Episode 82
Dobra večer, dragi ljudi.
Autumn has arrived!
Since the fall months are here, LLC is bringing you a special ode to Autumn written by a 9 year-old Croatian girl!
We’ll learn the new words and listen to her speak the paragraph.
A bit challenging, but we can do it!
Jesen
arrival - dolazak
tree - stablo
oil - ulje
past tense! - Verb (to be - present tense) + past participle (gender sensitive!)
to arrive - stići
to begin - početi
to blow - puhati
to thunder - grmjeti
Dolazak Jesen
Jesen nam je stigla. Listovi su počeli padati sa stabla. Počelo je biti sve hladinje i hladnije. Kiša će nam početi sada. Grmi će i puhati.
Sva lišće će odnjeti. Grozđe ćemo početi brati, a od maslina ćemo ulje raditi. Škola nam je počela. Trenings su nam počeli. Jesen je lijepa zato jer promatrijemo kako puše i kako padaju lišća. A i nije otoliko hladno, a i nije otoliko vruće. Volim jesena.
The Super Slatko Report
In this edition of the Super Slatko Report, DJ Moe will tell us a bit about one Croatia’s geographical beauties. Have you heard of the Neretva River? If not, this SSR will be perfect you.
Tune in and enjoy!
Known as the largest Karst River in the Dinaric Alps, the Neretva River gets its start in Bosnia and Herzegovina then makes its way through Croatia, finally spilling out in to the Adriatic Sea. The Neretva is 225 Kilometers long, 140 miles, the river spends most of its time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where you’ll find 208 Kilometers of it (129 miles) with the remaining 22 Kilometers, 14 miles, passing through Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia.
These last 22 kilometers, 14 miles, is where i want to focus, where the Neretva makes its way to the Adriatic, this transition from river to Sea is known as the Neretva Delta.
Here’s a perfect description of this wonder that i found on timeout . Com that sums it up quite nicely.
“Covering around 12,000 hectares within Croatia, of which over 10% is strictly protected, the Neretva Delta is rich in rivers, wetlands, rare birds, and fish. The communities living in the its surroundings utilize the wetlands for farming and have a distinct cuisine which stems from this natural asset. Specialty river fish, snail, eel and frog dishes can all be found in nearby restaurants.”
The type of fruits and veggies grown here are very different to the olive trees and grape vines that are so commonly associated with Croatia. Watermelon, and citrus trees grow here instead. Time out dot com actually mentions that the mandarin orchards here at one time came from one single Japanese variety. Now there are numerous mandarin and citrus varietals that grow here through out most of the year, telling you how fertile and rich the soil in this delta is.
One of the claims to fame for this area I covered way back in E28, regarding the Mandarins from Neretva or Neretvanska mandarinas
Here’s what i wrote:
“These guys are grown in the Valley of the river Neretva and harvested mid-Sept through the end of December.
Known to be juicy and delicious, Neretvanska Mandarinas are plucked once they turn bright orange.
When available, you’ll see these used in cakes, desserts, juices, liqueurs and other homemade beverages all over..
These mandarins are also registered as a protected Croatian product at the EU level.
Basically protecting their tracibility to the fruits origin so it cant be claimed elsewhere.”
And if you follow the show, you’d know i covered the new Pelješac Bridge in the last episode, E81. IF you are looking to take in that modern marvel, you’d be able to take in both, as the Neretva Delta is on the way to bridge.
The Neretva Delta is gorgeous, its a different side to Croatia for sure, river instead of ocean, and farm lands instead of beaches. The tourism is still pretty quiet here, there are things to do and definitely lots to eat. I came across an article in the Guardian from 2016 that talks about a tour service, I’m sure there are more now, but it might worth a google this little slice of paradise is of interest to you. The villages aren’t that far from each other, so getting around by car is quick and easy, Dubrovnik is about a 2 hour drive from here, so if you’re staying there, with an early enough start you can make a day trip out of it. But to truly appreciate it, you may want to seek and an Air BnB and take it all in. Its slower here and not so many tourists around, and the food sounds differently amazing.
And that’s it for the Super Slatko Report.
