It has been a long time between posts here on our Lifejacket Adventures blog. That’s because we started a new blog – Our Croatia Life – which now contains all of the more personal stories, and we will continue to publish our adventure business stories here.

On facebook, Our Croatian Life can be found here, and Lifejacket Adventures here.

]]> http://blog.lifejacketadventures.com/croatia/2010/03/07/new-personal-blog/feed/ 0 http://blog.lifejacketadventures.com/croatia/2009/06/01/rick-steves-in-split-and-back-to-dionis/ http://blog.lifejacketadventures.com/croatia/2009/06/01/rick-steves-in-split-and-back-to-dionis/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:50:04 +0000 Croatian Adventures http://blog.lifejacketadventures.com/?p=1394

The effervescent American travel guide, Rick Steves, is making his way through Croatia filming a new documentary about the country and its neighbors. We had a chance to say hello when we bumped into him filming on the riva. Helping him out was Cameron Hewitt, Rick’s associate and book writer, and our friendly guide Maja.

They were on a busy schedule – just the day in Split, before heading south via Hvar Island.

(It must be guide and guide book season at the moment – the girl from Rough Guide Europe also dropped in this week.)

I had spent the day with Dain and Susan been forced to eat fresh food – eggplant pie, octopus salad, gregada and pancakes with marmalade – at Konoba Dionis on the Pakleni Islands, again.

Marija from Dionis shared her secrets about octopus salad and gregada (fish stew) preparation (i.e. freeze the octopus for 2 days after cooking to allow it to soften and be careful when adding the garlic to the stew so it doesn’t burn.)

Two weeks ago, Amber and Evan decided to join us at Marija and Pjerino Šimunović’s Konoba Dionis on the Pakleni Islands, just off Hvar Town, for a day in the sun and some good food.

We helped to pick all the vegetables from the garden – potatoes, spring onions, and, most importantly, artichokes. (It was the end of the artichoke season.)

Marija also picked the wild herbs and shrubs, explaining that almost everything that grows on the islands can be used in the kitchen.

Marija showed us how she prepares Breaded Artichokes with Peas.

The meal then started with Dionis’ famous Eggplant Pie, followed by the artichokes, then fried skate with vegetables and finished with a home-made torte.

Joanne, John and I went exploring Hvar Island on Friday by scooter. After catching the ferry from Split to Stari Grad, we drove the scooters across the island to Sveta Nedjelja, and then along the coast to Hvar Town.

On Hvar Town’s waterfront we were met by George Šimunović who raced us across to the Pakleni Islands. On Sveti Klement Island is our favorite restaurant in all of Dalmatia – Konoba Dionis – run by the Šimunović family.

We have mentioned Dionis before here as part of our sea-kayaking tour around Vis and Hvar Islands, but now we are offering the chance to visit this uniquely Dalmatian restaurant and be taught by Pjerino, George’s brother, how to prepare dishes such as octopus salad and gregada (a special Hvar fish stew) on a day tour from Split. The Šimunović family also produce their own wine and olive oil, and the production of these is also explained.

Included in the tour will be the return ferry from Split, transfer to Hvar Town, water-taxi to the restaurant, the lesson, a long 3-course lunch with wine and brandies and time on the beach. The price of the tour is 85 Euro – and will be available before May 15th and after September 30th. Please email us with any questions – info@lifejacketadventures.com .

I headed across to Hvar Island yesterday for a Wine Tour with Agnete and Christian, two members of one of Norway’s biggest hard-core bands, Madder Mortem. The plan was to introduce them to as much of the island and its wine and food in 12 hours as possible.

Our friend Mili at Hertz Rentals was kind enough to give us a Jeep Wrangler for the day. Given the warm weather, it was perfect to be able to take the roof off as we cruised the island.

We started with a walk to the small beach of Lučišće Bay. I was unfortunately shocked to see a new road had destroyed the serenity of this once stunning beach. Zlatan Plenković, from the winery Zlatan Otok, is responsible for this disaster. He is the ‘big man’ in town and wanted the road to bring more guests to his failing restaurant. I’m not sure how Zlatan can look at himself in the mirror, as he and other like-minded, unthinking and corrupt scoundrels in Croatia seemed determined to destroy its natural beauty. (If anyone reads this and is coming to Croatia please don’t buy Zlatan Plavac or any of the other wines from Zlatan Otok!)

