February, large fires and ferocious weather

The Croatian word for February is veljača and is derived from old Slavic roots relating to changing or shifting, often referring to the moody, unstable weather of the month. And certainly this month has lived up to its reputation with a heady mix of rain, wind, cold, fog, and then the occasional promisingly sunny day.

What have we achieved over the past few weeks? 

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.

Clips from village life in Autumn: Grape jelly, caterpillars, and dubious trucks

Three recent snapshots from September 2025, just little sketches to remind us to laugh at the ridiculous. It doesn't get more ridiculous than too many grapes, unknown baby plants, and a really dangerous truck!

Steps, swearing and cats; Or going up in the world...

What is the point of having a second storey if there is no way up? That is to say, there is a way up but if you have vertigo as bad as me, then there is not a chance of getting me up that step ladder. It is a perfectly wonderful, sturdy well-put-together ladder, as demonstrated by my large Dalmatian man scooting up and down it. Am I going up it? No. I am told I am missing out on the untold beauties of the view from the terrace. Still not going up there.

We need something more permanent and vertigo-friendly. If you look around at many of the houses around the village and beyond, most of the Dalmatian concrete houses of the '80s look similar; a large rectangular footprint, reminiscent of a child’s drawing, with a front door centred between two windows that open onto a long terrace. Upstairs, the layout repeats, typically reached by a set of concrete steps along the side.