“Fear not! You’re not alone! There are others beside you
who share your life unbeknownst to you.
And all that you’ve been, what I’ll be, and dream
burns in them with the same passion, beauty, and purity.”
(Excerpt from the poem “Brotherhood of Faces in the Universe”)
That is how Tin Ujević spoke. And indeed, one is never alone. We stand united, each in our own diversity, in our corner of our beautiful continent.
Carried by the winds of the Mediterranean, carried by dreams, I walk…
Before my eyes, Croatia stretches forth – a country in southeastern Europe, a land of natural beauty, national parks, Diocletian’s Palace in Split, and the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč.
Wine and Dalmatia, and “a thousand” islands waiting to be explored, with the largest one, Krk, covering an area of 462 square kilometers.
The island of Hvar… I heard that a single ray of sunshine on the Golden Horn beach could brighten up grumpy people.
And I am going, because lately, I’ve been tired and nervous. I guess that is how it is for those of us who have another piece of the journey to Europe ahead of us.
When I arrived in Dubrovnik, from all sides, the sound of klapa music and peace reached me…
“And I will scatter my soul across the sea
once it spills over the cold rocks
where all my longings sink”
(Klapa Cambi – “Ne more mi bit”, Eng. ‘Beyond My Grasp’)
Klapa singing is traditional Croatian vocal music originating in the southern part of Croatia (Dalmatia). Such singing is most prevalent in coastal and island regions.
In December 2012, UNESCO included klapa multipart singing in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
And that longing that author and encyclopedist often regarded as the greatest Croatian writer of the 20th century, Miroslav Krleža wrote about?
“It happens on an autumn night,
when chestnuts fall on the asphalt and distant dogs are heard,
and when indescribable longing for someone emerges,
who would be good, ours, close, intimate, a friend,
that we could write a letter to.
That we would confess all inside us to.
We would write him a letter, but he is not there.”
(Miroslav Krleža – “Čežnja“, Eng. ‘Longing’)
The longing fades away, because Croatia is here.
And I can write a letter to her once I come back home. And I know she will respond because Mediterraneo is much more than beautiful beaches and good music.
Mediterraneo is a way of life, relaxation, and enjoying every moment. It is a landscape captivating me, dreaming together with me, of another star in the Europe’s sky.
Olives and bread, polenta and cheese, salted or freshly grilled sardines, pancetta and prosciutto, pickled onions and capers, the enjoyment to desserts such as fritule, kroštule or cviti.
Mediterraneo is an invitation to enjoy the scent of olive oil and the fresh taste of local cuisine.
Mediterraneo is an invitation for a coffee.
And one cannot have a coffee alone.
The Europe House will organise an event called “Coffee with Ambassadors” on 19 June at 6 p.m. This month’s gathering will be organised with the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Montenegro. After the conversation, concert without electricity will be held by klapa Assa Voce (Lanterna) and klapa Camerton.
Our new activity, Coffee with Ambassadors, is a great opportunity for young and future leaders to get acquainted with the European Union Member States and their roles.