For lunch we drove up along the dirt track that runs along the spine of the island to Konoba Humac. Humac is a traditional, inland village. The abundance limestone on Dalmatian Islands gave the locals an unlimited supply of construction material. In Humac everything is stone; the walls and roofs of the houses, the fences for the animal pens and the shepherd’s huts (which were also used for animal storage). The view from the konoba across the water to Brač Island as you eat lunch is worth the price of admission.

Antun Balić at Uljara Božić in Svirče then showed us his olive oil bottling plant. He explained to us the difference between Extra Virgin and Virgin Oil (the percentage of oxygen in the oil), cold and warm pressing, when the olives should be picked and the different olive varieties. Antun also told us that good oil has a green grass/apple bouquet and an astringent aftertaste at the back of the throat.

The last stop of the day before the evening ferry was the Tomić Winery. Andro Tomić is the man to see about Hvar wine. Not only are his wines top-notch but the overall presentation of everything he does, from his labels to his cellars, is excellent. Marina, his right-hand girl, ran through their 9 products, and we tasted 4 of them – the Opolo Nobile Rosé, the Plavac Mali Barrique, the Prošek Hectorović and the Travarica. Marina was even kind enough to prepare food to accompany each wine.

From Andro’s website:

Opolo Nobile – “Rosé wine Opolo Nobile is enjoyed as a young, a year-old wine. It is produced using a special technology (decantation after only 12 hours) that gives this wine a beautiful pink colour and its distinctive freshness. Opolo Nobile was modelled on young French (Beaujolais) wines, and it is best to drink it until it is 10 months old.”

As this is a light wine Marina served a mozzarella-style cheese with olive oil.

Plavac Mali Barrique – “After the Ancient Greeks and Romans who used amphorae for wine storage and transport, barrels became a widespread means of wine storing, and became crucial for maturing of wine. Barrels have a two-fold function in winemaking; they accelerate wine aging, and add a distinctive wood flavour and bouquet. Fine making and maturing in oak barrels give the wine Plavac Mali Barrique its highly noble bouquet and make a great complement to an already strong flavour of the variety Plavac Mali.”

To compliment the strength of this wine, a strong cheese such as parmesan is recommended.

Prošek Hectorović – “Prošek is an authentic Croatian dessert wine , made using dried grapes of the finest indigenous Dalmatian varieties. Although it often gets mixed up with Prosecco, Italian sparkling wine, Prošek comes from the coastal region of Dalmatia, which is still the only place where it is made. Prošek Hectorović was named after Petar Hektorović, a great poet, hedonist and nobleman who came from the island of Hvar.”

Marina surprised us by having us eat gorgonzola with this dessert wine – a great taste combination.

Travarica – “Travarica is a type of herbal brandy made with the wine distillate from authentic wines of the island Hvar, flavoured with seven Mediterranean herbs, predominantly carob and sage. A part of the herbs is distilled together with the wine, but most of it is left to macerate in the distillate.”

Carob is used as fake-chocolate, and the best way we discovered to enjoy this brandy is poured over chocolate ice-cream.

As we were running late for the ferry we didn’t get a chance to visit Hvar Town, but given what we had done there were no complaints!

The rest of the tour’s pictures can be found here.

Marilyn, John and I crossed the border into Bosnia yesterday to visit Mostar.

Mostar is a mixed Serb, Croat and Bosnia town in south-west Bosnia, known for its 16th Century bridge, which crosses the Neretva River, and the crazy guys who dive from it. The town is named after the bridge – most means bridge in Serbo-Croatian.

The practice of diving from the bridge dates back to the time the bridge was built, but the first recorded instance is from 1664. The diving platform is over 20 metres above the water, but the river is only 3 metres deep! Plus the temperature of the water is freezing – the shock of entering it on a hot summer’s day has been known to cause heart-attacks.

A town in Mostar’s current location was mentioned in literature in the early medieval period. In 1468 Mostar came under Ottoman rule and they greatly expanded the existing small village.

The current bridge was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557 and built in 9 years by Mimar Hayruddin. It replaced an earlier wooden suspension bridge. It is made of local stone known as tenelija.

