by Dee | Oct 8, 2018 | Featured, Travel
We had been in Croatia for several days exploring Dubrovnik and some of the local coastal villages, and we were nearing the end of our stay.
We asked Ivo, our brilliant host where he would recommend for us to go for our last day, and he suggested that he take us to Cavtat, further along the coast.
Cavtat was all that we had been promised, a perfect Croatian coastal town, full of great architecture, shops and with a splendid beach, with sun loungers and shades to ensure the comfort of the visitors. We learned that it had originally been a resort for very wealthy Croatians and an inspirational town for artists, before being discovered as a holiday destination, although still relatively unspoiled.
We spent an hour or so exploring, and as we were having a coffee at one of the small café bars, Ivo asked us if we wanted to see a more rural village and visit a restaurant for lunch, owned by an old school friend and his family.
As you can imagine, the ultimate holiday dream was about to come true as we set off along winding country roads completely off the beaten track, towards the little village of Ljuta, in the protected landscape of the river by the same name.
Ivo had booked a riverside table at Konoba Vinica Monkovic www.konobavinica.com, the amazing restaurant he had recommended, and as we sat down we were greeted warmly by relatives and staff who immediately brought us liqueurs, a speciality from the grandmother of the family. We tasted two in small glasses as we suspected their strength, one resembled a light sherry and the other grappa.
Fortunately, we had ordered a feast of a starter so we were able to offset the effect of the drinks with their own cheese and hams, and delicious home-made bread served on a gigantic platter.
The main courses were ‘under the bell’ (slow cooked) pork with cheese and the other finely sliced succulent steak with green vegetables and potatoes – followed by apple strudel with ice cream and their own speciality dessert resembling a delicious crème brulee. We struggled to eat it all, but managed to finish off most of the meal as it was indescribably good.
We washed it down with local wine – all the time insisting that Ivo stayed with us throughout to enjoy the food, as he had looked after us so well.
I have since discovered that it is described on Trip Advisor as ‘the best restaurant in Croatia’, and I have to agree that it would take a lot to beat it.
The afternoon seemed to go in a flash, and as we were ready to leave, Ivo asked us if we wanted to visit his parents’ old house where he had spent his childhood, as it was on the way home.
The house was set even further up into the mountainous region offset by dense woodland, where he had fond memories of running freely as a child, through the trees even higher into the steep terrain.
The house is now his studio and a place of inspiration for his art, and where he often brings his young family to experience the solitude and tranquillity of nature.
Before we left this house, Ivo produced bottles of olive oil, made from his own home grown olives, and later that evening, his wife Ela sent us a local delicacy of a large cake, made from a recipe from her own grandmother, and bottles of local wine to take home.
This was our last day of our Novasol adventure, and we will treasure the memories of that special experience for a very long time.
There are many varieties of holidays on offer, and we all have different tastes and expectations. I personally felt the adventure of our very special trip was testament to the experience and dedication of Novasol – and which is why after fifty years of practise, they provide such unique hand-picked holiday homes in so many stunning destinations.
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by Dee | Oct 3, 2018 | Featured, Travel
Once we had spent a couple of days in Orasac, Croatia, checking out the local area and finding out more about its history and culture, we were becoming more fascinated by the country and were completely in love with the choice of location.
The Novasol villa in all its glory, with is amazing views of the sea and bay was a great base for us, and and our gracious host Ivo had offered to show us around Dubrovnik just 15 minutes along the coast. As Ivo drove us toward the old City, he began to tell us more about the history, and how it had become an UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been founded in the 7th century.
As we entered the city at the Pile Gate we strolled around in sheer admiration of the ancient alleyways and architecture. We visited the Rector’s Palace which has a vast history of surviving war, fire and earthquakes, but has now been restored to its natural splendour and the History Department of the Museum of Dubrovnik has operated in the palace since 1872.
We then stopped for lunch at Poco Loco, situated in a little square, just around the corner from the old port, serving fusion food and cocktails. We ate a delicious light meal and sipped at one of their local recommended wines, before stepping out again to explore the rest of the City.
