A Young Person’s Guide to Split

The young people of Split have put together their own local version of a tourist map.  Published by the Youth Association Info Zone and supported by The City of Split it’s a good example of the sense of humour to be found in Split.  It’s actually quite hilarious.

Here are a few excerpts from their section of the map ‘Act Like a Local’…

• IT’S ALWAYS COFFEE TIME – locals have a unique ability to drink a single cup of coffee for hours.  If you find yourself outside in the middle of the working week, noticing billions of people sitting in bars and drinking coffee as you struggle to find a place to sit yourself, you’ll probably think that it’s a holiday.  But no, it’s just a coffee break.  If you wish to experience this ritual fully, don’t forget to bitch about life, the universe and everything in between while drinking your now cold coffee.  P.S. Try ordering velika’s ladnin – something that no other Croatian says except us.  It actually means big with cold – and see what kind of coffee you get.
• ZUGAJ: BITCH ABOUT EVERYTHING – It’s simply a way of life.  Here people bitch because it’s sunny or there is no sun; because it’s too hot or it’s too cold; because the city is crowded or the city is empty; because there is not enough work or there is too much work to do … Try it, you’ll like it.
• RIDE LIKE A LOCAL – If you’re a driver, step on the pedal when you see a pedestrian.  If you’re going somewhere by bus, don’t allow senior citizens to sit, ‘forget’ to buy a ticket and enjoy the feeling like a sack of potatoes while the bus is hitting every hole in the road.  All you cyclists out there, we hope you brought a lot of nerves together with your helmets.
• WHAT’S THE TIME? – Be late. When making plans, be sure that you know the difference between real time and Split time, which is usually 15-20 mins later than agreed.  You’ll get used to it quickly.  Since we do everything in slow motion, our understanding of the concept of time is different from usual.

I will share though that through all my time cycling down the coast of Croatia I’ve not had one car or lorry or bus to not have patience and give me lots of space and I’m so thankful 🙂

Never Boil your Swiss Army Knife

You can’t boil a Swiss Army Knife to get the Nutella off.

The wonderful family of the Trentons, Lerino, Italy

Feeling blessed!

I rang a gate (yes it was a gate – not a door) to ask if I could camp in a field outside the house. I was getting too tired to look for somewhere secluded to wild camp. This lovely family took me in, fed me, watered me and I showered. We spent the evening chatting and laughing with my Scottish accent becoming robot like to minimise the repeating and sharades. In the morning I experienced the typical Italian breakfast of a bowl of coffee with biscuits floating around. We went to an early morning village mass in the Church of St Martin in Lerino. It was an absolute joy – especially the singing being in Italian.  And an absolute blessing perhaps that my dulcit tones were not singing along.  Afterwards I was introduced to their friends over coffee.

There are places of nature that have impressed me far more than that of Italy but the Italian people have been so friendly, caring and hospitable it adds another dimension to enjoy the country with and makes it a very rich and feel good travel experience.

I cycled on towards Venice that morning filled to the brim with love and contentment.  I’ve always been the ‘wild’ traveller but I doubt any scene in nature would bring about such good feeling within.

I’ve thought of this family often since meeting them – every day in fact. Thank you Elisa, Peter, Mark and Matthew!