During the war in Bosnia Herzegovina (1992-1995), on 9th November 1993, the bridge was destroyed by Croat forces. Just as the walls of Dubrovnik symbolized the barbarity of the Croatian War, the bridge’s destruction came to represent the wanton destruction of the Bosnian conflict. After reconstruction it was reopened on 23rd July 2004.

Most tourists, including us, come to see the Turkish markets, houses and mosques. The local Croat community has had to adapt to this commercial fact – to make money they must now lead tours through the streets of their former enemies.

In the markets many Turkish trinkets can be found – coffee and tea sets, copperwork, rugs, slippers and fezs.

The best food is typically Bosnian – burek (meat or cheese filled filo pastry) or ćevapčići (skinless sausages served with pita and onion).

Many things in the town are still segregated (though the local government is not). There are even 2 football teams where there was just one previously. FK Velež, named after a nearby mountain, is supported by Bosniaks from the east-side of the river. Their fans are called the ‘Red Army’ – you can see their graffiti everywhere.. HŠK Zrinjski Mostar, named after a local creek, has supporters on the western (Croatian) bank of the river.

It was a little disconcerting to visit a mixed town after living so many years in ‘Catholic’ Croatia – the landscape was the same, the people looked the same and they spoke the same language – but instead of crucifixes around their necks they had crescent moons, instead of bell towers there were minarets, the death notices were in green instead of black and instead of bells ringing out there was the call to prayer. Essentially there is no difference between the people, no great divide, which would help explain the ferocity of the war.

Yesterday Frank, Ceila, Bill and Cary enjoyed a day with us on Brač Island.

After the 45-minute ferry ride from Split, we drove to the trailhead above Pustinja Blaca.

Blaca was a monastery found in 1551 by Glagoltic monks from Poljica Republic. This small Republic, behind Omiš, was wedged between the Venetian and Ottoman Empires. The monks, fearing Turkish raids, fled to Brač in the 15th Century and later received permission to build their monastery in its current, well-hidden location. Setting to work in the harsh landscape (blaca means desert), they created a vibrant community – the richest on the island. They were self-sufficient in food, and exported honey, olive oil, wine and cheese to Venice and Vienna. They owned 3 trading boats, large estates in other villages and had up to 120 workers laboring for them.

The last monk, Don Nikola Milicevič, was a true Renaissance man. His favorite hobby was astronomy and we saw what was once the largest telescope in south-east Europe. He reported his findings to the world authorities and his work led to the naming of 2 asteroids as well as a comet.

All this work took place in the middle of nowhere. We got just a taste of its isolation – after a long drive down a dirt track, we still had a 2km hike into the canyon in which the monastery is tucked away. Yesterday, as the temperature soared, the sun beat down and reflected onto us from the white limestone – not an environment conducive to refined pursuits.

To recover we headed to Murvica, just outside of Bol. The terrace of the restaurant at which we ate lunch looked out across the water to Hvar Island. After an excellent seafood meal, the water was too inviting so we had to have a swim. The beaches along the south coast of Brač are some of my favorites in Dalmatia.

The highlight of the return ferry ride was sailing through an afternoon electrical storm.

The European Cities Marketing Association has released figures which shows Split is #1 on a list of European holiday destinations for growth in visitors between 2001 and 2006.

“Split saw an annual growth of around 17% in tourists, to top their survey of 93 locations across Europe.

In 2006, some 200 000 holiday makers crowded into city of some 250 000 inhabitants, a 400% rise in the number of holiday makers from 1999. Their average stay was 2.2 days.

The trend continued in 2007, but according to Split-based daily, Slobodna Dalmacija, tourist numbers decreased slightly by 5 000 due to a lack of accommodation as old hotels underwent renovation. (It may have been something to do with the terrible job that was done on renovating the waterfront or the fact Split suffers from a lack of a coherent tourism plan!)

The 2001-2006 survey shows that U.S. visitors and tourists topped the list and were followed by French and Spanish visitors.

A transit point for a number of Croatian islands, Split and its famous old town dominated by the Roman Emperor’s Diocletian Palace dating from the end of the 3rd Century, has become a key tourist attraction in Croatia, challenging the status of the legendary town of Dubrovnik, some 200kms to the southeast.

