On the way into Stari Grad from Dol, there’s a small chapel by the roadside, with a rather curious carving of a bear above the door. This is the 16th century chapel of Sv Jelina, and it stands where the Slavic goddess Mokoš was previously worshipped. The sacred triangle of Perun – Veles – Mokoš can still be read in the landscape if you know where to look!
This week’s storm in the Adriatic has been a doozy – one of the most powerful in years. Calling it the storm of the century isn’t terribly helpful, as this is only 2019, but you’d have to go back to the 1960s to find something similar. The maximum wind gusts at Marijan in Split were…
The last time we were treated to aerial views of the island was when we flew in the seaplane, now sadly no longer an option. But this week, himself was invited for a tour of Hvar and Korčula from a two-seater plane. Take-off from Stari Grad International airport, where there are currently several planes on…
With the lower level of light in December and January, I’ve been noticing more textures and patterns as we’re out and about on the local trails. The slanting sun is great at picking out the underlying structures and surfaces in a cool, muted colour palette. In this vineyard, for example, last year’s growth shows as…
Happy New Year to one and all! We celebrated the arrival of 2018 in Stari Grad, a place that has seen the passing of more years than most other cities. The main party was set up in Tvrdalj square with live music by Aurora, and fireworks at midnight. The square was looking very pretty and…
The island’s winter festivities begin on the eve of St Nicholas with the burning of a boat in Stari Grad. Starting around 6:30 in the evening, you can see the smoke rising from across town. That’s actually helpful, as we weren’t quite sure which was the church of Sv Nikola (St Nicholas). Mind you, we…
Stari Grad’s 2400th birthday was a really good party over several days with lots going on and a great atmosphere. Sadly, I failed to take my camera along to the evening event as I didn’t realize it would be so spectacular, but I do have a few taken with my phone. I loved the way…
Butterflies always seem so fragile, so transient. So it came as quite the surprise when I read that (a) there are butterfly fossils dating back around 56 million years, and (b) the Painted Lady appears to hold the record for the longest return migration, from Africa to the Arctic circle and back!
This September, a group of artists from California joined me for a week’s sketching and painting in some of my favourite locations around Hvar. And as we usually do on these occasions, we explored some of the excellent local wines (very important, that!) and the rich cultural heritage that makes this island so special. The theme each…
Stari Grad 2400 Celebrations and Days of the Bay Festival This year marks the 2,400th anniversary of the founding of Faros by Greek settlers. It’s Stari Grad’s official entry into recorded history, although there was actually an Illyrian settlement in place already. If only they’d also written things down, we’d probably need 3,000 candles on…
Go Hvar 
You must be logged in to post a comment.