Total Hvar is 2 years old! It has been quite a journey. Here are 15 of the highlights.
It is two years to the day since I posted my first blog on a new website called Total Hvar. I was not sure how to start the journey, so I thought I would pose a question to which I still do not know the answer – How to Pronounce Hvar? That blog has had several thousand hits, and the 4,000 articles written on the site in the ensuing 24 months have meant that the site is now an established part of Hvar life from that initial dream.
It has been quite a ride, and I am grateful and privileged to have met so many amazing people, seen such incredible things, and learned the most fabulous facts about a small island in the Adriatic which I had never even heard of just 48 hours before I bought a house there. Here are 15 highlights from a special journey over the last 24 months…
1. Best night out
An early lesson in how to get into the national press – simply call a British music star an idiot. What started out with a near death experience hitch-hiking, continued with my first celebrity non-interview, and ended drinking Champagne somewhere in the Adriatic after an all-nighter at Stipanska was probably the night when I packed most in. And there was an improbably large fish in there too – Hvar at its finest. Read more about it here.
2. Most surreal moment
I have never been one for dressing up, so when I was asked to put on stockings and a 17th Century outfit and lead 150 tourists from Hotel Amfora into the heart of the town, with some drum-playing soldiers in tow, I had to think about it. One of the most impressive tourism events I have seen in Dalmatia, organised by Hvar Tours.
3. Best interview
I have met a lot of people on the Total Hvar journey, and conducted numerous interviews. But nobody comes close to The Professor, guardian of the Hvar dialects, whose language lessons have proved to be a global hit. No lesson is more popular or iconic than the first – the infamous Dalmatia Grunt – which has been viewed more than 15,000 times around the world. We receive numerous comments on the video, with many people saying they watch it again and again when they are in need of a laugh.
4. Favourite secret place
There are many amazing and hidden places on the island, several of which I had no idea about when I started the project. Natural treasures, stunning views, tiny coves. But the ultimate secret place is man-made – take a tour of the raki pit!
5. Favourite animal moment
There are not so many animals on the island, so trust me to have a head-on collision with one of them at midnight in an obscure part of eastern Hvar. My Manchester upbringing did not teach me how to deal with a wild boar if you hit it with a car. My father-in-law was disappointed I did not put the boar in the back of the car. The looks on the faces of the boar’s two brothers suggested to this Englishman that this may not be a wise idea.
6. Best reason to get up at 05:00
Dalmatia has changed me in my ten years, and the thought of getting up at 5am is something I have done more often here than anywhere in the world. But to get up at 5am to harvest lavender? One of the many highlights this year was meeting celebrity photographer Jadran Lazic, the man who got the world exclusive pics of Soviet leader Brezhnev lying in state, as well as bringing a youthful Jodie Foster to Hvar. It was a privilege to accompany him and young Vivian to his amazing lavender field and olive groves on the top of the island. Read about it here.
7. Best restaurant meal
The best food is at home with The Boss, of course, but there are some pretty good meals to be had outside of the house too… I have been fortunate enough to have eaten in some of the best restaurants on the island over the last two years, and the stereotype that Dalmatian menus are all the same has been dispelled forever. There are so many good restaurants, and so many great meals, not all of them in the most fashionable places. The opening night at Gariful in 2012 will remain a highlight, as too was our family afternoon in the company of Dagmar Meneghello, but there were some big surprises such as this fine meal at Marina Palmizana, while hidden gems such as Kod Barbe Luke in Stari Grad were well worth the effort, and Me and Mrs Jones in Jelsa is a home from home with the excellent service of cousin Josipa. But the one that just edged them all for an all-round dining, atmosphere and entertainment evening was that man from Lucullus – read about it here.
8. Most amazing natural beauty
It is the island of lavender, the aromatic island of sun, with a wine tradition dating back 2400 years. So much natural goodness, and so many natural wonders, but the one that blew me away the most was an island treasure few people know about, and even less visit. The oldest olive tree on Hvar, which according to various official sources, dates back to 500 BC. Which would make it one of the ten oldest olive trees in the world. Read more about it here.
9. Most relaxing day
Although most people come to Hvar to relax, the last two years have been so intense, covering so much ground (even more so now with Total Split and soon, Total Inland Dalmatia) that there has been little time to truly relax. Which is why the day with the team from Hvar Touristik in company with Hvar Adventure was so special. A half-day sailing for all the family, including lunch at Toto’s at Meneghello and some time at the beach at Palmižana. A special memory and a great day. May there be many more such relaxing days in 2014…
10. Best view of the island
I had never been in a helicopter before, and so when we were approached to help start a helicopter transfer service based on Hvar, I was more than happy to get involved. The Swiss team, who hope to be back for season 2014, were excellent company, and it was great to catch a lift on an empty seat to have lunch with a friend. Rather than look at my useless photos, here are some from Vedran Janic on an early morning flight.
