25 September 2017
The Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic is a stunning setting for these medieval towns and villages. The sea is azure blue and the water crystal clear. The perfect setting for the expensive playthings for the rich and powerful. The yachts and motor launches are everywhere. I can only imagine the congestion of these boats in the peak summer season.
Game of Thrones
Everywhere you go, from Dubrovnik to Split there is a setting that became part of the HBO series Game of Thrones. The locals have made good use of this fact and in many places there are references to how specific scenes were cast. There are also many Game of Thrones tours you can do to see exactly where specific scenes were filmed.
It turns out many films have been filmed in this area including James Bond, Star Wars and Robin Hood. I am going to have to watch all these movies again so I can spot the Dubrovnik or Split scene.
Beer versus Coffee
Its a great country where you find the price of a beer is about the same as a coffee at about $3.00. You will not be out of place ordering a beer at say 10.30am and sipping it in the sunshine on the main boulevard of Split watching the people and boats go by; bliss.
European Wasps
Yep, I know how they got that name and their bite is memorable.
Croatian Language
Croatian is a Slavic language which means there are few words that are recognisable or similar to English words. The challenge I faced was that dogs understand the language when spoken to by their owners and yet I was completely ignorant of what was being said. I am not sure where that leaves me in comparison with Croatian dogs.
Stone walls in olive groves
Croatian Food
Black risotto is a traditional seafood dish. The black comes from the use of octopus or cuttlefish ink. I am told the cuttlefish ink is a more refined flavour. It was certainly delicious.
The Drinking Water
We have been told on many occasion that the tap water is safe to drink. It seems to be a matter of pride for Croatians that their water is safe and maybe it’s an illustration of their progress as an independent country following the civil war of the 1990s.
The Wine of Lumbarda
Lumbarda and GRK Vineyards
The village of Lumbarda holds the unique claim of being the only place where the GRK (pronounced gerk) vine is cultivated and GRK wine made. GRK is a white wine that supposedly came from the Greeks. This is probably a wine variety with an unchanged heritage as old as the settlement of the island of Korchula and the village of Lumbarda specifically.
TV
It’s a bit disconcerting to watch MASH, or maybe The Big Bang Theory all dubbed in Croatian. Alan Alda speaking Croatian is a bit disturbing.
A Traveller's Tale 