Morning Routine

Funny how I always get back into the same delicious routine here.

I raced out in my exercise gear (and jandals because I binned the running shoes at the end of the Rallye) and walked down to see if there were any rowers down at the rowing club – it’s nice to catch up with the coach and those boys that I coached 6 years ago – I have been watching the medal haul on the rowing club Facebook. No, obviously too much wind. But I did manage to get a photo of these two squirrels – something I tried to do many times when I lived here – check out how cute these two are – they were actually playing a chasing game around the tree!

After about ¾ of an hour, I stopped for coffee (yes, in my exercise gear, throwing caution to the wind) and just breathed it all in. I love being part of this town.

And then I became a peglarica again! This means sitting in the konoba working the ironing machine, ironing the towels and pillowcases. It’s a standing joke with Annette  (the day before I arrived there was a pile of ironing to do but she thought, "leave it, Allison will be here"), but I like it. The sobarica (cleaning lady) arrived and I introduced myself (such fluency!) as the peglarica – she knows who I am and thought it was hilarious!

There are some things that I need to get out of my system when I get here, and getting up to Granddad’s village is one of them. I hired a scooter (the agent asked if I had driven one before (yes) and told me ‘polako, polako’ – slowly. And we did go carefully, concentrating on sticking to the right hand side of the road – it’s like a mantra, ‘keep right, keep right..’.

The village is undergoing a construction boom – no cranes in sight and some of the building material is simply stones moved from the crumbling neighbouring house, but definitely things are changing. My grandfather’s house is now completely enveloped in the climbers  - no changes there, no-one rushing from Sydney to build a house there (Mum).

We wandered into Svete Ante, the beautiful church. When you look at the photos and the backdrop of rocks, imagine the panic when there was an earthquake in the 1960s – imagine those rocks tumbling down the mountain. Svete Ante lost its bell tower .. (mum, I wonder if Marie is going to get married in this church?).

The other thing that I always do is visit our cousin Zlata. Once again I didn’t think about the time and we arrived during rucak (with a ch on that ‘c’)  - we had to sit and have soup and wine and cheese… But it’s always a treat to see Zlata and Drago (they send their love, mum).

The afternoon was spent on the beach (it has to be done really)  - this time on Cvetacka (again, that last ‘c’ is a ‘ch’). I even drifted off to sleep…

And given that it was too windy for yoga last night .. 8.15 class down in the stadion (the local athletic track).  I cycled down there on Srjdan’s bike (a limousine), along the riva through the traffic – to discover it was the fisherman’s night. This is an amazing gastro/ taste, smell/ music sensation. The fish cooking on fires, the band playing – stalls of local wines and aperitif, cheeses.. 

But first, yoga - imagine as the sun goes down, the sound of the bats in the trees, the stars out, and the mighty Biokovo as the backdrop for yoga in the dark - the air is soft and warm and the smell of the cooking from the fisherman's night  - completely different experience from yoga at home - although i suspect my arms will be sore tomorrow from the chatarangas!

After yoga, we all piled into the corner of a bar (more drinking) for drink.

As everyone drifted home for the evening, we went looking for something to eat, in particular the soparnik - this is a gastro experience of garlic, blitvah (recimo, like spinach) and some sort of cheese (sir) like feta - cooked in huge wheels over ashes - smothered with oil and dripping deliciousness! 10 kuna a piece, so recimo (let's say) $2.

Then on into the square (trg) for a orahavica (walnut brandy) with another friend - late night for a yoga night: in bed by midnight. Story of my life here - always another friend, another coffee...