MONDAY MUSINGS :HVAR

MONDAY MUSINGS ON HVAR:

After visiting the spectacular Blue Cave* we continued towards Hvar, "the longest island in Croatia, the sunniest in all Europe(2724 hours of sunshine per year) and is considered  among the most beautiful islands in the world. "

Upon arrival, we joined a guided tour of Hvar and learned why this amazing town is a must see on the historical map of Croatia. 

Charming cobblestone streets greeted us with narrow walkways/ alleys ...

                                                                   

Hannibal Luciċ," a local nobleman lived in Dalmatia under Venetian rule also was a prominent Croatian poet and playwright known as the author of Robinja ( The Slave Girl), the first secular drama in Croatian lit. He was influenced by Petrarchan traditions, involved in local governance and construction projects on the island.

Franciscan Monastery

Unfortunately, the Franciscan Sisters' monastery and their museum were closed and we couldn't see their intricate lace work made from threads of the agave plant.

"Lacemaking in Croatia (Croatian: Čipkarstvo u Hrvatskoj) is a tradition dating back to the Renaissance when lacemaking began spreading throughout the Mediterranean^[1] and continental Europe. Throughout the years, Croatian lace has become notable for its unique patterns and designs. In 2009, UNESCO recognised lacemaking in Croatia as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.^[2]

Today in Croatia, there are several centres of lacemaking tradition, most notably the Adriatic towns of Pag and Hvar, the northern town of Lepoglava, and the Sveta Marija village in the Međimurje County."

Hvar lace

This lacework makes extra monies for the manifold projects of the Franciscan Sisters.

water well

 The phenomenal stonework   never ceased to      amaze   me, no matter which island   we visited.

 Hvar was no different and all the towns were so    clean...

With the realization our visit was fleeting,  I became a real tourist and spent time also perusing shops, buying lavender goods from nearby fields and sampling various olive oil flavors. 

              Obviously,  I am just another fish in the sea... LOL

* In case you missed the Blue Cave posting, here's the link.

BLUE CAVE

TBT & FOTO FRIDAY: LUCY EVANS NATURE CENTER

TBT & FOTO FRIDAY : Visited a special place on the Pacific byway called the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center in Palo Alto on the edge of the South Bay. 

The Center is only open weekends although the boardwalk trail is open daily takes one through pristine wetlands on the Pacific Flyway so it's great for birdwatching.  15 miles of flat trails for walking, running/ biking. 

Can you spot the new addition?

a mosaic wash roomWe

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tUESDAY tunes: PENNIES from HEAVEN

Going backwards in my week since I was in the air this tUESDAY tUNES so here's Bryan Eng at the Lincoln Center and one of my Dad's favorite songs... 

It definitely brings back good memories...

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN

FOTO FRIDAY: PEACHES 'n CREAM

FOTO  FRIDAY: A considerate neighbor decided to share her bounty of freshly picked peaches from her Uncle's farm. It was a no-brainer how I would enjoy this delicious gift ... a yummy breakfast of peaches 'n cream, 

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY of I am

MIDWEEK MUSINGS & VIS

 DAY 5 in Croatia was spent on the island of Vis, a stunning spot on the Adriatic, Croatia's farthest inhabited island from the mainland. It's considered better preserved than Hvar since it stayed closed as a military base until the late '80s. 

Since we wanted to use our time wisely and the bus would take longer, we took an Uber mini bus to the other side of the island to visit the charming town of Mariža where Mama Mia, Here We Go Again was filmed. 

tight pin curve into town

You see it was so expensive filming in Greece for Mama Mia, Croatia was chosen for its sequel.Vis was used to be the Greek island Kalokari.

  

                                                   

It was fun exploring the back streets of Mariža where film crews probably disturbed the town's residents during their 3 weeks of filming... 

We had the town basically to ourselves -another advantage of being here at the beginning of their tourist season. Perfect.

Wisconsinites raid the small beach heading to the other side.

Iron wrought balcony for 2

Back waterside we did our usual, which was to find a cafe and enjoy the local brew/ wine/ lemon drinks/coffee. 

The table's umbrella provided shade for those who wanted it ...

 It was such a pleasant afternoon.

Private fishing boats and small motorboats lined the harbor's edge where our Uber would meet us to take us back to Vis.

Our driver was on time and before reaching Vis she pointed out her daughter and grandchild walking home roadside. What a coincidence!

We were dropped off near St Jerome's church and its 16th C Franciscan monastery built on top of an ancient Roman theater.

What a humble but beautiful little church, 

behind which was a lovely... 

a well-kept cemetery with a seaside view for the town's deceased residents...

An old-style hay broom and a pail of soapy water were used to scrub the stones...

On our walk back to the harbor, we passed an overgrown historic site. Unfortunately, it was under renovation, so we couldn't go explore. 

Nonetheless, it was another wonderful day on our Croatian adventure...

tUESDAY tUNES::SINGING IN THE RAIN & MONDAY MUSINGS...

Combo musings and an 'ole musical favorite... Wildwood Park for the Arts had its Seniors musical production of Dancing in the Rain and no, I was not a cast member, but I enjoyed being in the audience.

There were 3 cast members I do know through LifeQuest (the program I refer to as my 'Continuing Ed '), and it was fun seeing them in a different light, literally. There was actual tap dancing, although  I did spot a couple of those who really haven't reached the golden years.  The main male lead was not Gene Kelly, but let those with more tap classes shine. I loved the twirling clear umbrellas donned with white mini lights. Very clever.

The cast had a good time, and it made seeing the senior version of the story even more fun. It shows one is never too old to DANCE in the rain!

Here's the original... What a performer Gene Kelly was!

DANCING IN THE RAIN

Here's our crew at Wildwood...

e...

fOTO fRIDAY: I aM...

fOTO fRIDAY: part of an iconic building in one of my past home cities by the famous architect IM Pei.

Name that city. Enjoyed watching 2 of my grands experiencing the Big City...