All about Croatia

On our last trip to Split we’ve visited my brother in law in ACI marina Split. He is helping a friend in repairing his sailing boat. They were mostly painting – this needs to be done yearly because the wood without good protection gets damaged by salt water. We were not happiest with the weather, but they like strong winds - they are sailing lovers.

The sailing boat they were working on is specially designed for regattas and it is old model, but still in great conditions and its owner was many times between winners.

The ACI marina Split is one of biggest and best equipped on Adriatic, with 364 berths and 60 places on the land. It is great protected from winds, placed in town centre, with beautiful view to Diokletian’s palast and Marjan hill, two most important town’s symbols.

From 21.-28 April 2008 in Split, Croatia, start days of Festival of Croatian drama and authors’ theatre and scientific, literary and publishing program.

Culture manifestation has international character dedicated to Croatian drama words and act of Marko Marulic.

Days of Marulic, has been establishing in 1991 and from that year has been holding every year in April. At memorial date when Marulic finish writing his epic poem Judita.

Marulic "father of Croatian literature was born in 1450, after Split had been for thirty years under Venetian rule. His early life appears to have been sober and godly, although not entirely lacking in worldly pursuits. He had a number of excellent Paduan teachers in Split, and probably followed the customary path of young Dalmatians to study in Padua himself. All his life he lived the full life of a patrician of his time: above all involved in the group of writers; managing his estate; working as a lawyer and judge. He also took an interest in archeology and there is evidence that he painted, illustrating his epic poem, Judita, himself.

One of Marulic`s own illustrations from his epic poem JUDITA

By the second half of the fifteenth century Split had developed into a lively literary centre with a wide circle of ecclesiastics and educated men from secular professions writing prose and verse in both Latin and Croatian. At the centre of this circle was Marko Marulic: one of the outstanding figures of early Croatian literature. He gained an international reputation with his Latin works, which were widely read for many years, and he set what proved for a long time to be an unattainably high standard for vernacular literature. He was also involved in various aspects of public life, from which he emerges as an exceptionally dignified, responsible human being.

He was the most famous spiritual writer of his time in Europe, and also the first who defined and used the notion of psychology, which is today in current use.This year program can you find at: www.hnk-split.hr

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Yesterday we went on the boat show in Split, which meanwhile has become the largest in the region, the boat show attract buyers from several countries looking for everything from small boat to 100 foot yacht, also there is a large number of exhibitors presenting equipment like engines, sailor clothes, water sport equipment etc. can be found on the fair.

So if you have a look at our photos from the boat show, you might want to visit your selves next year in April when the 11th Croatian boat show takes place here in Split.

Photos from Croatia Boatshow 2008

Sonday i was on the boat show for the second time, this time i was invited by a business partners who had arranged for us to see the largest boat on the show a 110 foot luxury yacht.

As you can see that boat has more or less everything you need (-:

Its special feeling to come in centre of Split city at fish market or Peskarija as it is called here. To me like to the most of people from Dalmatians it’s a ritual. We take a short way around tables full of fresh fish and exchange couple words with fish seller about from where and how fresh fish is. After a while when my eye’s get tired from all kind fishes and prices I do as almost every citizens here, I went to the table with small sort fish.

Around 12 a clock they reduced price on almost half so its very cheep to buy a good and quality fish. People buy most picarels, sprats, mackerels, sardines and anchovies.

After that we bought fish for lunch we take opportunity to take a cup of coffee in café bar near. What I can offer you its old traditional fish recipe called “Sardine in marinade”. So here comes an ingrediens

1 kg  fresh sardine

1 middle big garlic

1,5 dcl oliv oil

4 spoons vinegar

1 twig rosemary

3 spoons threaded parsley

Salt and pepper

It only takes 5 min to prepare it.

wash sardines and remove their intestine but not heads, we sponge them with clout. Straw with salt and pepper and put some drops of oil on. Put sardine on heat grill or In 250 degree warm oven without any oil. When they are ready we put them in no metal base so the one fish head is next to others arrears. In the pan on oliv oil we put threaded garlic on low heat an we add parsley and about 20small blades of rosemary and vinegar. When all of this boild up we throw it ower sardins and cover base. Then we put them in the frige untill tomorrow.They could stay in this marinade for couple days without any problems and they are best test after some days. We can also  use tuna fish instead for sardines. Sardines is blue fish, rich on insatable acids, Omega-3 and Omega 6 wich are very important for blood system structure. To hunt sardines, the best period is May when the big fishing period starts. Boats went out from hourbors and with speciall nets called “plivarica”they hunt sardines.

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In Split shipyard one day can be more or less interesting, but for shore it is lot of different and hard work.

And it is certainly unusual to see is a woman’s working in shipyard (we are not talking here about office work; it is a question about job in shipyard under construction area).

