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…
The ancient Greek colonists of Faros were not altogether firmly settled, despite their clear legacy of agriculture on the island. In fact the Stari Grad Plain was constantly under threat from the local Illyrian tribes who really didn’t want them there. High above the town of Jelsa, the Greeks built a big strong watchtower with…
It’s been an absolute joy to spend time with the coastal rocks of Hvar, looking closely into the crevasses and shadows. I notice that as I start each painting, they seem to me more like mountains and I have to carve them up into mere blocks. And what an endless variety of rocks there are!…
It seems that some people can count, and it was noticed in my earlier post that I was only showing #2 and 3 in the rock series. Where was the first one? Well, yes, #1 was a bit of a problem child. As usual when I start a new subject, the first one has a…
Now here’s a challenge – what can you paint with 3 small brushes and a limited range of colours that tends to the cool side? That’s the problem I find myself facing as I completely forgot to bring my usual assortment of brushes! Not only that, but the bag of paint tubes I was depending…
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…
You might think that Humac is a deserted village, but appearances are misleading. This is a seasonal village, where people from Vrisnik could be close to additional fields and grazing. Most of the houses now look fairly run-down, if not actually derelict, but here and there you can see signs of recent activity. And, of…
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…
Following my previous blog on Hvar’s drystone walls, I’m moving backwards in time beyond the Greek colonists to the Illyrians, who lived here before them. Between 2,000 and 1,000 B.C. the population began to settle on hilltops. Their huts were defended by ditches and stone ramparts some of which were massive. One of these hilltop…
Go Hvar 
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