Hvar in spring is just a complete flower-lover’s delight. Other kinds of lovers would be delighted by it too, but we’ll leave that for a different post. On a recent walk to an ancient Illyrian hilltop site, I could not resist the charm of so many different kinds of flowers. I took some pictures, but there…
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…
In the heat of summer the Glavica headland near Vrboska is popular for its beaches, and I see that there are plans afoot to improve the car parking – or at least the collecting of fees! Out of season, it’s a lovely walking, jogging, cycling trail with pretty views. We set out on the north…
Set here and there amongst the walled fields of Hvar’s agricultural landscape, you’ll see stone shelters. I’m not talking here about the newer type of weekend houses that have sprung up – complete with BBQ and shady terrace for Sunday lunch. No, the ones I mean are much older, of drystone construction, and some have…
Dry stone walls are as much part of the landscape here on Hvar as they are in my native Scotland. Over there, they pretty much hold sheep in, but on the Dalmatian coast they’re entirely necessary to hold in the soil. There would simply be no agriculture in this steep, karst environment without the back-breaking…
It’s awfully easy to depend on taking photographs when you travel. We all do it. It’s a quick way to capture what you see, and wonderful to have an album to look back on later. But I have to tell you, sketching is better! You have to look longer, pay more attention, and think about…
I’ve decided I much prefer a rocky shoreline to pebble or shingle beaches. For a start it’s easier on the feet, but also so much more interesting for sketching or painting. I’m sure the ever popular Milna beach is great for families, but the north shore of Glavica gives me a view of Zečevo island,…
We set out early this morning for a walk in the fields while it was still cool and pleasant. The “streets” of the Stari Grad Plain are wide enough for carts, and generally run in an easy-to-navigate grid pattern, though at the eastern end they tend to turn and meander a little more. Connecting the…
Most people go to the beach to lie around, have a swim and get a tan. For the locals of all ages, it’s nice and cool in the water to hang out and chat with your friends. Me, I take my paints to the beach. After a swim to cool down, I park myself on…
Go Hvar 
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