Croatia | Sea | Kayaking | Tours | Lifejacket Adventures - Adriatic Expeditions

Split is expecting an increase in cruise-ship arrivals this year. For these guests and others who wish to explore the coast, rivers, hills and islands around Split we have teamed-up with our Danish friends at Solitum to provide interesting half-day and full-day tours.

Evening Walking Tour of Diocletian’s Palace

Salona and Klis Fortress Walking Tour

Afternoon Sail on Historical Wooden Boats (available after the end of July)

Aurora & Hacienda Nightclubs Transfer Bus

Cetina River and Omiš Hiking Tour

Hvar Island Wine Tour

Brač Island Tour

Krka Waterfalls Tour

Plitvice Lakes and North Velebit Hiking Tour

An old friend from New York City, the Gregster, dropped in to visit us this weekend. We hadn’t seen him in 7 years - it was great to catchup and talk about the days in NYC - the bars, restaurants and clubs, and playing for the NY Magpies. It was also an excellent opportunity to eat at some of our favorite restaurants and take some embarrassing pictures of Greg.

The first day we had lunch at Konoba Šperun, next to the laundrette. We often grab a quick meal here - usually during the summer on their curb-side tables and just the cold appetizers. They have excellent marinated anchovies, a cheese and tomato plate, calamari, bread and olives - really simple but tasty things.

The next day was a gluttonous road-trip to Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful towns in the world. Now is the perfect time to visit before the summer cruise-liners arrive and swamp the cobbled streets.

On the way we stopped at Kapetanova Kuća in Mali Ston- one of Croatia’s Top Ten Restaurants - which has been mentioned previously on our blog. After denying ourselves breakfast we were ready for a huge lunch.

We started with oysters of course - as Mali Ston is famous for them. I had always thought that all oysters were the same - but after visiting the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station in NY many years ago, where you can order them from all over the world, I learned that every region produces different size and shape shells and, more importantly, different flavours.

After the oysters we shared a plate of mixed mussels and clams - cooked buzara style. Buzara is a Dalmatian white wine and garlic sauce in which they cook their shellfish. The sauce is so good that after eating the shellfish you then mop it up with plenty of bread.

The main meal was black cuttlefish risotto (made with the ink from squids) and grilled squid. People always jump when they see the colour of the risotto - but, if the initial fear of eating black food can be overcome, black risotto is delicious. The squid was simply grilled and then drizzled with olive oil and garlic.

All this was washed down with a bottle of Marco Polo Pošip. Pošip is the white wine variety from Korčula Island.

And if all this wasn’t enough, Greg need a slice of rožata - Dalmatian creme caramel - to top it all off. I was thinking to offer him a glass of desert wine - prošek - but that would have been excessive!

Once we arrived in Dubrovnik we needed to rest. So we found a hole-in-the-wall cafe clinging to the town’s famous walls and watched the big ships sail passed.

In Dubrovnik there is only one place to eat - Lokanda Peskarija. All the other restaurants are tourist traps. The Peskarija has a limited menu - maybe 10 dishes - and they are all served in small black pots. Its such a simple, elegant idea. Its location is stunning as well - right on the edge of the water in the old port, under big umbrellas. After such a big lunch we just needed something small - just calamari, grilled prawns and a big mixed salad - and a little more wine and coffee.

The next morning, nursing the first twinges of gout, we decided some brisk sea air and a little walk would do us good. So Greg, Jules, the kids and I piled into the Fiat and caught the ferry to Hvar Island. We drove across the island to look at its southern slopes which are famous for producing excellent plavac -Dalmatian red wine.

The plan was to hike amongst the vines but the weather gods were against us so we retired to Konoba Vrisnik for lunch. The owner, Andro Grgičević, welcomed us in but said that they were not yet officially open for the season. However a group from Zagreb had organized a meal and he said we could join them.