11. Best wine tasting experience
I have enjoyed working with many different sectors of Hvar tourism, but perhaps none more so than the winemakers. Individual characters all, their phenomenal wines are matched by the highly individual nature of the tasting experience. From the fabulous Romanesque experience of my first neighbour, Andro Tomić, to the fascinating tour of the Svirče Cooperative and the excellent Carić wines in Svirče, and the cosy and rustic Teo Huljić in the heart of Jelsa, it soon became obvious that Jelsa and Svirče have excellent potential to develop as a true wine destination in their own right. Of all the fantastic tastings, the one that edged it for me was The Art of Wine Seduction by Ivo Duboković. A sensational afternoon.
12. Favourite abusive comment
We get lots of mail from around the world about the site and our articles, much of it positive, but quite a lot of negative as well. None of the messages will quite beat our educated Australian friend who commented on one of The Professor’s lessons – on the differences in Hvar dialect. Our Antipodean linguist totally missed the point of the lesson, but was fairly eloquent in displaying his dissatisfaction:
Did not have any problems in hvar, despite what the video says. ps you are an annoying pommy c***. (last word edited to protect the young and innocent).
13. Best Total Hvar impact story
Seven months ago, a Mexican walked into The Office in Jelsa looking for me. Captain Nijaz was not sure if I was in some kind of trouble and said the guy SEEMED nice… We met the next day. After some brief Facebook interaction, including a little promotion of Hvar Adventure in Mexico City, I was somewhat surprised to find this very pleasant Mexican on my doorstep. Even more surprised that he and lovely fiancée are still here 7 months later, renting an apartment from my mother-in-law. And even more surprised that they decided to relocate from Mexico City to Jelsa after following Total Hvar for some time. The blogs that seemed to clinch it were the extracts from my forthcoming book on the island – Notes on a Small Island, Expat Living on Hvar.
14. Best media moment
National and international media interest in Total Hvar has been steadily increasing, and we are happy to promote the island at every opportunity. Initial interviews with Slobodna Dalmacija revealing my aversion to blitva to the world, and my first radio interview with Free For Radio (organised by our colleagues over at Otok Hvar) soon gave way to national and international interest, with appearances on Croatian national television and radio, as well as feature articles in publications such as Globus. Mentions and quotes in The Independent, Daily Telegraph, Huffington Post and Irish Times, but the most satisfying was a request from the Croatian Embassy in Washington to be their interview of the month, proof that the reach of Total Hvar is both global and appreciated officially. Read the interview here.
15. Blog I most enjoyed writing
It is one of the most popular blogs on the site, and without doubt the one which has produced the most disappointment to people who find it through Google Search, as it seems not to contain the information they are looking for… Sex on Hvar: Local Prostitutes Disappoint Tourists.
Some thank yous…
Total Hvar would not exist in its current shape without the sterling efforts of Vivian Grisogono. Her pedantic editing is inversely proportional to her financial gain as unpaid editor-in-chief, and her authoratitive articles on some of the less sexy topics such as OIB numbers and bill-paying have become life-savers for foreigners looking for basic info in English. Vivian has a different perspective on the island, and contributes high quality, lively and informative articles in her own right, and there are some who only compliment me on articles when they mistakenly believe I am the author of hers… Many thanks E-i-C – much appreciated.
Special thanks too to our other bloggers, who have contributed to the richness and diversity of the site – Majda, Rhona, Paula, Peter and Beatrix. Keep them coming. All contributions – as long as they are Hvar-related are more than welcome.
Thanks too to the girls, The Boss and The Bossettes, for their patience with the project – we will make that million soon, I promise. But for also being an inspiration and being part of the journey of discovery of this magical island.
The site is also the richer from the many emails, comments, photos and suggestions we receive. It is amazing to see that we have been read more than a million times since we started, in almost 200 countries, and that we have regular followers from emigre Hvar communities in Chile and Argentina for example.
The mission remains the same – to provide the best quality information about Croatia’s premier island, delivered in an interesting and lively format. If you would like to work with us, please contact us on [email protected]
And now, perhaps, a celebratory cold one at The Office. Cheers!
