A couple of years ago, we took a trip up to the summit of Sv Nikola, the top-most point of the island. It was January and a bitter wind was blowing, not to mention the odd shower of rain, but the scenery and the views were glorious! On the way down, we passed by a…
Just inland from Šibenik is the Sokolarski Centar for Falconry & Raptor Rescue. It’s in a small place called Dubrava, set in a woodland area with paths and buildings. This is a veterinary centre that rescues and rehabilitates wildlife, at the same time educating the public about birds of prey, and promoting the ancient art…
Dalmatians say: To taste good, a fish must swim three times – once in the sea, once in olive oil, and once in wine! Although I’m generally not a fan of munching olives, I have to admit they are good in combination with cheese and anchovies to accompany a glass of wine. And I definitely…
While walking around Lumbarda with our friends John and Rachel from Korcula Explorer, they asked whether we had ever seen such cabbages. The cabbages in question were lovely looking healthy plants, obviously cabbage but without the usual solid round head. What we were looking at was a variant of Brassica Oleracea, or wild cabbage, commonly…
Birdwatchers on Hvar between May and September will encounter beautiful colourful bee-eaters. The European Bee-Eater (Merops apiaster) is a gorgeous bird which migrates between tropical Africa and southern Europe. Occasional pairs have tried to breed in Southern England but only five pairs in the last fifty years. On Hvar they can most often be heard…
Hvar is not just the island of sun, wine, and nude beaches. Because of its lush vegetation and plentiful water, it is an important staging post for migrating birds, and many of them spend the summer here. The lack of pesticides on the island is also a big factor in keeping the bird and other…
Is there an equivalent term to “hedgerows” for fields that are marked out by drystone walls rather than hedges? You know, that protected area bordering paths and around the fields where the natural vegetation still thrives, and native wildflowers hide among the greenery? If not, there ought to be. The recent change in the weather…
The last couple of days have been a bit grey and dreich as we call it in Scotland, not very inviting to go outside. But this morning dawned bright, clear and sunny, a perfect day for a hike and a picnic. As we haven’t been up to Humac in some time, we thought we’d head…
Do old vines make wine with more character? It certainly seems as if they should! We drove past this wonderful vineyard near Svirče a couple of months back, when the vines were all neatly clipped. With no leaves, the old twisted trunks showed boldly against the rocky terrain. From the road, it almost seemed as…
We wrote about swifts before and also about swallows and martins. But Hvar is the summer home of a whole set of other birds, many of them rare or non-existent in more northern climes. We just saw our first flock of Bee Eaters (Merops apiaster). This colourful bird winters in deepest Africa, but comes to warmer parts…
Go Hvar 
You must be logged in to post a comment.