This post is also available in: Croatian
By Paul Bradbury
It is more than ten years since I left London in a battered Berlingo van without heating and drove my meagre belongings across a Europe covered in snow to start my new life in Dalmatia. After two days of nothing but white, the top of the mountain pass revealed the city of Split below in all its glory, with palm trees and greenery aplenty, and the glistening Adriatic behind. I already felt at home.
Ten years, a Dalmatian wife and two children later, time has flown by, but I have never forgotten how different that first impression of Dalmatia was, nor how different Dalmatia is today and how it has changed me. For the better.
There is always time in Dalmatia, even in the increasingly pressured modern era. A frustration a decade ago, life and business now revolves around getting things done over a leisurely cappuccino in a waterside cafe. Business deals are rarely done in the office, more often over a relaxed coffee as part of the legendary Dalmatian cafe culture. Weddings apart, I have not worn a suit for a decade.
Coming from Manchester, where bland tomatoes grow all year in globalised supermarkets, the limited seasonal availability of fruit and vegetables was an initial shock, one more than compensated for by the richness and freshness of the fruits of the Dalmatian soil. Back then I am not sure I could have identified an olive tree, whereas now the annual olive harvest is one of the most eagerly awaited family events of the year. Dalmatia bonds even the most committed city boy to nature over time, and most long-distance journeys to visit a relative will include an element of moving vegetables in the luggage.
There is not so much money in Dalmatia, and the daily struggle for survival for many families is real. Coming from a capitalist society where money is king, the salaries here are laughable in comparison, and yet the wealth of lifestyle makes it an infinitely richer place to live and bring up children.
The most enticing free swimming pool in the world – the Adriatic – is at the end of the street; the strong sense of family is an effective social network buffer in times of crisis; there can be few places in the world where life is so safe for children; the natural goodness – both of the food provided from the land and sea – as well as the healthy climate and nature, these are riches which cannot be bought with money, riches which are noticed and envied by much wealthier tourists. Never was the anecdote of the businessman and the fisherman truer than in Dalmatia.
it is a society which has ploughed its own way through history, resisting central authority in its daily life, and the imminent arrival of EU membership will be the latest test to the region’s independent ways. Shortly after I moved, I was waiting to meet my lawyer, who was negotiating his fee with a client, a baker. The lawyer shook his head when the meeting was over. What was he going to do with four loaves of bread a day, every day, for the next three years? An electrician will come home for lunch with a selection of fish from his fisherman client, a builder with litres of wine. Barter of that nature is the very lifeblood of Dalmatia, and I hope the new European reality will not change life too much here.
The former life in England looks less attractive and real as the years go by. Sitting in shorts in April in a welcoming cafe in the late morning sun, working away on my computer for a client, I sometimes reflect on my ability to return to that former life. I simply cannot, for once the Dalmatian way is in the blood, there is no going back. Why not try it for yourself?
Dalmatia, a Perfect Place to Raise Children in the Modern World
The Christmas tree in the main square of my adopted home town of Jelsa went up on December 21 last year, an exciting event for the local children. Shortly afterwards, there was a nativity festival by the church, with live donkeys and goats to give added authenticity. Christmas Day came with the usual small selection of presents from the man in red, followed by a family lunch.
Christmas as it should be, and just one example of how bringing up children away from the commercialised world of richer societies is one of the lesser highlighted treasures of life in Dalmatia.
Like any parent, I want the best start for my children, and there were obvious concerns about bringing up children on a tourist island such as Hvar, not least access to health care in emergency and lack of access to entertainment facilities, from basic softplay centres to more regularly organised children’s events. I need not have worried, for bringing up kids in Dalmatia is a much more wholesome experience than back home. There are several reasons for this:
Safety
There are few more pleasurable experiences for parents on holiday in Dalmatia than relaxing with a coffee in a pretty stone square watching the kids running around in total safety. While nowhere is unfortunately 100% safe these days, Dalmatia comes close, and the intermingling of local and international children of all ages, who strike up instant friendships despite the lack of a common language, is one of the most appreciated aspects of a holiday by many parents.
Dalmatia is an exceptionally child-friendly society, where older kids look out for the younger, and where the network of extended family means that children not only feel safe, but are so. The relaxed approach rubs off on visiting parents, allowing them to enjoy precious moments alone.
Nature
Coming from a large city like Manchester, I am a little envious of my kids’ natural bond with Mother Earth. No Play Stations here, one of their favourite activities is helping Grandpa in the family field, be it the annual family olive harvest or helping plant potatoes. Respect for nature and an affinity with the treasures of the soil (and sea) is a part of the way of life.
It may be a long way to Disneyland from Hvar, but the level of organised activities for children – most of which are within walking distance – provide a healthy, more stimulating start to life. The life of a six year-old includes horse riding, rowing club, ballet classes, chess club and weekly art classes in a delightful art studio in a nearby village, as well as those visits to the field.
Swimming
The biggest gift of all, and the cause of a little more paternal envy – the Adriatic. Having learned to swim at the age of 29, I look on with joy as my two little dolphins followed in their mother’s footsteps to become accomplished swimmers at the age of three. The daily routine from June to September includes an afternoon at the beach, a chance to strengthen swimming skills, as well as to commune with that all-pervasive friend, Nature.
Ironically, one of the biggest concerns – emergency health care – also seems to work more efficiently than back home. A sudden illness resulted in the medical decision to transfer my daughter to hospital in Split, a feat accomplished in just 30 minutes by helicopter.
Of course there are many advantages to bringing up children in other societies, but for a safe and natural start to life, there can be few better options than Dalmatia. I will report back in ten years when the girls are complaining about the nightlife options in January…
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This post is also available in: Croatian