The tourism boom has seen real estate prices skyrocketing with properties in the old towns going for as much as 6 000 € /square metre. (This is just nonsense made-up by the local real-estate agents!)”

Some of what is written above is true – we have seen a constant growth in our laundrette business – but I wouldn’t trust the figures supplied by the local tourism board here in Split. Personally I think Dubrovnik tourism would have had far more (and better quality) growth. The opportunity is here in Split – it will just take hard work by everyone.

As a follow up to the last post about Croatia’s bid to join NATO -

“NATO leaders have agreed to invite Croatia and Albania to join the alliance.

The agreement was reached at an informal dinner of the NATO heads of state and government on Wednesday night.

For the third aspirant country, Macedonia, the leaders hoped that it can be invited as soon as possible given the fact that Greece, a NATO ally, has made clear that it will veto the invitation unless Macedonia changes its official name.

The Greek delegation made very clear on Tuesday night that Macedonia’s accession to NATO would be impossible before the settlement of the name dispute.

Greece fears that the former Yugoslav republic’s constitutional name — Republic of Macedonia — implies territorial ambition for the neighboring northern Greek province of Macedonia. But Skopje has refused to exchange its official name for NATO membership.

On Ukraine and Georgia’s application for NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP), chances are small for them to be given this status at the summit.

The leaders reaffirmed NATO’s “open door” policy and were of the view that MAP for the two countries is a matter not of whether, but of when.

The leaders also reiterated that there is no veto by third parties, apparently in reference to opposition by Russia.

Russia has warned that NATO membership for the two former Soviet republics would bring instability in the region.”

It always bodes well when ‘instability’ and ‘Balkans’ are used in the same sentence!

The New York Times recently published a list of the must-see places in the world for 2008. Included in this list, at an impressive #11, is the town of Hvar (on Hvar Island).

The NY Times describes Hvar thus:

“As Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast has become a new Riviera, Hvar has become its St. Tropez: a tiny village that fills with yachts and international partyers over the summer. While the waterfront Carpe Diem remains the island’s night-life center, narrow stone alleys are lined with chic cocktail lounges and hotel terraces, including the rooftop pool at the new Adriana Hotel, Croatia’s first Leading Small Hotels of the World member.”

Now personally I can only take the ‘jet-set’ in small doses. But when you combine the high-life with a little adventure its excellent. Many of those who visit Hvar Town only see its bars and nearby beaches, but there is a lot more to explore on the whole island.

The picture in the NY Times article is actually of a beach in Komiža, which happens to be on Vis Island – only 25 kilometers away – so much for the fact-checkers!

But both Vis and Hvar Islands are combined in our Vis and Hvar Islands Kayak Adventure – how’s that for a segue!? (And, yes, our picture at the top of this post is of a beach on Hvar!)

The Croatian National Parks that we have visited so far we have really enjoyed. One trip that always goes well is walking around the Plitvice Lakes, in the Lika region. The Lakes are protected on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As the River Korana cuts its way down through the limestone of the surrounding hills its water gains a high concentration of calcium carbonate. When the water gets caught in amongst the fallen birch, ash or pine trees of the lush forest the limestone is decanted and builds up dams which eventually produce lakes and waterfalls. At the moment there are 16 large lakes.

Beauty-wise, there doesn’t seem to be a bad time to visit the Lakes. In winter, snow blankets everthing; in spring, the wild-flowers bloom; in summer, you can have a quick swim in Kozjak Lake, the main lake; in autumn, the forest changes quickly from greens to browns and reds. The only problems are the summer crowds and the entrance price which keeps going up – it was 110 kuna in 2007. The best way to escape the crowds is to use the upper trails. They make their way through hillside forests – and allow views down to the Lakes.

The Lakes are full of char, trout, minnows and carp. They gather at the edges, under the shade of the surrounding trees.

We always stay in the small village of Korana, a collection of about a dozen old traditional houses on the river just outside of the Park. The Luketić brothers have 2 guest-houses – with a large terrace on the river for evening meals. Its possible to swim directly in front of the village, except in the height of summer when the river can disappear underground.

It is a 3 hour drive from Split to Plitvice. Usually we drive to the town of Rastoke, known as ‘Little Plitvice’, on the way, for a top baked trout meal at Konoba Petro.