Hard work for a hard month

The Croatian word for January, siječanj, is most often associated with the verb "to cut". Traditionally, the name is thought to denote the time when wood was cut (seča drva) or to symbolise the harsh, "cutting" cold and frost - something that has plagued us since before Christmas.

We were a long way from the olives of coastal Dalmatia!

It has been about twelve months since we started work on the village property. Last year, the forgotten time between Christmas and New Year was spent clearing the jungle and removing as many wild pears, and koštela, feral vines and vicious brambles as possible. This year’s holiday has been a different story as the weather has been seriously inclement; if it wasn’t pouring with rain, it was bitterly cold.

Another Brick in the Wall

Walls. What is “wall”? Is it a mental block where you are struggling to find the words to express ongoing emotional mayhem? Perhaps it is the concrete shell of a house which needs styrapol, glue and render to protect it from the elements? 

Or even better, maybe it is an absence of wall, where one has fallen down.