Asian Tiger Mosquito (aedes albopictus)

Are the mosquitoes getting bolder?

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…

Ringing the bells of St Mary

The Bells of St Mary’s

The tiny settlement of Vrboska is best known for two things – the upper harbour which looks just like a miniature canal complete with 16th century stone houses, and the somewhat unusual fortified church of Sveta Marija – or St Mary of Mercy in English. I say somewhat unusual, as there are a couple of…

Ivica shows us the peka

Dinner with a view in Pitve

One of the most memorable dinners I’ve had on the island of Hvar (and there have been quite a few)  was at the Konoba Dvor Duboković in Pitve. That’s lower Pitve, not upper Pitve, though it’s quite high enough to have glorious views. Pitve was the site of an ancient settlement, believed to be the…

Hum Sv. Vid

Off the beaten track to Hum’s hillfort

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…

Massive walls at Purkin Kuk

Purkin Kuk – a prehistoric hillfort

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…

Nest construction

Nesting activities

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…

Clear water

On the Glavica headland trail

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…

Trim

Trims – the stone huts of Hvar

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…