The meal started with a broth made with goat meat stock and buck-wheat - very tasty. Then Andro brought us a plate of boiled goat meat, mashed potato and tomato sauce. He explained that this was typical Saturday meal for the villagers of Hvar. After the first course of goat another bowl of goat meat cooked with peas appeared. The sweetness of the peas was excellent with the young goat meat. Just as we were settling down completely satisfied, we saw Andro serving the other guests with yet more plates of grilled lamb and salad. Thinking that heart-attacks were imminent if we continued with the last course, we went for quick a walk.

After returning to Split, for the evening meal we decided to try Restoran Perlica. The restaurant had been recommended as the best place near Split to get lamb-on-the-spit. And we were not disappointed! The friendly staff (often a rarity in Croatia) provided us with a plate piled high with roasted lamb, green salad and a side-order of young spring onions. Once again really simple food but so good. The reason we wanted to try Perlica was we wish to include it in a half-day tour from Split to the archaeological sites of the Roman city of Salona and the hill-top fort of Klis. We will definitely bring guests to it!

Finally, Greg fell in love with a Croatian beer - Karlovačko - which always seems to be the favorite of foreigners visiting here.

After such a debauched weekend I was happy to see the back of Greg - but hopefully it won’t be another 7 years before we meet again.

As can be seen from the last posts we have been catching up on our newspaper reading. Old lefties who read The Guardian in the UK may have seen a recent article about the best places to take your loved one. Under the title Glamorous Romantic Getaways, our friend Goran and his restaurant Vila Kaliopa are given an excellent review, “Hidden behind the 16th-century Garibaldi Palace walls on the island of Vis, Villa Kaliopa is a secret garden of palms, sculpture and candlelit tables each out of earshot so you don’t have to whisper your sweet nothings where smiley waiters present the days catch.” (And Jules says I never take her anywhere special!)

Sounds like the perfect end to a day of arguing with that special person in a double kayak!

Felix Oppenheim, an excellent outdoor photographer, snapped us eating at a less salubrious (yet just as charming) eatery. Several photographs on our website were taken by him.

The Guardian also recently put Istria in its 100 Underated Foodie Breaks, and even mentions Motovun, “A cone-shaped peninsula, Istria is where the Balkans meet the Adriatic. Lushly forested and decidedly hilly, Istria is also where some of the world’s best (and biggest) truffles are dug. A lengthy meander around the inland walled hill-towns of Trst, Hum (the world’s smallest, so it boasts), Lupoglav, Buzet, Motovun - and many more - rewards you with enchanting eagle’s eye views, sleepy villages, and delightfully affordable restaurants with truffle-centred menus. Add fresh, young Croatian wines and a mere scattering of tourists and you’re in gourmet heaven.”

During a drive around Istria this weekend we stumbled upon Draguć. Its just another small, picturesque, hill-top Istrian town, with a main street, square, water fountain, dirt streets and church - a dime-a-dozen around the region.

But after speaking to the owner of Buffet Zora (shown above), we discovered the town has even more to offer.

Of artistic value are the frescoes within the town’s small churches - Sveti Elizej and Sveti Rok. Sveti Elizej dates from the 12th Century, being Romanesque in style. During the 13th Century the church interior was decorated with frescoes depicting the life of Jesus.

Sveti Rok, a votive chapel, is of later origin, belonging to the Late Gothic Period (the first half of the 16th century). During that period the plague had killed many in Istria. The vaulted interior was painted by Master Anton of Padua.

But for us of the television generation more interesting is that Draguć is known by the locals as the Istrian Hollywood. Several films have been made there; whenever a small medieval village exterior is required by a studio the cameras and crew arrive in town. Look at La Femme Musketeer with Michael York and Nastassja Kinski, or Twilight Time with Karl Malden (whose real name was Mladen Sekulovich - his father was Serbian).

Credit has to be given Igor Popović for the picture at the top of the post.

Ranko introduced us to a local Motovan resident, Igor; a small olive oil producer. Igor told us many things - olive trees are best planted on the sunny-side of hill, between 150 - 350m above sea-level and in white soil with a neutral pH (not red soil, which has too much bauxite). On 5 hectares about 1 500 trees can be grown; in 10 years each tree will yield 20 - 30kg of olives which in turn will produce 2 - 3kg of oil. Oil sells for more than 10€ per liter. When Croatia joins the EU it is probable that no further trees will be allowed to be planted - so a rush is on at the moment to put more in. Igor said that Klaudio Ipša from Ipši is the best man around Motovun to ask further advice. The Istrian Tourism Board provides a map of olive producers.

