One of the delights of Hvar is the variety of aromatic plants that grow naturally here. The island is well-known for its lavender (lavanda), but for many centuries, rosemary (ružmarin) was more important to the island’s economy. Rosemary is actually a close relative of lavender, both belonging to the Lamiaceae (mint) family of plants. The…
I’m a mosquito attractant. It’s very irritating (quite literally!) that I always seem to end up with many more bites than anyone else. And I react so well, too. Within a day my legs will be covered in large red weals. It’s a great look when you’re wearing shorts! I’ve been bitten on the feet…
I love the music of Dalmatia. Here’s another song I often find myself humming – a lovely lyrical description of fishermen setting out in their boats before dawn, accompanied by bickering seagulls, while everyone else sleeps. This is the wonderful Ribari (Fishermen) by Vinko Coce, with some beautifully evocative scenes of the Adriatic in this…
I was inspired by my visit to the Dvor Duboković to have a go at making my own rose liqueur. Their Rožolin was rather wonderful, and although we had bought a bottle to enjoy later, it was all too small. The process, as they told it, seemed simple enough, and I have some lovely fragrant…
After finding our way to all the other sites on the Archaeological Paths map provided by the Stari Grad tourist board, we thought it would be a doddle to visit Hum – Sveti Vid. Who needs signposts, anyway? You can see the hill perfectly well, it’s just a matter of working out which path takes…
Ok so Mara said she would not mention the swift (Common Swift or Apus Apus) in her nesting activities blog. Indeed it is not hard to understand why. The bird whistles through the air at up to 50mph emitting a non-musical screetch as it does so. It is very hard to photograph or film and…
Our local housemartins are busy. You can see them swooping up under eaves and into small corners to build their nests. It’s just amazing how they can get a grip on what looks like a sheer wall to me! Here’s a time-lapse video of the birds coming in to select their sites. This house overlooking…
Go Hvar 