One of the strangest things to get used to with full-time living in Dalmatia is the wearing of socks.
From sometime in March until sometime in late October, the dressing order of the day is t-shirt, shorts and sandals. Even on a supposedly cold day, it is still warm enough to dispense with long trousers, jumpers and socks. At least if you are English…
After more than half a year in sartorial freedom, therefore, there comes a moment each autumn when it is time to remember where the socks and long trousers are stored for winter wear. My moment came a few weeks earlier this year, as a week of meetings in Zagreb with investors and partners for the Total Project necessitated the need to look a bit smarter.
And it was a little colder… Arriving in my trademark shorts and sandals on the overnight train, I was unfortunately locked out of my apartment the first morning. As that day’s meetings were a little more informal, I decided to stroll around town dressed as I had arrived, much to the amusement of several locals.
And by early evening, I was cold. I called the girls back home to bemoan the passing of summer.
“What do you mean?” asked my wife, to the sound of splashing water in the sea nearby. “The beach is gorgeous today. The girls are having a great swim.”
As I finally put my socks on the next morning before hurrying to my next meeting under grey skies and a spot of rain, another photo from Jelsa and its Indian summer. I shivered. I have become a Dalmatian boy and the prospect of a winter in Munich devoid of sunshine is momentarily less appealing.
But only momentarily. This has been a fantastic week of meetings in Zagreb for the Total Project, with things moving forward quickly on several fronts. The price to pay is a few days away from that laganini lifestyle, but a price worth paying.
But if I was living in Zagreb full-time, I would be looking at Hvar with envy. The weather is glorious right now, and with many events in October, it is a great time to visit.
You will not even need to wear socks.
