Easter 2012

We recently had some friends come out to visit over Easter which was lovely. Whilst we talked a lot about planning what we would do throughout their stay, we never actually made any firm plans as we (me) were kind of hedging our bets with what the weather would be doing. If it was snowy... we could stay at Jahorina and if not... well... I didn’t want to think of an, if not...!!

Anyway, the weather failed us! The forecast was miserable. It was due to rain... throughout the whole region. However, we were faced with six days to fill, and as much as we both love Sarajevo, the sights can be seen and enjoyed in one day.

So, being slight spontaneous, which is very unlike me... we decided to take our first trip of the year down to Dubrovnik. I know I have been very scathing of Dubrovnik in the past, however it is the most convenient place to visit on the coast from Sarajevo and it is a beautiful place which we know guests will enjoy. With less than 24 hours until our arrival, we managed to find some accommodation in the Old Town - a couple of rooms in a house (shared facilities) for 30 Euros per room.

We left early and made it to Dubrovnik for 12:30. It was lovely to see the sea again! The accommodation was fine, clean, dry and warm. We spent the afternoon walking around the walls, which is an absolute must - the views are fantastic. We enjoyed a beer at Buza Bar which is perched on the rocks overlooking the sea. The views are amazing and as a result the beer is expensive! We then enjoyed a great meal at Lokanda Peskarija. We ate there last Easter on our first trip to Dubrovnik and we were a bit disappointed, but our most recent experience was much improved. The service was good and the food was excellent.

The next day, in true Dubrovnik style we were ripped off for a very average breakfast on the Stradun (main street)! We then hit the road and head back in land. We made a couple of slight detours... firstly; we headed to Kravice Waterfalls located just inside the Bosnian border, about 40km south of Mostar. It is an impressive waterfall, especially at this time of the year. There is a camp site for summer trips and some kind of cafe, located at the base of the falls. There is a large car park, with a small cafe and basic facilities. It is worth a look if you are passing through. We then popped into Medjugorje which is a famous catholic pilgrimage site. Obviously, being Easter weekend it was busy. There are a lot of shops selling all kinds of Virgin Mary memorabilia and you can take a short walk up to Apparition Hill.

 

We then popped into Mostar, walked over the bridge, had an ice cream and left and had some nice roast lamb at Restorn Voda at Jablanica.

All in all, a whirlwind tour of Dubrovnik and a small part of Herzegovina in just over 24 hours and it only rained when we were in the car!

Hedona

1st May (Labor Day) is a huge bank holiday here. The whole of former-Yugoslavia comes to a stand still for two days - they don’t just take the 1st, they take the 2nd too and then normally the rest of the week! The whole city empties out as every disappears off to their vikendices, to the coast or off to see family.

It is very strange; it is much much quieter than at Christmas. Roads are empty and even the promenading along the Ferhadija comes to a stop.

Anyway, we only had the 1st May as a bank holiday, which fell on a Wednesday this year. A mid-week bank holiday is always a funny one, as it doesn’t leave you with much scope to do much or go very far.

So, I decided to organise lunch in a wonderful private restaurant / wine club overlooking the city. Hedona was recommended to me by a friend. It is quite an exclusive affair, run by a gentleman who simply loves food and wine. He has built a massive house up in the hills above the golf club and once or twice a week he cooks for people. It is not a restaurant, you have to book in advance so they can prepare a menu for your group.

Hedona describes itself as a 'winery and a fine dining wine club'. There were eight of us and had the place to ourselves. When arranging our booking with Arman, I was advised that we would need to allow at least four hours. Four hours of eating and drinking... amazing!

We had eight courses in total, each one was absolutely delicious. Every course was paired with a wine and more importantly a wine from the ex-Yugoslavia region. This really was slow-food at its best. After our various starters, we were taken on a short amble up to his vineyards; we could enjoy our pair and champagne sorbet with an even better view whilst Arman explained the intricacies of wine production. He is still in the early stages, this year is his second crop and he advised that you can disregard the first four crops before anything can be made with the grapes.

Our eight food course included:

• Italian bruschetta with cheese and mushrooms
• Shrimp soup with salted whipped cream
• Terrine of smoked salmon and hake
• Ravioli filled with pistachios and cream cheese
• Venison ragout with spinach polenta
• Sirloin steak with mashed celery and mashed chestnuts and beans
• Fruit pocketYogurt cream with apple in cinnamon

The wine which was served included:

• PURO Rose sparkling , Movia ; Goriska brda, Slovenia
• BOGDANJUSA white, Caric, Hvar Croatia
• CHARDONNAY white, Ščurek, Goriska brda, Slovenia
• PINOT GRIGIO white, Santa Margharita, Veneto, Italy
• BURJA white, Sutor,Vipvska dolina, Slovenia
• MJESECAR white, Brkic, Citluk, BiH
• CHARDONNAY Reserve white, Simcic, Goriska Brda, Slovenia
• MERLOT red, Popov, Tikveš, Macedonia
• COTE D OR red, Rojac , Kopar, Slovenia
• BJELI MUSCAT white, sweet, Zigante , Istra, Croatia

The experience really was worth every penny. 150KM for food and wine is by no means a cheap afternoon, however it is well worth it for the whole experience, wonderful food and mouthwatering wine!

For more information, visit: www.hedona.weebly.com