TRPANJ

JUST LIKE I PICTURED IT

After the Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984 and our work with ABC television was finished, my Yugoslavian co-worker, Zeljko, and his girlfriend Hana, decided to show me some of their beautiful country. We traveled from Sarajevo to the coast driving through the mountainous terrain of Bosnia I Herzegovina. We visited the destroyed Neretva River railroad bridge whose destruction during WWII in a battle between Yugoslav Partisans and Axis forces was recreated for a movie commemorating the event. We heard the call of the imams from scattered minarets calling the faithful to prayer. We visited the town of Mostar and admired the Stari Most, or Old Bridge. First constructed in the 1500’s the soaring beautiful structure was at the time of its completion the widest man-made arch in the world.

BRIDGE OVER THE NERETVA

We eventually reached the Peljesac Peninsula. We didn’t take the ferry but drove from Mali Ston. After stopping to buy some homemade wine at a farmhouse we finally reached Zeljko’s summer home in Trpanj. It was mid-March though and it was cold and Trpanj was empty and dreary. During the high season the town is vibrant and alive, but there are fewer than one thousand year-round residents. I remember all the restaurants in town were closed and the shelves in the market were empty. But his modest house was fascinating and inviting and had incredible views of the Adriatic. It was a nice trip that late winter trip, but returning this past July was a completely different experience.

 

STARI MOST, MOSTAR

YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE

The house was built by Zeljko and his father over the years. Perched on a steep incline on the rugged Peljesac coast, the house, especially the topmost floor, has a clear view of the invitingly blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. Across the bay is the equally rugged Croatian coast and to the left the island of Hvar gracefully dives into the water after its 42 miles and a galaxy away from the revelry of Hvar City. From this sunny perch you can see the ferries that make Trpanj a transit point from the mainland as well as a summer destination. From Trpanj one can travel across the peninsula and get another ferry in Orebic to cross over to Korcula and from there travel to Mljet and Hvar city and Brac. Each of these islands we visited via the Unforgettable Croatia cruise line earlier on this three-week adventure in Croatia.

 

TRPANJ AT SUNSET

Our week in Trpanj was so very different than our travels the first two weeks in Croatia. Rather than tourists we were now residents, living here with good friends. Although we did take a few side trips and went out to dinner a couple of times, most of our time in Trpanj was hanging around the house, swimming in the Adriatic, tooling around in Zeljko’s little motor boat visiting nearby beaches and coves, and reminiscing over all the time that had passed since we last met. Of course, Janet learned how to curse in Croatian, between sips of wine, much to the delight of our hosts.

 

ZELJKO'S HOME IN TRPANJ

Their house is on an impossibly narrow road, about a mile from the town’s center and the harbor where the ferry docks. This little road, with houses like Zeljko’s lining both sides, dead ends about a quarter mile past his place where there is a small rocky beach with enough room to stretch out a mat to bask in the sun. Zeljko keeps his little motor boat here.

Our days in Trpanj were simple and relaxing. Each morning we strolled into town to take coffee at the Buffet Zalo on the quay and from the little tables watch the world slowly pass. There was always a constant stream of people strolling the quay to watch, or the moored bobbing boats held our interest. Nearby, Pozora Beach, in front of the Faraon Hotel was forever crowded and when the cars began to line up to await the ferry along Ulica Kralja Tomislava there was a lot of bustle. Market shelves were filled and after coffee we would go to different places to buy our produce or bread or meat or chocolate for the day. Often, we would fill gallon jugs with red or white wine at one of two winery stores located in town for $8.00 The peninsula is renowned for its wine, especially Dingac and Postup. Along Tomislava there were several touristy stores brimming tacky souvenirs like toys and t-shirts catering to the families that lined up along the road to await the ferry.  

PATIO IN TRPANJ

Hana and Zeljko did a lot of cooking for us. Zeljko was proud of his bbq pit that he built himself. On the top floor patio, he grilled whole fish one night. Another night he made a Peka of beef and lamb another, and another night he made more cevapcici a man could ever eat in a lifetime. Peka is a method of cooking in Croatia in a fireplace where a metal dome is placed over the meal and coals on top of that to slow cook the ingredients. We had a few Peka meals during our travels in Croatia, but Zeljko was very proud of his fireplace and Peka dome that he was using for the first time with us.

 

A BOY AND HIS PEKA

We also went out for dinner a few times. We had pizza one night at Pizza Veslo that is right at the ferry landing and a great view of the sunset. Veslo means oar in Croatian, a nod to the fishing industry that was once very important to Trpanj. It was at Veslo we observed a very peculiar habit of our hosts, they all put ketchup on their pizza as readily as we would put garlic on ours.

We treated them to a meal at Konoba Trpanj, run by Mato Nesonovic. Hana said it was the best restaurant in Trpanj, and how could we disagree. Served family style we shared a massive array of seafood and several bottles of local wine.