Spring is wild asparagus season in Istria. Wild Asparagus looks like the cultivated variety but much longer and thinner. Julie found this recipe for using it:

Frittata with Wild Asparagus
500g wild asparagus
150g onions
8 eggs
50ml oil
10g salt
1g pepper

Rinse the wild asparagus and break their soft part into small pieces (about 3cm long) by hand. Fry with finely chopped onion until asparagus soften. Then add egg mixture, stirring lightly. When eggs stiffen, remove pan from heat and serve hot.

We were back up in Motovun again this weekend as our builder, Gino, prepared for demolition in the house we are renovating.

From a gastronomic POV, Motovun is known for its truffles. In fact the world’s largest was found in 1999 in the nearby forests - it weighed 1.30 kgs. Given Black truffle sells for about 700€/kg and the white variety about 2 000€/kg - thats not bad reward for an afternoon stroll. They were first found in the area in 1929.

Four weeks ago David and Vanda’s dog, Bonnie, had 8 puppies. Bonnie is a failed truffle hunting dog that they saved. David and Vanda are responsible for Timeout Croatia magazines and guidebooks. Dogs are used to sniff out the underground fungi - but if the dog is found not to make the grade it is usually put to sleep.

The best place in town for a truffle-sprinkled dinner is the Barbacan Restaurant. Its owner, Ronald Geul, is Dutch. As the older generation in Motovun moves on, the town is becoming popular for interesting people from all over the world in which to live. The town’s new resident grumpy old man is Ranko Bon - architect, economist, painter and poet.

Risotto with Leek, Mushrooms and Truffle

Ingredients
Leeks:
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup whipping cream

Mushrooms:
500g Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 7mm thick slices
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Risotto:
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups (or more) hot vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons shaved or chopped black truffle
Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
For Leeks:
Bring leeks and cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are tender and cream is thick, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

For Mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Toss all ingredients on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until mushrooms are tender and light brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For Risotto:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in leek mixture, mushroom mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cheese, and truffle. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Malvasia
Istria has two wines of note - a red, teran, and a white, malvasia. For malvasia we choose to drink that from the Kozlović Family.

Wine Maker – Kozlović Vina
Colour – Golden yellow colour with a slight green tinge.
Bouquet – Aroma of fruit and berries
Palate – Fresh, medium-bodied, and balanced, with an almond aftertaste.

Croatia is a nation of contradictions.

On Sunday we went to Skradin, a small town on the Krka River, just behind Šibenik, to visit Vina Bibich, run by Alen, a local wine producer and chef about whom we had heard great things. We wanted to try the local red wine, debit. Unfortunately everything is still closed this early in the year.

Skradin has a long history; originally it was a Roman trading town. Today it’s the best place to catch a boat to the Krka National Park, and the Krka Waterfalls, up river.

After a quick coffee in Skradin’s sunny square, we drove into the Park.

The Park’s authorities have, over recent years, renovated the old mill buildings surrounding the falls into an ethno-village. In the summer guests can see the flour being made, chat with the donkeys or have a trout lunch. The rivers around Split provide several places for very fresh trout. Other favorites of ours are in the town of Trilj and at another renovated mill; Radmanove Mlinice.

To walk amongst the falls wooden duck boards and bridges are provided, similar to Plitvice Lakes but on a smaller scale. Its possible to swim below the final waterfall.

The Croatian contradiction became evident when we came upon some further old buildings with a plaque. The text said before us was the ruins of the world’s second hydro-electric generator - the first opened in Buffalo, up-state New York a few days before; both were completed in 1895. Even more amazingly, the Croatian dam was the first in the world to provide electricity - it powered Šibenik’s streetlights about a year before those in Buffalo. Nikola Tesla was responsible for the design of the plant. Born an ethnic Serb in what is now the Lika Region of Croatia, he is claimed by both Croatia and Serbia.

