So, what’s winter like in Dalmatia? I guess that’s one of the questions which guests ask when they want to find out more about locals and their life outside of tourist season. Yes, it exists. At least for some of us 🙂
I’d say that winter in Dalmatia is quiet. Of course, if you don’t count the wind. Jugo, a warmish southerly wind that usually brings rain can make you feel quite unusual. Unusual in a fjaka way. I’ve always struggled to explain fjaka, but let’s say that it’s like a weather-induced meditation which you can’t really control. Your thoughts simply seem too distant to reach them. No wonder that the Republic of Ragusa (present-day Dubrovnik) had the legislation which forbade its council to make decisions during the jugo wind. Still, I believe that experienced fishermen would be able to tell something more about its good sides. Since I’m not one of them, I’ll just say that it’s grey. As simple as that.
And then there’s bura, a cold biting northerly wind. It clears the sky and the mind, but if it gets to be really strong, it can literally blow you away. I kid you not – it happened to my mom and my grandpa. She ended up with a sprained ankle and he broke his arm. When it comes to its good sides, bura is great for drying things, especially delicacies like Dalmatian prosciutto (pršut) as well as some types of fish and cheese. In most cases, bura looks really beautiful and leads to memorable reddish sunsets, like these ones:
Why did I have to mention the food? Now I’m thinking about having some cheese and wine, and I should be writing about tending olive orchards, vineyards and veggies in your garden (yes, we do eat a lot of blitva and raštika, that is chard and collard, but I can’t really associate the English terms with their taste). Anyways, there’s a lot of good food here. What is interesting is that Dalmatian sweets are generally simple, mostly consisting of pastry, dried fruits and nuts. Damn, now I’m thinking about rafioli. And fritule. And kroštule. It’s been a while since I made them.
Traditionally, people would hang out a lot during winter. Play cards, sing, tell stories, and of course – eat and drink. It almost seems surreal to reflect on those times in 2020/21. I can’t think of a lot of things which are more beautiful than getting together with your friends, enjoying your meal and singing afterwards. That’s the essence – finding pleasure in simple things.
Also, there’s a half-joke that Dalmatians don’t really heat their houses even though it can be freezingly cold outside. Well, I must say that things are improving nowadays, but I can clearly remember visiting my grandparents’ house not even ten years ago and dreading the moment when I had to go to the bathroom. It was like 30°C in their living room where the wood-burning stove was, and everywhere else it was 20° colder. Metal toilet seat was my worst childhood nightmare. When I think about it, I believe that my grandparents did not have a proper window in their bedroom. There was no glass in a window frame (don’t even ask, it’s beyond me), so you can imagine all that wind blowing through the bedroom. They both lived to be 90 years old. Only 90 years of freezing during winter.
Luckily, I’m writing this in a perfectly warm room. Well, not perfectly. The house could’ve been insulated better, but hey, why bother with it, it’s the Mediterranean. Winters are warm here, except when they’re not. Here’s a photo of a warm winter day. December 24th 2015, dancing in the shallow, barefoot:
In contrast, right now it’s snowing outside and bura is getting stronger and stronger. Maybe I’m losing my mind, but it feels like it’s blowing through the walls. Thankfully I don’t have a metal toilet seat in here. Last week it was almost 20°C and I guess that it will be 14-15°C in less than five days. To call this winter unpredictable is an understatement! But I’m not complaining. It gave me a chance to take same great photos. So, dear snow in Dalmatia, until next time!
