved the way…
Stari Grad 2400 Celebrations and Days of the Bay Festival This year marks the 2,400th anniversary of the founding of Faros by Greek settlers. It’s Stari Grad’s official entry into recorded history, although there was actually an Illyrian settlement in place already. If only they’d also written things down, we’d probably need 3,000 candles on…
Sunrise and sunset can be spectacularly beautiful on the island. I love to get up early and enjoy the pretty dawn colours, streaks of delicate yellows, pinks and oranges. I sometimes attempt to capture the subtle lighting with my camera, but there’s only a fleeting window of opportunity to do it in, before the sun…
I’ve wanted for some time to write an article about the Hvar statute of 1331, which appears to be everyone’s favourite supporting evidence for the antiquity of their village, church, tower, field or whatever. Does it actually support all these claims, I wondered? Does a codex of law actually mention all these places? And what…
It’s good to see traditional island products being made, especially when given an innovative twist. And although everyone and their granny has their recipe for marmalade, it’s highly unusual to find a tomato marmalade – and very yummy it is too! We found it pairs excellently well with cheese. The marmalade in question is made…
Go Hvar 
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