Friday is Karlovac’s flea market day so Marko and I headed in to town to try our luck there before going to pick up my Croatian residency card from the main police station. It turned out to be a good idea as Marko found a guy selling a couple of guitars and a dangubica (aka a tambura). This is a small four string ukulele style Balkan instrument that we heard our neighbour Stonky used to play till his was lost during the war. It was probably one of the most expensive things Marko has bought from a flea market but he didn’t hesitate as new they sell for 5 times as much.
Talking of cops did you notice that pig above! It’s pretty big! One of Nada and Stonky’s little dogs often barks at it in anger and today we heard Nada shouting at said dog that it was crazy to do so! After taking the photo below the pig wandered up to me and tried eating my shoes!
Not a tribute to the Pac Man computer game this is infact my recently recovered favourite kitchen knife and Marko’s marvelous soft cheese. It is soft but sliceable with a subtle spicy flavour.
Talking of food, today’s lunch (wild chard -foraged by Sunni, and potato with baked tempeh prepared by Marko) was eaten out in the sun under the gazebo. So hopefully I got some vitamin D as well.
My extended Saturday morning lie in was disturbed at 8ish by the arrival of the “plumbers”. Not the Woda crew who fucked up my boiler installation and left our mains water running in to the spring water but a new crew called in to find out where our leak is. Whilst I was away detective Marko discovered the water meter keeps turning even when all our water taps and utilities are turned off! A bit of a waste of the worlds resources one might say and its ‘costing me money’!! When told me about this development over the phone I didn’t envisage the resulting scenes above and below but that damn leak is well hidden.
The plumbers will return on Monday to continue their excavations of our concrete pathway around the house. 🙁 We have visitors arriving Tuesday!!!
Some things at Barabrith are just as they were when I left, the blue sky, the fresh air, the dogs barking and the kitten playing in the sun! But no the kitten is no more, sure she still pretends to be a tiger in the long grass but she is in fact part of the global catastrophy that I call ‘blind reproduction’ in other words she’s pregnant! The little trollope is only six months old! Anyone want a kitten?
Meanwhile out in the Upper Garden the trees and bushes are blossoming and Sunni is out planting more vegetables.
I left the pots on the ground with some soil in so we’d remember what plant is what. Sunni says she is gonna name them with the tetra pack tags soon.
My foot was rather swollen after Fridays day out in town so I stayed away from doing too much today. I did however give my windows their first clean and installed the window catches on the two middle windows that controversially open outwards! Windows in the Balkans and much of Europe do not open outwards unlike inthe UK where most do! I have no idea why this is so but I had to argue that yes that is what I wanted!! I was told that the windows would get broken by the wind and then it was I realised that a fortune could be made by importing window casements (catches) from the UK to these backward window opening areas! I had to have these catches sent over from the Isle of Brexit because they just don’t sell them over here!!! Go figure!
I spent a few hours today resting in my hammock enjoying the warm air drifting through my windows. My dodgy foot raised high up as my podiatrist instructed and tonight I shall repeat the alternate immersion of my poor foot in hot and then cold water at five minute intervals to help reduce the swelling. Can’t wait…..