Rota Palagruzona - Regatta of Traditional Ships
by mircaskirca
For centuries the fishermen from Komiža (Vis island) used to fish sardines near Palagruža (Croatia's furthest island, placed in the middle of the Adriatic sea, between the Italian and Croatian coasts) where they salted them in barrels on its pebble beaches and then ship them by their falkuša boats back to Komiža. In a time when piracy was the most lucrative maritime 'affair', the fishermen of Komiža were the only open-sea fishermen of the Mediterranean and therefore had to organize mass regattas as to confront the strength of the pirates in case of attack. On the other hand they used to contest each other in conquering the inaccessible shores of Palagruža where the beaches had insufficient space for all the boats. The fastest regatta got the best places to pull their boats ashore for salting the fish, drying cotton nets and cooking. The winners of regattas were considered heroes in Komiža and their fame was passed on to the next generations.
Over the week of 21st to 25th June 2010 the Rota Palagruzona, a renewed historical regatta of gajeta and falkuša traditional fishing boats was finally revived by Ars Halieutica, the maritime heritage foundation from Komiža (Vis island). The Regatta was sailed on the route Komiža - Palagruža which measures 42 nautical miles. We accompanied Dinko Lupi (my friend's father and famous Croatian opera singer) and his company of incredibly amusing Croatian intellectuals living in Hvar island, who also attend the regatta. The route of preliminary regattas were Hvar - Vis one day, then Vis - Komiža and finally Komiža - Palagruža.
The last day they sailed back to Komiža. This was the closing of the event with the accompanying programme and winner announcement by categories, Fishermen's Night at the Riva in Komiža and Poetry night in the late evening hours. They told they very much enjoyed the regatta. There was plenty of delicious local seafood, wine and lots of fun.
more pics in the travelogue
Step into the past
by TheWanderingCamel
Long abandoned by the shepherds who once lived here, Humac is a village frozen in time. The houses that were in danger of slowly slipping back into the stony earth are gradually being conserved and restored, some look as though the owner has just locked his door and gone out for the daywhile others show their bare rafters and sagging beams to the sky. The island stone is sturdy stuff however - wandering around the silent laneways and yards between the houses you'll see olive presses that only need a liitle tidying up to be ready for the oil to flow again, and water spouts that would function again easily once the bird's nests had been cleaned out. All the houses have been gazetted recently, the main task now is to restore the roofs to prevent further deterioration - maybe Humac will come to life again some day.
Humac lies about 8km along the Jelsa to Sucuraj road. Look out for the rustic wooden sign at the turn off. You'll have to park and walk the last bit of the track into the village. If you're planning to eat at the renowned konoba, remember it's closed on Sundays.
Dubrovnik day trip
by mvtouring
We did a day trip from Korcula to Dubrovnik catching the bus. the bus trip took approx 2 hours to Durbrovnik, it gave us enough time to explore the old town of Dubrovnik. On the way there we past a place called Salt, where they have this long medieval wall running for kilometres, no-one could tell me why it was built there. At the seaside of Salt were the salt pans, I suppose hence the name
artisinal food
by marktynernyc about Menego
09/05 - The food is still reflects good quality and flavor. New item this year - stuffed peppers. Dinko spoiled me my first year with his marinated anchovies - though sadly he has not repeated the dish exactely but still serve tasty variations. My friend didn't warm up to the place or food - he thought everything was pickled (marinated I said) and the prust hanging from the rafters smelled a bit musty (I didn't smell anything). The wine once again had a certain yeast/bread like quality to it - very unique.
09/04 - Dinko is still serving up great food - the slovenia sausage was spicy and flavorful, a different spin on the marinated anchovies, locally produced goat cheese and honey. But the most remarkable was the house wines, especially the white - his wife's family has a vineyard on St. Klement. Don't forget to sign the world atlas.
09/03 - This restaurant only serves what I would call starters (almost tapas size portions). The care, attention and pride of their products is obvious - almost everything I had was superb. Marinated anchovies, Pag cheese, octopus salad (with chick peas mixed in adding a nice contrast of textures), dalmation ham (smooth and buttery), dalmation bacon ( a bit thicker and chewier), the house wine, figs stuffed with almonds and soaked in spirits, the orange and walnut liquors - excellent. The only thing that failed to win me over was the stuffed bread (almost like a stuffed foccia).
Beach Lounge Bar
by mircaskirca about Novak
Novak is a very pleasant lounge bar on Palmižana beach, a great place to have a drink and listening to some nice music. The place is made of several terraces, made of stone, and has small stones on the floor. Everything is made of natural materials, tree trunks and stumps serve as chairs and tables. There are corners with big pillows covered with Brazilian coffee sackcloth to relax, and also a few hammocks if you prefer that. The bar, made of stone and with a thatched roof, is somehow on the top. There is no lack of shadow, trees are everywhere.
But what I really liked was a raised level wooden surface (some kind of a viewing platform) set among the tree trunks. It was big enough to have a snap, and had pillows to make it more comfortable. I was not sure what I would like to drink, or even better, what was available. When the owner offered an iced tea and explained about the ingredients, I did not think twice to decide. The beverage was made with local herbs and three kinds of honey: lavender, rosemary and sage. It was very tasty and perfect to quench the thirst on a hot day. Lidija had a Haineken beer and was also quite satisfied with her drink. Iced tea was 20 kunas and the beer 30 kunas (June 2010).
Before we left the place the owner kindly offer us to try their home-made banana liquor which I found very delicious. Of course, it was on the house :)
Sign in with Facebook
Jagodna
Sonja Šoša art gallery
Palmižana bay
beacg at Vrboska