At the at end of the 19th Century this remote part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was on the cutting edge of technology - beating Germany, France and England to hydro-electricity - yet my grandmother’s village nearby has never received electricity or had modern plumbing. And driving to the Park you see the still-ruined houses of the barbaric ethnic conflict from 15 years ago. Primitivism and Modernism side by side.

Time for another Dalmatian dish and appropriate wine. This month’s serving comes from Vis Island - another stop on one of our kayaking tours.
One of the remotest Dalmatian islands, Vis is proud of its fishing heritage. Komiža Pie was a staple of the men sailing their falkuše to the rich fishing grounds surrounding the islet of Palagruža.

Komiža Pie – “Komiska Pogaca”
Dough
1 ¼ cups of warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 ¼ tablespoons sugar
3 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons olive oil
(roll dough out to be 1.5cm thick)

Filling
2 medium onions – cut in thin rings
4 garlic cloves – finely chopped
pinch salt, pepper and crushed chili to taste
fresh basil roughly chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
400g chopped tomatoes - 1 tin
1 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons capers
4 tins sardines in olive oil and lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Serves 6 people

In a glass bowl dissolve sugar and yeast in the water – set aside for 15 minutes.
Add flour, salt and olive oil to the mixture above – knead for 10 minutes (adding flour if necessary) – use a rolling pin, roll out on flat floured surface.
Roll dough mixture into a ball and place in glass bowl – coat dough surface lightly with olive oil and cover with a damp cloth, set aside for 1 hour.
Mix together in a small bowl, garlic, salt, pepper, chili, tomato paste, tomato puree, chopped tomato’s, olive oil and capers.
Split dough mixture into 2 portions (one portion slightly larger – for top piece of pie).
Roll dough mixture out on flat floured surface.
Coat bottom of tray with thin layer of oil - place rolled dough on flat tray.
Spread tomato mixture onto dough.
Add sardines – breaking into pieces.
Add onions.
Add extra tomato puree if necessary.
Cover with remaining portion of rolled out dough mixture.
Pierce with fork and seal edges.
Baste top of dough with a little oil.
Bake for 30 minutes @ 180 degrees Celsius or until golden.

Vugava (also Bugava)
A long, fertile valley runs down the centre of Vis Island. Winemakers produce the ubiquitous Dalmatian red, plavac, as well as the indigenous white, vugava. The numerous micro-climates of the valley mean good quantities of similar high quality grapes can be hard to grow. Vugava was discovered on the island by the Romans when they arrived. They enjoyed it so much they took vines to France with them - where it became known as viognier.

Wine Maker – Antonio Lipanović
Colour – Honey, lemon, apple juice yellow
Bouquet – Light apricot
Palate – At 14% alcohol, this is a solid yet dry wine with just the right amount of acid to add an edge to the long, clean finish.

Some of our pictures.

Storm-surges of competing empires eroded Croatia into its present form and left their influences on bordering regions as they receded. They gave Croatia, a small country of about four and a half million people, a remarkable variation of traditions. This variety is reflected in the country’s food and wine.

At least every month, from Julie’s kitchen and Shane’s cellar, a food dish and wine from one of the regions will be presented.

Croatian food doesn’t receive nearly the attention it should. From the game-meat stews of Continental Croatia, through the decadent truffle-laced dishes of Istria, to the fresh seafood of the Adriatic; each region produces a mouth-watering array of culinary delights. Lo-cal, not always, but definitely healthy; it must be remembered that Rudolph Steiner, the great-grandfather of organic farming, was born in the north, and his ideals are still practiced all over the country.

Most people do not think of Croatia as a class wine producing country. But it has more than 700 registered wines and at least a dozen premium varietals.

