CROATIA

                               Croatia Overview

            Croatia is about the size of West Virginia. About 90% of the country’s population is Catholic and 5% are Serbs. The coastal areas of the country feel more Mediterranean than Eastern European. The currency is the Kune (Kn). One US dollar equals 5 Kn. A kuna is a fox-like animal that goes back to medieval times. The currency was changed to kuna in 1994.

            In the country of spectacular scenery, nude beaches are no big deal. They are labeled FKK, German for free body. The Croatian shrug means don’t know, don’t care.

            Except for Dubrovnik and Zadar, the coast was generally untouched by the recent war. However, it is advisable to stay on paths and avoid deserted villages, or tall grass fields.

            In upper Croatia Slavic influence and traits left from Austrian rule are evident, where the coastal areas portray a Roman and Venetian past. There are no specific Croatian foods as it is influenced by Italian, Turk and Hungarian cuisine. The common element is lots of meat. Food is a flavorful blend of Mediterranean and Slavic.  Prosciutto, Italian-style ham, is unrivaled anywhere. Pork leg, smoked and dried, is served with dry cheese. 

            Meat is smoked in a traditional indoor fireplace called a komin. Meals are often cooked ‘under a bell’ over hot coals. I liken this similar to an imu. Meat cooked this way is very tender but vegetables on the bottom tend to be a bit oily. Desserts most often include figs, dates, almonds, and honey. On the coast seafood is popular and plentiful. Inland, burel (phyllo dough) filled with meat, cheese, apples or spinach, is popular. These are especially good when fresh but tend to get greasy as they sit. The big meal is eaten at noon and many stores close afterward for siesta.  Croatians refer to the country as Hrvatska. The crescent or C shaped country has a population of 4.5 million. During the Homeland War between 1991-95 nearly five percent of the population left. A million Croats live outside of the country in other parts of the old Yugoslavia.  Forty percent of the country is mountainous and 30 percent is forested. The breadbasket is in the north. Road construction was common in Croatia and signage was poor----another manana.land.

            Croatia has 372 miles of coast line as the crow flies, but when one counts all the coves it expands to 1100 miles. Only 66 of the 1185 islands in the Adriatic are inhabited. Beaches in Croatia are not sandy, but pebbly and rocky. We were told that is how the Croats like it. The coastline is rocky with many cliffs that fall right into the sea. Croatia actually has more mountains than Switzerland, although Swiss mountains are higher. There is almost no where in Croatia that one cannot see mountains.

            Grape vineyards and olive groves thrive in the red soil around Pula. Strong Turkish coffee is common here but picturesque sidewalk coffee cafes were few in this town.

            Our guide told us, “During Europe’s 30-year war, 1618-1648, Croats were sent to Paris. They wore a scarf in a unique way. The French intrigued with the fashion adopted it. The French word cravat means tie, and thus the tie was born.”

            We visited many small cities in Croatia and their unique qualities are spotlighted in other posts.