Generally, those ladies are painting the ships and they are very good in that.

They are all young and educated with long working experience. Many of them have even very good accomplishment. We use to say here “situation force you to use any option you can get“. Well all I can say:” Hat down” for them. We all know that working conditions there are extremely dangerous and also death cases are not rarity on that kind of job.

Split shipyard is not only small place of work, its whole working town. Living and working in expectation of some better tomorrow is hope for this people surrounded with lot of metal.

Here are some photos of one ordinary day so they know, we didn’t forget them.

Salute to them.

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Beaumont is the name which is sleeping in the heart of every person from Split.

Those who remember Split from some other, nicer and happier times also knows story about Beaumont and his fountain. On the other side almost sixty years ago from the occurrence of white lady from Split called Riva, main promenade. Some old people remember her very good, but we younger, we new her from popular TV series “Velo misto”.

In that time 1860 Antonio Bajamonti was mayor in Split. His most famous work was construction of the big fountain which was named after him. Three months later after putting fountain in use Dr. Beaumont died. The fountain was destroyed in 1947 by communists who have declared fountain as a symbol of fascism domination. However the fountain was very decorative component of Riva where many people come to take a photo. It was one of the biggest and the most representative fountain on the whole coast.

Today urban planners didn’t think so much about tradition and about Diocletian palace, most proberly we will like it in the long term, but for now the general perception is that the Riva is to modern, which does not fit to the 1700 years old Diocletian palace.

They put 34 very massive and gruff light carriers, but that is not only mistake made on Riva, also the flowers doesn’t match in Mediterranean culture, but most important the cafe bars which has long tradition on Riva are not anymore having there tables outside and the once who has, was forced to buy some very expensive modern stile once, which does not fit into the ambient of old Roman palace. So the general feeling among Split citizens is that somebody did bad homework.

For all of you who like Split here you can see new photos of Split

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The place Žrnovnica is 4 km east from Split. Žrnovnica is located in valley surrounded with high hills.

The highest of them is mountain Mosor, trips upward Mosor has become tradition for people from the Split area. The Split mountain association build there mountaineer home in year 1925 and from that association many good mountaineers has taken the route to Mount Everest, Mount Blanc… One of world’s most successful Himalayan climbers is Stipe Bozic from Split. He was the second European, after Messner who climbed Mount Everest twice. He is also the only one who has recorded his trips upward to the top of three highest peaks in the world, he has made three documentary films which have been shown on international film festivals.

If you are admiring climbing and want to now all about Stipe and he’s adventures, beautiful and amazing pictures, itinerary, you can find that here, in Mosor association. Mosor association counts 500 members. They also take care about nature, tracks and roads around mountain, every year the have educational program in mountaineering, speleology and mountain climbing, they Mosor asociation also lectures and organize exhibitions on about mountaineering.

You will possibly not decide to take a route to Mount Everest but you can definitely enjoy in adventures which Mosor gives, from beautiful nature, spectacular view, fresh air and good food which on this mountain places called „mountaineers home“.

But that is not only thing, on Mosor you can also visit observatory. The observatory can be visited by car, just follow the road Split-Žrnovnica-Gornje Sitno, as a very special thing the observatory has sleep over for 20 persons, so evening if you are not making holiday in this area, you can still go and visit and see the beatifull sunset and the stars.

During nice day from highest top of the Mosor you can see Apennine Mountains in Italy.

Pozdrav

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Traveling to Croatia!
www.solitum.hr

This year international event "Maslina (Olive) Split 2008" happened on 23rd February, the popularity of this event is visible by number of oil samples, more than 1000,  from different part of Croatia, and foreign countries like Slovenia, BIH, Italy, Montenegro, France, Albania, Espana, and even Australia and new Zealand.

The producer contested in the following categories:

Extra vergine olive oil made with different producing systems (the colour, taste, density were evaluated).

Extra vergine olive oil with different aromas

Conserved olives

Goat cheese

Bottle design

Label design

There was also exhibition of equipment and new knowledge regarding olive-growing - very helpful for the people working with olives.

The olive oil from the olives we picked on Hvar in November won 2 Gold medals, also my accountant Kusmanic managed to take several medals and a main price, so in 2008 we will have access to plenty of first class olive oil.

Small tip: If you are in Croatia, try to see if you can find a farmer from whom you can by the olive oil, as most of the oil you find in the stores has lower quality.

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This weekend it was time for renovation of our internet cafe in Split, since we opened it 3 years ago, we have only be doing the day to day maintenance, so me and 4 of my employees spend whole weekend on painting and fixing the computers. We all was very happy with the result (- :

So now we are ready for the season which we hope will start from Eastern or at least when the Croatian boat show is running in April.

So please come and visit this summer and see how nice we made everything, i think you will agree this is one of nicest internet cafe you have visited in Croatia.

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