Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalmatiansoap
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Daw
Ante, what do you do? Accomodate the tourists in your houses? I know that you have a small (or big) business in summer, wish you lots and lots of guests... But nanas don't want to be alone.  |
Im lineman in morning and souvenir seller in evning. I have a little street shop (I ll post few pix once), where I sell my soaps and liquers and snapsses to tourists. We are trying to present real autentic products of Croatia and not some industrial souvenirs made in China with only croatian name on them. 20-30 years ago these were only things that peoples were able to get from here: vines, grappas and olive oils. Nowdays everything is full of Thailand shells, plastic dolphines and craps like that. Same souvenirs U can buy in Bratislava, in Makarska, in Paris and New York but really only few are really autentic. Know what I mean?
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I know precisely. Asian expansion to our markets is terrible, there's only one thing to do: Don't buy their "goods" (mostly bads, but you know what I mean).
The worst thing is, that the traditional goods and jobs, like tinkers, pottery and so (for my region) go to extinction, because no-one can beat the Asian mass produced prices. I personally rather bought one Slovak soap made of plants living in our lakes, than bought any of those vietnam souvenir sh***. Probably toxic as well. It now rests in my wardrobe and adds wonderful aroma to my clothes.
That's what I liked about Italy, when I was there (Kalabrian confirms?)... All the things in Ancona were from Italy; TVs, toilets, food, plastic bags, only Italian channels in TV, everything was "Made in Italy". That's great spirit and I wish that it was so in my country as well.
But since many industries were ruined by Germany and other western countries after 1989, there's little things that we can have now Slovak. Even the food is only imported. I'm lucky, 'cause there's lots of private (and thus expensive) homegrown food in my area, but I'm countryside, mostly. What about cities? BUSINESS.
Anyways, wish you luck Ante, I know that the crafts are very time consuming, but rewarding activities and wish you, that there's a souvenir from your shop in many foreign households.
Btw. 32°C, nanas are slowing down in their growth. But we have wonderful weather. The whole day is about 30+°C and in teh evening, as the sun sets, the temps
suddenly drop to about 23°C and heavy rainfalls come in, meaning that no irrigation is needed at any time during june, july and august.
I love our summers. It's just cool.
Tomatoes are ripening - first batch about 60, than I timed another batch 2 weeks later for about 80 tomatoes and then batches of about 40 each 2 weeks (what about yours, Kalabrian?), nanas are growing, citruses as well (few tangerines are already forming... jupiii), some sequoias (Sequiadendron giganteum), lots and lots of strawberries, watermelons, many kinds of berries, apples, tobacco (don't ask
), palms, spicies, roses, gladioles...
And Maurellis. But I had to cut down 2 peach trees this year. Something hit them early in the spring and they died off.
No warning, no frost damage, nothing. Maybe they were too old - 40 and 55 years. May they rest in the heaven garden.