There seemed to be Street artistry at every corner, and it is no wonder as Artists and Performers are attracted to the sheer magic of the City as it has become an inspiration for all forms of creativity. It is an uplifting experience to just wander around within its 2km walls, and has earned its name Pearl of the Adriatic, as there is nowhere else in Europe that could compare to its captivating spirit.
Ivo had arranged to pick us up later in the afternoon, giving us plenty of time to explore the City. As we drove back along the coast we again marvelled at the wonder of the landscape, as we had on our first day in Croatia.
The following day we were recommended to visit a restaurant close to the Villa, and so we ventured to Taverna Arka just three kilometres from ‘home’.
There was no need to book as we were slightly off season, but were greeted by Peter the owner as if he had known us for decades. The young waiter who was friendly and caring, took time to explain each item on the menu to us, and the produce was fresh and sourced from local farms and fishermen.
We decided on the wild mushroom risotto and oysters followed by a steak and seabass main course, all specialities of the house, and we hardly had room for the desserts, but there was a good selection, which were also quite delicious.
In the Summer the roof terrace is open and overlooks the bay of Zaton where it is situated, and the views again are quite exceptional, and a great attraction for both visitors and locals.
We were now beginning to feel the benefits of the region, and were still on a mission to discover more.
See later more gems of the Adriatic on our Novasol adventure.
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by Dee | Oct 1, 2018 | Featured, Travel
When the travel company Novasol asked me to write a travelogue on one of their villa destinations in Croatia, I agreed immediately.
Firstly, because I had worked with Novasol before, and as they are celebrating their 50 year anniversary this year, knew that anywhere they sent me would be first class.
I had never been to Croatia and so did a little pre-adventure research and discovered it had the potential to be a very special experience. I knew that a great deal of movies and TV have been filmed there over the years as I had known an actor who had appeared in Game of Thrones, so decided to check out the most interesting locations.
Novasol provide holiday homes all over Europe, and their homes are constantly monitored to make sure they maintain the standard of their brochures. So I knew I would be very well catered for, but was overwhelmed with the care and attention I actually received.
At my initial request, I had a series of email communications from the owner of the Villa, Ivo Dimnic, in the stunning seaside village of Orasac, just 15 kilometres from Dubrovnik. Ivo assured me that on arrival it would take just half an hour or so to reach him, and this was absolutely the case.
The short drive from the airport to the Villa was amazing, as the winding coastal roads sported breath taking views of beaches and ancient architecture, which give you an immediate flavour of the beautiful country of Croatia.
Ivo and his wife Ela were there to greet us, as I was travelling with an old friend, theatre Director Frank Nealon, who also wanted to experience Croatia and I suspect, check it out for any future projects.
Ivo and Ela showed us around the Villa which is stunning and also had a bottle of wine and some ‘welcome’ home baked cookies for us on arrival. We also discovered that Ivo Dimnic is a well-known local artist, and his stylish paintings are displayed throughout the walls of the Villa to enhance the already high spec tasteful interior decor. It is actually spacious enough for two families, and even has a kids room which is set up for their X-boxes and computer games.
Ivo was charming and offered to drive us into town and show us some beauty spots, but we had hired a car and so didn’t want to put him to any inconvenience, but it seemed that nothing was too much trouble, and so we planned to meet up with him later in the week in Dubrovnik.
The Villa is set high on the hill of Orasac, and so the views over the bay are outstanding, with the little boats and the bigger trawlers making a magical picture as we sipped our wine and relished our first evening in Croatia.
We decided to stay close to home on the first day, and so walked down the steps to the bakery below to check out where to buy fresh bread for breakfast the next day, and then ventured down to the Hotel below the Sun Gardens, where we had a fantastic meal in one of their restaurants open to non-residents, overlooking the beach.
We discovered too that the white wine from Orasac is famous in Croatia, and the seafood delicious. So we were really set up for a fabulous Croatian vacation.
Watch out for more adventures in Croatia on Glotime.tv shortly when we report on more food, beauty spots and culture.
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