Author Archives: marielscatena

2020 ends, 2021 begins—coronavirus pandemic, political upheaval, earthquakes.  On December 31, 2020 TimeOut Croatia’s Lara Rasin covered earthquakes in Zagreb and Petrinja. She wrote There’s a saying in Croatia, ‘U muci se poznaju junaci’ or ‘Hard times reveal heroes.‘ As powerful forces leave their marks threatening homes and lives—how will we care for each otherContinue reading “Unwavering”

Castenea dentata & Castenea sativa Forests are life-sustaining communities defined by trees. Trees are the biggest plants on earth. They provide ecological benefits even as they fend off extinction. For 40 million years tall chestnut trees (up to 100 feet) were a canopy species with 4 billion trees covering 8.8 million acres of the eastern US.Continue reading “Chestnuts”

Today, 27 September is World Tourism Day. Initiated in 1980 by the UN this year’s theme is tourism and rural development.  As with all UN International Days—and for all of us—the coronavirus pandemic changes everything. Travel and tourism experts predict that national travel will recover before international travel. Data about the global economic impact ofContinue reading “Balancing Act”

The Baška Tablet dates 1100 AD. It is found in the Church of St. Lucy in Jurandvor on the island of Krk.  The Glagolitic text inscribed on the tablet is the oldest known Slavic alphabet created in the 9c by a Byzantine monk, St. Cyril. Some experts say  brothers St. Cyril and  St. Methodius devisedContinue reading “Written in Stone”

Istrian stone is water resistant and hard as marble. It is a metamorphosed limestone transformed by heat, pressure and time into a durable material.  Vast quantities of Istrian stone were exported to build Venice. The toughness of Istrian stone helped Venice survive recurring flooding. An influential European architectural history titled The Stones of Venice  byContinue reading “Rock Solid”

Rocky, barren ground. Sinkholes, caves, underground water with no apparent surface streams or lakes. Karst. Derived from the Slavic word krs or kras, the German karst, and the Italian carso or carsico, the word means ‘rocky mountain’ or ‘stone.’ Karst landscapes cover half of Croatia’s  topography and more than 80% of Croatia’s lavishly indented coastlineContinue reading “Set in Karst”

Every year the Višnjan Observatory in Višnjan aka Visignano, Istria hosts a summer solstice Astrofest. Like Astrofests around the world, Istria’s Astrofest 2020 is cancelled because of  the coronavirus pandemic. Visnjan’s Astrofest has a lot in common with other solstice celebrations. People gather to share food, dancing, music, bonfires—and in Višnjan—nighttime stargazing. At Višnjan’s Astrofest, astronomyContinue reading “Lights in the Dark”

Like language and music the sounds of a place shape our perceptions and feelings about it. Listening to the soundscapes of Croatia’s ecosystems and intangible cultural heritage you might hear Karst caves echoing, Zvončari bells clanging, Griffon vultures cawing  Bura winds roaring, Klapa singing, Waterfalls sloshing Lamb peka cooking, Ča, Kaj, Što   Sounds of Zadar’sContinue reading “Listening to place”

Along Istria’s coast and nestled around  Kvarner’s Opatija Riviera is Učka—mountain range, peak and Nature Park. Učka’s biodiverse ecosystem supports many protected, native plant and animal life. Campanula tommasiana or Adriatic bellflowers bloom there during May and June. From Učka’s highest peak you can see all of Istria, Kvarner Bay and islands, Mount Velebit, theContinue reading “Mountain paths”

Many generations grew up playing under this tree, watching its changing colors and admiring its beauty in every season. https://www.treeoftheyear.org/results A 243 year old male ginkgo biloba tree called Adam lives in Daruvar at the entrance to the Castle of Count Janković. This tree is protected  as a natural and cultural heritage monument. It isContinue reading “ljubavna priča”