It’s been an interesting Spring, rather wetter than usual, so we really appreciate when the sun comes out. That’s especially true when the forecast said clouds and rain, but outside the window we have a perfect blue sky! So it was on Thursday last week, and we took ourselves up to Pitve to hike the…
We’ve been enjoying the springtime sight of Hvar’s wild flowers for many years now. I’ve taken lots of photos, diligently looked up their names and created flower guides to keep track of what we’ve learned. But until quite recently, I’d not seen any wild orchids on our wanderings. They are quite seasonal, so you have to be on the lookout in April and May, and know what you’re looking for. So the first few orchids had to be pointed out to me, after which I got the idea, and started to look more carefully. It’s amazing how many of these delicate flowers are there among the greenery, just waiting to be seen!
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 been a busy week for the artists, and with the weather heating up again it’s time to head for the beach. It’s a short walk around the coast to Soline, where we can find a shady spot under the trees. Four of us go round in the morning, with another couple joining us for lunch at the nearby cafe. In the evening, we drive up to Pitve for our special dinner at Dvor Duboković, complete with live musicians.
Driving between Stari Grad and Jelsa always makes me think of Napa Valley in California. It has a lot to do with being a long straight road with vineyards right up to either side of it, but more than that, it’s also the beautiful rolling hills and warm sunshine – and the wineries!
Sunday was the final day of our artist retreat, and it was left pretty loose for everyone to choose what they wanted to work on, perhaps finish up partly done sketches or go and find that view they’d been wanting to paint. Also, it was a good time to hold our final review and critique…
Go Hvar 