 

AT SAINTS HILLS

One night we took them to the Saints Hills winery for a tasting and a dish of Balkan meats and cheeses. Set in an old stone house with lovely views of the valley Saints Hills was and elegant yet surprisingly inexpensive experience with very good wine. Saints Hills is a short drive from Trpanj.

SAINTS HILLS WINERY CROATIA

UTRKA MAGARACA

We also walked into town several evenings to mingle with the modest crowds, sometimes to hear a live band on the beach or to have a drink or cool ourselves with a refreshing gelato. One night, Trpanj hosted their yearly donkey races. We watched the riders try to coax the stubborn beasts to the finish line sometimes unsuccessfully sometimes with a pat on their haunches by seconds. We watched several heats before melting into the crowd on the quay where traditional singers were performing for the crowds and sipped wine from temporary stands. It was a delightful night, and without our hosts we would never have experienced this summer pastime in Trpanj. 

DINNER AT KONOBA TRPANJ

MORE TRPANJ PICTURES     

To travel is one thing but to live with friends in their country is a blessed time. We were very fortunate to have such dear friends and so many happy memories. . 

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DUBROVNIK

FROM BUZA TO BUZA

BUZA GATE

Our first day in this city was successful. We finally reached our apartment for our short two-day stay at the “Dubrovnik Interlude”, a Sobe or apartment we rented for the time. The cab dropped us off right at the gate and our host greeted us there. We must have walked all of a couple of yards to reach the apartment doorway. Getting our bags up the narrow spiral staircase was harder. Right on the corner of Ulica Peline and Ulica Boscoviceva, the apartment is in a great location, but Dubrovnik is small and everything is close. The convenience of the close proximity to the Buza Gate and not having to climb any stairs was wonderful.

Buza means “hole” and it is a “modern” gate that was opened in the early 1900’s, when Austria ruled the area, to allow its officers easier access to tennis courts that were built in the trench works of the city. I had heard stories that it was Napoleon Bonaparte who commissioned the hole, and though that does sound sexier, I can’t confirm that. Anyway, the walls were first erected by the Republic of Ragusa, Dubrovnik’s original name, in the 1300’s, to protect the city and her trade interests from first Venice and then the Ottoman Empire and the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Today the wall of Dubrovnik continues to serve the city well as its greatest tourist draw. 

OUR VIEW OF
U. BOSCOVICEVA

After freshening up we descended the very steep steps of the picturesque Ulica Boscoviceva, marveling at the worn stone steps and flinching at the incessant hordes of people clamoring up and down this incline. We had a wine at the very sedate quiet Primo bar on this street. Janet tugged on my shirt sleeve when she saw Primo and insisted that we stop. We drank wine. My red looked like it came from a home brewed bottle with no label. Janet had a white. The only other patron in the nautically themed bar was a man who was sullenly smoking a cigarette in one corner when we entered Primo and left shortly after he finished it. The world swirled outside, oblivious to our eddy, for which we were thankful. It was a good local stop for a glass of wine.

 

Sitting pretty at Primo, Dubrovnik

Conversely, the Stradun is a beautiful thoroughfare that extends through the town all the way to the Pile Gate. Its paving stones are smooth almost glazed in appearance; that is if you can see it at all. Wave upon wave of tourist waddled and selfied and weaved their way along the length of the Stradun. A Babel of voices and a lack of common courtesies within feet of our entering the Stadun and we were done. Evidently the show Game of Thrones shot a lot in Dubrovnik and the city’s popularity has soared with visitors and has threatened to burst through the walls. We’ve never watched the show so the enormity is lost on us, although the beauty and history of Dubrovnik is very appealing.

Resolving to return early the next day to see the Stadun without a lot of tourists we made it out to the harbor and walked the wall there for a bit as the cool sea borne breezes cooled us. It was already mid-afternoon and the day was hot. In the narrow streets of the Stari Grad or Old City of Dubrovnik, where the sun really doesn’t reach, it can be cool, but along the sun-splashed Stradun or atop the City Walls it can be blistering.

BUZA BAR SCENERY

Another cool place was at another “hole” in the wall, the Buza Bar. To reach this cliffside aerie that throbbed with a unique excitement we had to search for a carved notch in the seaward wall with a wooden arrow on the wall opposite it that read “cold drinks”. A series of hand railed steps lead you to a rustic collection of tables and umbrellas on several perches leading all the way down to the Adriatic. If you’re lucky to get a table, as we were, you are graced with beautiful views of boats and kayakers plying the Adriatic before Lokrum Island, an entertaining array of characters and cooling breezes. Attentive waiters fetch drinks but you never feel rushed. We had wine and the bottles and our plastic cups were put in little cradles to prevent the wind from lifting them away. We sat, legs on the railing happy with this perch. Janet hadn’t heard of Buza Bar before and was thrilled we had stopped here.

