My Contacts in Tourism

At the Hospitality School (Ugostiteljska škola) in Opatija, I had many friends and acquaintances (see “Hospitality School” on page 221). Among my classmates was a now well-known operatic singer Đorđe Surijan (Giorgio Surian). He used to tell us stories about his private voice lessons, for which we teased him, not realizing how far his singing would take him. Next to him sat Pero Kopanica, who today works in the Punat marina and runs the well-known gallery “Toš.” There were also: Alenko Dabo, now a famous Pag shepherd; Željko Osojnak, the owner of a restaurant above Opatija; Marija Franolić who lives abroad; Nenad Pokrajac who sails; Đani Paliska who works in a hotel in Rijeka; Gordana Burlović who I occasionally run into in Turnić; Valdi Legović, a musician; Bruno Poropat, the owner of the restaurant Zlatna školjka in Pobri; Marija Juračić who lives in Mošćenice; another Mošćenice bride, Marica Bučković . . . I also remember some professors: class teacher Bosiljka Milenić, Ersilija Kopani, Marija Antonina, Josip Krajač, Marijana Steiner, Slavko Bojanić, Vladimir Kolić, Jelka Pavešić, Ratko Jazvić, and Marija Mihelić.

In addition to my dear colleagues from the hotel Marina (page 221), there were waiters Josip Rubinić (Pepić), Laura Dubrović, Mirjana Ivančić, Mario Rubinić, Nada Detan, Ines Frolja, Neda Uhač, Dora Hrelja, Ana Bradičić, Zorica Lazarić, Vanda Stojšić, Mirela Ivančić, Dario Fonović, Srećko Jedretić, Boško Gulić, Hamdija Tenić (Hamid), Đurđa Ivić, Zoran Damiš, Mira Gregorević, Jasna Blasić, as well as many seasonal workers, some of whom worked only one summer.

Helping Ivić, the sous chefs and line cooks were Anton Peršić (Tonić), Martin Hrelja, Edo Filipaš, Mladen Grabrovac, Lidija Galović, Mila Sandalj, Silvana Mohović, and many others. Working the bar were Jožica Gršković, Norica Rubinić, Stanko Senčić, Dijana Barković, Nevija Fonović, and others. Maids were Anica Senčić, Zorica Rodela, Irena Matuhina, and in charge of maintenance was Josip Brubnjak (Pepić).