Balkans Bliss

 

Evening view from my room

Church interiors are ornate and gilded

We have been home for almost a week from our gorgeous holiday villa near Omis in Croatia. My lovely room was on the ground floor, lucky me, so that I had merely to slide back the glass wall, step over the threshold on to the deck, with its slender swimming pool and the sea just behind and below. One could see across the water to the far shore, often hazy in the morning; lit by the sunset in the early evening and sparkling at night with a myriad small lights in the several small communities clinging to the coastline. If one looked away to the right of our deck, there were towering granite cliffs, apparently tree-less, though there were a few trees below in the foreground. It was all timeless, and peace personified

I had never realised that Croatia was so beautiful. My generation tends to recall the Balkan wars in the mid-Nineties, when the siege of Sarajevo broke the heart and one read poignant diaries of children, uprooted and longing to return home. Religion is very important in Croatia, rather more meaningfully interwoven into everyday life than it generally is in Britain. The religion is Roman Catholic and there are ancient monasteries still standing and many old churches testifying to centuries of faith while religious festivals play a particular and important part in life. It is fair to mention that Croatia was part of the Soviet Union for almost seventy years when religion was banned and communism ruled. After the Soviet collapse in 1991, the continuing, but covertly practised, religion was released into a joyful legitimacy. 83% of the population claim to be Roman Catholic while freedom of worship for any religion is enshrined in law.

Looking out towards the deck, swimming pool and sea

The architecture of the country obviously echoes the varied history of Croatia, an historical meeting point of civilisations with a mixture of Mediterranean, central European and Baltic influences. One can see Roman ruins, Venetian palazzi, Austro-Hungarian facades, Ottoman remains, scattered among the many distinguished modern buildings all of which induce a pleasing cosmopolitan kaleidoscope.

Music, dance and folklore are an integral part of Croatian identity and everyday life. The Dalmatian ‘klapa’ singing, evoking the spirit of the sea and the longing of sailors for home, is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. The traditional ‘kolo’ dance performed in swirling circles, individualistic and so unlike most European cultural traditions, represents community and most strongly, a pride in continuity. A visitor does almost feel the closeness of aspects of contemporary life to generations past.

This cultural diversity is naturally reflected in the cuisine known for its regional variations but strongly influenced by its location on the Adriatic coast. The fresh seafood is wonderful but there is a variety of hearty beef stews, surely staples of peasant life long ago; ‘peka’, a slow-cooked meat and vegetable dish baked under a bell-shaped lid; black risotto, its distinctive dark colour and flavour, courtesy of squid ink, and the irresistible ‘cevapi’, grilled, minced meat sausages. It is entertaining and instructive to routinely see menus in a variety of restaurants and cafes reflecting this traditional range of dishes together with the modern cuisine.

'Our' ever popular swimming pool on deck with superb sea views

Our stylish holiday home

 

 

Granite cliffs to our right