Primošten Chicken
12 chicken thigh pieces (without drum sticks) – can also use a combination of thighs and chicken breasts
Flour for coating chicken prior to frying
Vegetable oil for frying – approx. 6 tablespoons
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pumpkin oil (not essential but adds great flavour)
150g prosciutto or bacon
4 onions – medium - diced
6 garlic cloves – finely chopped
Salt, pepper and crushed chili to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
800g chopped tomatos - 2 tins
1 tablespoon vegeta (chicken stock cubes)
80ml prosek (sherry)
3 tablespoons capers
600g peas
400g potatoes – diced
Parsley

Serves 6 people

Wash chicken pieces – dry off with paper towels.
Sprinkle chicken with vegeta and flour, fry in hot oil until brown on all sides.
Remove from pan and set aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Quickly fry in a separate large pot, olive oil, pumpkin oil, prosciutto, onions, garlic and crushed chili to taste.
Add chicken pieces to pot, sprinkle with extra vegeta, and pour in prosek diluted with a little water.
Add capers, peas, salt, pepper and potatoes, continue cooking until meat is tender.
Add more tomato’s and water if necessary (sauce should almost cover entire contents in pot).
Add parsley.

Babić Wine
Man’s ability to create beauty with only limited resources and an abundance of perseverance is represented in a picture of the vineyards of Primošten hung in the foyer of the United Nations in New York City. Each vine sits in its own patch of fertile earth within a framework of stone walls covering the surrounding hills. Hundreds of years of effort by the local women of this seaside town produced this inspiring quilt. Enjoy Babić, the wine which is the result of their toil.

Year – 2002
Winery – Vinoplod Vinarija, Šibenik
Colour – Garnet red with hints of orange
Bouquet – Understated musty barn
Palate – This wine is thin and light bodied, possibly due to the quantities of rain at the end of the 2002 season in Dalmatia. Austere would be a good description for its high acidity and medium tannin levels. Overall, disappointingly, this bottle was not typical of the highly berried-with-hint-of-earth-bouqueted, dry, full-bodied wines of this variety. Cellaring may round out the wine, but not likely.

Given that Europe has a population density of 112 people per km² (Australia’s is 2.6) it is difficult to find remote places to which to escape. The Pelješac Peninsula is probably as rugged as it gets in Croatia.

The Peninsula sticks erection-like from the mainland, about 1 ½ hours up the coast from Dubrovnik, towards Korčula Town. Two ridges of hills run up it, creating a central valley. These hills then drop dramatically into the Adriatic Sea on either side. The great thing is that, except for existing villages, this landscape precludes too much further development.

The view above is difficult to read but what it shows is the roof of our kučica (an old donkey shack) looking south with Mljet Island on the left and Korčula Island on the right. This stretch of water is the first section of our Korčula to Dubrovnik Kayak Expedition.

Eventhough its remote, Pelješac is not wild. In fact it could be even described as civilized given that it is known for 2 things that every fine meal needs - oysters and wine.

The briny water of the gulf between the Peninsula and the mainland has for millenia been known as a source of good quality oysters. Our friend, Tony (see above), is a local oyster and mussel farmer. He spends half the year in Croatia and the other half in New Orleans, where, up until Hurricane Katrina, his family also produced oysters.

Our favorite restaurant in Mali Ston for shellfish is Kapetanova Kuća.

Plavac Mali is the Dalmatian red wine grape. On Pelješac there are 2 regions, Dingač and Postup, that are allowed to use their names on wine made from this grape variety. Our kučica sits amongst the vines of Dingač and, as the vineyards are a Croatian cultural monument, no other houses can be built. The soil and steep south-facing slopes is what makes these areas ideal for red wine growing.

A close relative of plavac mali, another local grape variety, from Kaštela, next to the Split Airport, is the same as the world-famous zinfindel from California. The man responsible allowing this discovery is Mike Grgić, founder of Napa Valley winery, Grgić Hills. He was born in Dalmatia and recently returned to open a winery in Trstenik, one of the small towns on Pelješac. Another fine drop is made by Mario and his family at the nearby Bartulović Winery.

Our hope for the Dingač Shack is to drop a moderne Dalmatian box inside the existing stone walls. The platform is designed to take in the view. The box will be clad in compressed cement sheet with Dalmatian dogs screen printed onto each panel or in timber planks such as used on a traditional boat.