One of the many things I appreciate about The Office, aka Cafe Splendid on the main square in Jelsa, is the very diverse range of company and conversation. It may not be the smartest cafe in town, but I doubt there is a cafe on the island with such interesting international conversation.
Home to the small expat community on Central Hvar, where one can usually find a few assembled bodies late morning each day, the cafe has also become a favourite for many who have bought holiday homes in the area, and who are quite partial to a coffee and strudel to go with a lively chat.
Over the years of course, I have gotten to know most of them, several of whom bought property through me, and who first came to know of The Office on their property search tour. Many of these come each year, and it is nice to catch up with them and enjoy the fruits of a widened intellectual gene pool.
One such chap is a man called Phil, and although his face was always vaguely familiar, it was several years until he was the Chief Football Writer for the BBC website. We talked a lot of football, and it was last year that he told me of a little Jelsa tradition he has, which is related to his work.
One of the most read articles each year is his Premier League predictions – who will be Champions and who will finish where. Published just before the season opens, Phil told me that it is always written at Cafe Splendid in Jelsa.
And so it was this year as well. After following the transfer sagas of the summer, Phil found a quiet corner of the cafe to pen his predictions for the 2015/6 season, which you can read here.
