This past month we’ve been exploring some of the pathways that connect villagers to their fields. These are old routes criss-crossing the Stari Grad Plain, some wide enough for an ox cart, others narrow and winding for walking, perhaps donkey-width. They make perfect hiking trails, especially on autumn days when the sun is not too…
There are some extraordinary wines being produced in northern Dalmatia. Which is quite remarkable considering that this part of the Croatian coast suffered greatly in the war for independence in the 1990s. The vineyards here have been painstakingly reworked and replanted – some with local indigenous varieties, and others with international varieties. Back in May,…
The new Carić winery tasting room is very handy for us – just a short walk across the bridge in the heart of Vrboska! We’re turning into regulars here, and it’s been great watching a run-down old building evolving into an attractive, traditionally-styled konoba tasting-room. Owners Ivo and Ivana Carić have put in many hours…
May is a lovely time of year to explore the Hvar countryside, and we’ve been taking a look at some of the rather scenic vineyards on the island. The vines are neatly clipped and the new growth is sprouting well, with flowers in bud. The Dalmatian coast had a cold snap at the end of…
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…
For our third day of painting, we took the road up to the seasonal village of Humac. It’s a very pretty drive, with sweeping views over the Brač channel and much easier to navigate the road after the recent improvements. Humac itself is a farming village, the houses built by the folks of Vrisnik and…
Arriving on Pag at the southern end across a big blue bridge, it felt like we’d landed on Mars. This is a very stark landscape, with red rocks strewn everywhere, no vegetation whatever, and the massive wall of Velebit looming across the channel. The lack of anything growing on the side of the island facing…
Our normal mode of driving north from Hvar is to take the inland motorway. It’s fast and easy, and we’re usually on our way to Zagreb with no time for scenic diversions. But this May we treated ourselves to a more relaxed trip up the magistrala, that wonderfully scenic Croatian coastal road. Setting out from…
Plavac Mali is a relative of Zinfandel in California, and Primitivo in Italy, so we’re generally comfortable that we know what a glass of Plavac will taste like. However, growing this Dalmatian native in its own, frankly marginal terrain can give very different results depending on the the soil, environment, heat, sea, rocks, etc, etc. We recently attended a guided tasting by Croatian wine authority, Saša Spiranec of some of the best Plavac wines from the prestigious locations throughout Dalmatia, to assess the quality, style and aging potential.
After a great start to our tour of Korčula, we arrived at the town on the island most visited by passing tourists. Set out on its promontary, fortified all around and bristling with artillery, for centuries this small town guarded a strategic shipping channel. Korčula is the name both of the town and the island,…
Go Hvar 
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