Table of Contents
Adriatic Reverie: A Story of the People, Nature, and Culture of Croatia's Kvarner
by Zdenko Velčić
2nd revised edition
Translated and edited by Mario Igrec
Paperback, 7.75" x 10.1" (196 x 256 mm)
2.5 lbs (1.15 kg)
368 pages, 231 illustrations
Published: September 1, 2024
ISBN: 978-0-9827563-1-7 (978-0-9827563-2-4 ebook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2024942168
Preface to the Second Edition ix
About the Translation xi
How to Pronounce Croatian Words xi
Dialects xii
Čakavian vs. Cakavian Dialects xii
Preface to the First Edition xiii
Acknowledgments xv
About the Author xvii
Introduction xix
Chapter 1: The Land 1
Golovik and the Brseč area 1
Our Old House 5
Cellar 11
Attic 13
The Changes 14
The Barn (štala) 20
Chickens, Eggs, and Aunt Tonica 22
The Other Barn 25
The Pasture 25
The Donkey 31
Other Animals 32
Animal bedding 33
Straw 33
A Year on the Land 37
January 38
February 38
March 39
April 42
May 46
June 47
July 50
August 51
September 53
October 57
November 60
December 64
Water 64
Trades and Crafts 68
Construction and Masonry 68
Carpentry 70
Barrel Making 70
Blacksmithing 72
Weaving 74
Footwear 76
Basket Weaving 77
Clothes 78
Lime Making 79
Getting Motorized 80
Hair 82
Modern Times: To Factories and Beyond 83
Chapter 2: The Sea 85
Fishing 89
Fishing line (Povraz) 89
Trolling Line (Panula) 92
Longline (Parangal) 94
Lures 95
Bobbit worm 96
Dentex—A Worthy Opponent 97
Eel 103
Spears 104
Freedive fishing 105
Catching Mollusks 108
Fish Traps 112
Net Fishing 113
Selling the Catch 118
Fisherman’s Life 119
From Road Construction to Fishing Association 120
Chapter 3: On the Open Sea 127
Sailing 127
Interview with Anton Velčić 129
Edvin Rutar’s Story 132
The Sea Writes Tragedies and Jokes 133
Surviving a Wreck 133
Lighter Fare 135
Winds Have to Be Read Too 136
Leaving Home 141
America—the Enchanted Land 141
Cowboys 142
Guerino’s Story 143
Chapter 4: Brseč—Memories 147
The School 147
Under Italian Rule 148
My School Days 149
The Brseč Plaza 152
On the Road 152
At the Hospital 155
Mošćenička Draga 156
Joys of Winter 157
I Still Haven’t Left Brseč in My Soul 160
Post Office 167
When Illness Struck 168
Eugen Kumičić—the Literary Voice of Kvarner 170
Archbishop Josip Uhač 173
Chapter 5: Sundays and Holidays 177
From Religious Life 177
Departures 181
Holidays 183
Customs and Social Life 183
Music 185
Sopele, Dvojnice, and Singing Tradition 187
Meh 188
Accordion 189
Weddings 190
Festivals and Celebrations 192
Jelenina—the Festival of St. Jelena 192
Mikulnje—St. Nicholas Holiday 193
Kolede at Christmas Time 195
Shrove Tuesday 196
Chapter 6: Ugly Years 203
WW I: Captive in Russia 204
Krbavsko Polje, Korenica 204
Liberation of Istria 207
War Camps and Forced Labor 214
Chapter 7: Tourism 217
My Education and Work in Tourism 217
Interning as a Waiter 218
Hospitality School 221
Hotel Marina 221
Tourism in Our Area After the War 222
Chapter 8: Sports and Entertainment 231
Football (Soccer) 231
Bicycle 232
On the Beach 233
Hunting 235
Chapter 9: Money 241
The Legend of the Buried Treasure 241
Traveling Salesmen, Beggars, and Other “Street Children” 242
Contraband 244
Chapter 10: Trebišća—A Mystical Village of Early Slavs 249
The Visit 250
Research and Preservation 253
Chapter 11: Roaming Beli and Tramuntana on Cres Island 257
A Day in Beli 257
At the Camp 259
Exploring the Forgotten Land 266
Frozen in Time 267
Stone Ruts, Ponds, and Mihičić 273
Partisans, Unsheared Sheep, and Rain 278
Fishing and Scouting 280
Next Morning 283
Through the Enchanted Land 285
To the Top 289
Chapter 12: A Postcard Life 295
Meetings and acquaintances 295
Opatija’s Montmartre 300
Rijeka 302
Appendix A: Dictionary—Besedar 307
Appendix B: Dictionary of Marine Life and Nautical Terms 321
Appendix C: Bibliography 325
Index 327
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