Saturdays

Saturdays hold the same feeling of end of week release here for me as they did at home – weird, particularly as I am not being released from a week of hard slog.
This morning I wandered down to the rowing club imagining that all of the boys would be there and so boats would be a commodity under pressure – which was true, but there was a full scale working bee going on at the same time as the rowing. The concrete mixer was going (Croatians have an ongoing long term relationship with concrete) and the extension that was added to the back of the club a few weeks ago (bricks) was being covered in a slick of concrete and stippling before the plastering is completed.
I volunteered myself, a broom was put in my hand, and I spent the next hour or so sweeping out both the boat shed and the area with the rowing machines in it, listening to opera on the local radio station – surreal. We removed all of the blades hanging in the shed and cleaned out every corner, with the boys rotating between cleaning duties and jumping into the boats and heading out to sea. The cutest thing was watching trener (Miro) working with three new recruits. They would be maybe ten years old, and keen as mustard. He put them on the ergs and instructed them to row for three minutes with no slide action – they were so serious and intent on their task! I just stood there and watched them.
Next weekend there is a rowing regatta hosted by Biokovo Club – twelve other rowing clubs are coming to participate, and I have been asked to come down to help with the organization. Isn’t that sweet?
Anyway, I’m sitting out on my terrace as I write this, and there is a huge commotion going on in the main road – horns blasting, whistles (you know, whistling), and people yelling – it’s a wedding! It may even be the bride that I saw on Thursday evening having photos taken in the fishermen/sailor’s café with her two bridesmaids. My friend Lara explained that photos are taken a few days before the wedding and then guests are presented with them at the wedding. I couldn’t believe that a bride could get herself all dressed up in her gown before the actual day and be seen in public!
There is not a cloud in the sky, not even a vapour trail (of which there are an inordinate amount normally – what’s that about??). The weather forecast for today was clouds, and for tomorrow showers – and that would rain on a few people’s parades.

Tomorrow is an annual family day with the mountain club, yes, another one! We are leaving at 7.30 in the morning to walk to Vosac – that’s a ‘sh’ on the ‘s’ and a soft ‘c’). It is a 3 hour walk up to the second highest local peak in the Biokovo Mountain – it’s the peak at the end of the track that I started last week.

(That’s it straight up behind the red car in the main street). There will be Croatian music as a treat when you get to the top, and that lovely smoky bean and sausage stew for lunch - and returning by five in the evening. The organizers are anticipating about 500 people taking part in the day – imagine that single file trail trekking up the mountain track! So keep your fingers crossed for good weather please– not too hot, and no rain. Thanks. Ciao.