 

BUZA BAR SCENERY

We took our dinner along restaurant row on Prijeko Street of the Old City. Table after table, block after block, were restaurants stretched the entire length of the narrow street, all with menus displayed and hucksters trying to cajole patrons into dining at their particular place. After reading menus and determining prices and fare were fairly identical Janet decided we eat at the next restaurant, which happened to be a place called Zaduzenje Stola. The food was okay, I had pork medallions and Janet had fish and we shared an appetizer of meats and cheeses, but we had a nice conversation with a couple and their young daughter who sat next to us at the outdoor tables. Both now work in the U.S. as economists, but originally from Kosovo. They wanted to bring their daughter here enough to help her understand and appreciate their roots. They were off to Mostar and Sarajevo the next day. Until our planning for this particular trip, Janet never ever considered the Balkans as a place to visit, now she’s talking about seeing Montenegro and Kosovo… what’s next … Sofia?

A ROOM WITH A VIEW

Thanks for reading

See you tomorrow!

Love Janet and greg

PIVO DINGAC AND SLIVOVITZ

WHEN YOU’RE DRINKING THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES AT YOU

When you’re lingering around the backyard pool and celebrating this 4^th of July with many Americans… sadly not all, remember you’ll never drink alone, at least in Croatia.

They like to drink in Croatia. According to one study Croatia is in the top 5 of alcohol consumption per capita.

CROATIANS ARE DRINKERS

BUZA II DUBROVNIK

So, when I belly up to the bar at Buza II in Dubrovnik to get an adult libation and then sit out to admire the Adriatic at this cliffside aerie, what am I going to savor?

BEST BARS IN CROATIA 

Pivo

Beer / pivo is the most popular beverage in Croatia with breweries like Karlovac, Osijek and Daruvar. These larger breweries are found throughout the country, but for the past number of years craft brewing has become increasingly popular. Most of the micro-breweries are located near the country’s capital, Zagreb, but they are now popping up everywhere! Lucky us we’ll soon get to drink something from LAB in Split, Vunetova from the island of Hvar, or Sibenska pivovara located near the Krka National Park!

Molim Vas dvije pive. (May I have two beers)

BEER IN CROATIA  

Dingac

To exclude other wines is a disservice to you my dear reader, because though Dingac is a highly rated strong red from the Peljesac Peninsula, where my friend thankfully has his summer home, Croatia has a number of exemplary wines. Just across the Adriatic from Italy, Croatia has the perfect climate for producing wine. Another is Posip, a white made on Korcula and Hvar. Babic is a full-bodied red from Sibenik and Bodanusa whose name means “gift from God” has a light refreshing taste and is from Hvar.

But, a very fond memory of my last visit to the Peljesac Peninsula was from 1984 when Zeljko, my friend with whom we’ll be staying, stopped at some farmhouse and with some collected coins bought the wine produced here. No idea where it was, but it was someone’s home brew and it was delightful!

7 MOST POPULAR CROATIAN WINES

Now, you may be wary about wading into Croatia without a strong command of the language. This primer may help.

HOW TO PRONOUNCE CROATIAN TO GET YOUR WINE!

Slivovitz

Croatia is an Eastern European country and spirits are extremely popular and often distilled at home! Chances are the neighbor is making rakija (fruit brandy) or slivovitz (plum brandy) or something like that, or knows someone who is distilling.

 

A BOY AND HIS STILL

I’ve had slivovitz before, and when I say that it’s a cure all for what ails you, including skin boils, please imbibe with discretion. Of course, you can purchase a bottle from a liquor store, but you’ll probably offend your hosts!

Maraska slivovitz is produced in Croatia, if you don't want to go to your neighbor's backyard…….

MARASKA

God Bless America. Happy 4^th of July everyone.

WINE NOT

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!

Sorry I didn’t get to this until now. I have been too busy imbibing Beaujolais Nouveau. It is the third Thursday in November after all.

For the sober and uninformed or, ahem, boorish reader, the uncorking of this young wine at the stroke of midnight on the third Thursday of November has grown from a local phenomenon in the bars and bistros around Beaujolais and Lyon to a world-wide celebration. Nouveau is the first wine from the past year’s harvest and is meant to be drunk young, before the next year’s harvest, and meant to be drunk while better Beaujolais take their good old time aging. Picked quickly, rapidly fermented and speedily bottled, Beaujolais Nouveau has bided its time until TODAY!

(French law since the 50’s states that this is the earliest the Nouveau can be released. The regulation used to have November 15 as the date, but was changed to this third Thursday to allow the partying to readily flow into a weekend.) 

Yes, the uncorking of this young fruity wine on this date is cause for parties and fireworks in France and with the frivolous celebration now extending beyond France the “race” to export the Nouveau has led to gimmicky deliveries via the Concorde, by elephant or a hot air balloon. Yes, it may be all a marketing ploy, but Nouveau is best served slightly chilled, and gulped rather than critiqued; which lends itself to a festive air  and a gathering of friends whether self-proclaimed oenophiles or not.

So, if you are unable to fly into France for this silly wine event to take dinner at Paul Bocuse’s L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges in Lyon for some of his Nouvelle Cuisine, know you can simply pick up a bottle or three of Beaujolais Nouveau, flip open a pizza box with friends and party like it is well, the day the nouveau has arrived!!!

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