Our little swallow chicks are still on the nest, although there’s been plenty of flapping going on. We’ve taken to watching them on our nestcam, as they go very still and flat when we open the door. Not so interesting to watch! Here are a couple of photos, though, to show what a difference a…
Our little chicks are developing rapidly into miniature versions of their parents! Their wing feathers are almost completely in, although the tails are still stubby little markers for the graceful long forked tails of adulthood. As I stand quietly in the shade of the opposite doorway, one of the parents checks me out carefully. No…
A quick update on our Barn Swallow nestlings, as I’ve just been outside to check with the zoom lens. They certainly are growing fast and look much more alert! It’s now very clear that they have their eyes open and feathers are growing. And is that a tinge of russet colour? I can tell from…
I’m happy to report that the good fortune of our house is assured for the summer at least. This is due to the presence of a little swallow family nesting in the porch by our front door. We did try to explain to them that it wasn’t the quietest of locations, but neither parents nor…
There’s something magical about the quality of the light in December. It seems to have a soft warm glow to it, even although the air temperature can be fairly brisk in the early morning. Sunrise is, of course, a little later and noticably further south than it was in summer. As far as Vrboska is…
There we were, just getting ready for our afternoon walk, when there was a rumbling and deep thump, as if a heavy construction truck had hit the side of the house. The floor noticably shook for a while, then quiet. I waited for a second shake, but nothing more. Must have been pretty close, then!…
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…
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…
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 most of us, seaplanes seem an echo from the past, a remnant of times gone by, when travel was more adventurous, more glamorous. But they’re also visions of the future for Europe’s many islands and remote coastal areas – for example Scotland’s west coast, the Croatian islands, Italy and Greece. And around the rest…
Go Hvar 
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