Saturday, April 14, 2007
Albania where?
One of our local subcontractors here is an Albanian firm that works a lot with US companies and the Director travels there quite often. He was recently in South Carolina. Of course when he is there, people hear an accent and ask him, "Where you from, boy?" He responds, "From Albania". The typical response is then, "oh, upstate NY then".
The Impact of Dictatorship
As I was waiting for the elevator in the morning to come down to breakfast, another hotel guest came up and said good morning. When he heard my American accent, he demanded to know where I was from and what I was doing here. This is an awkward question as I often run into competitors looking at the same project, so I gave a vague answer and demanded of him the same. From his answer I realized that he actually wasn’t at all interested in what I do, but just wanted to tell me what he was here for. It turns out that he works for the Washington Group and he is here for chemical weapons. That was all he said as he exited the elevator, but I know that in 2005 they discovered a large stockpile of chemical weapons from Hoxha’s time somewhere in Tirana. Not exactly the most pleasant thing to be reminded of while here.
Hoxha was probably one of the most brutal dictators, and it is fascinating to see how that still impacts the country today. Building farmer associations is almost impossible because of the lack of trust among farmers. In Hoxha’s day, neighbours could turn each other in for the slightest infraction in the strict rules with dire consequences, so trust was dangerous. When freedom finally came, people were so angry at the former regime that they destroyed everything associated with the regime, including all pictures and statues of Hoxha, but more costly was the destruction of all productive machinery owned and operated by the former regime across the country. They destroyed all agricultural processing centers and I believe the absence of large agribusinesses in the country is one of the major disadvantages of Albanian agriculture. The neighboring countries, which were all part of Yugoslavia, have big factories that have been privatized and now drive the agricultural sector. In Albania people refer to “when thing started” or “in the new economy” and it was only 15 years ago that this rebirth took place. Under the circumstance its amazing that the situation here is not even worse.
Hoxha was probably one of the most brutal dictators, and it is fascinating to see how that still impacts the country today. Building farmer associations is almost impossible because of the lack of trust among farmers. In Hoxha’s day, neighbours could turn each other in for the slightest infraction in the strict rules with dire consequences, so trust was dangerous. When freedom finally came, people were so angry at the former regime that they destroyed everything associated with the regime, including all pictures and statues of Hoxha, but more costly was the destruction of all productive machinery owned and operated by the former regime across the country. They destroyed all agricultural processing centers and I believe the absence of large agribusinesses in the country is one of the major disadvantages of Albanian agriculture. The neighboring countries, which were all part of Yugoslavia, have big factories that have been privatized and now drive the agricultural sector. In Albania people refer to “when thing started” or “in the new economy” and it was only 15 years ago that this rebirth took place. Under the circumstance its amazing that the situation here is not even worse.
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Today I broke my own record...for the most meetings in one day. The new number to beat is 9 and each meeting was at least an hour long and I even cancelling one meeting so I could have a working lunch to talk to the project partner that was doing my translating. Some low- and high-lights (although I can’t mention many of those in case a competitor is reading this):
· A Japanese grants program that consults with farmers on their needs (supposedly), then buys machinery internationally and gives it to farmers at below market value and with no interest loans. With one program they are managing to distort the Albanian market for machinery and the finance market. At least they stopped doing the same with fertilizer when the dealers complained.
· One officially in the Ministry of Agriculture (who shall remain nameless) actually pulled up a generic power point presentation on her computer on the general state of agriculture in Albania. My repeated efforts to get her back to the topic of extension failed miserably and I eventually just started editing other notes while my poor translator had to listen to her.
· I met with a vegetable processor that is doing excellent work and is actually buying local produce for his production. A very high percentage of produce is imported into Albnia.
· I got to meet with the minister himself. Always an interesting meeting in the sense that it is highly political and not much is achieved in the meeting
· A Japanese grants program that consults with farmers on their needs (supposedly), then buys machinery internationally and gives it to farmers at below market value and with no interest loans. With one program they are managing to distort the Albanian market for machinery and the finance market. At least they stopped doing the same with fertilizer when the dealers complained.
· One officially in the Ministry of Agriculture (who shall remain nameless) actually pulled up a generic power point presentation on her computer on the general state of agriculture in Albania. My repeated efforts to get her back to the topic of extension failed miserably and I eventually just started editing other notes while my poor translator had to listen to her.
· I met with a vegetable processor that is doing excellent work and is actually buying local produce for his production. A very high percentage of produce is imported into Albnia.
· I got to meet with the minister himself. Always an interesting meeting in the sense that it is highly political and not much is achieved in the meeting
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
48 Hour Day
All day I've been confused about whether it is Tuesday or Wednesday. My day started at 6 am in Washington, DC, in the office at 8am. In a meeting from 11-2pm. Leaving for the airport at 3pm from the office. Flying until 2am my time, napping on the plane. In Vienna, but could have been anywhere. Back on the plane dead asleep for a one hour flight. Waking up as the plane bumps down even more disoriented. A driver that doesn't speak English picks me up. I think I am going to the hotel to freshen up. No such luck. Straight into four back to back meetings with my greasy hair, sweated and slept in clothes and muddled brain.
By the way, I'm in Albania.
I'm here for a one week recon writing a proposal (this is the first time that I am the lead writer on a proposal). Of course, the assignment was made at the last minute, so I had little time to prepare and the 15 page technical proposal is due 24 hours after I get home from this seven days of back to back meetings. Have they succeeded in cloning humans yet?
By the way, I'm in Albania.
I'm here for a one week recon writing a proposal (this is the first time that I am the lead writer on a proposal). Of course, the assignment was made at the last minute, so I had little time to prepare and the 15 page technical proposal is due 24 hours after I get home from this seven days of back to back meetings. Have they succeeded in cloning humans yet?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Bahir Dar
I spent my weekend in Northern Ethiopia in Bahir Dar and Gonder. It was my third visit to Bahir Dar, but I haven’t been back there since November 2004 so it was good to see some positive change. We flew in on Friday morning and headed straight out to visiting our urban garden project partners to see the results of the program that targets HIV/AIDS affected women and children on the ground.
In general, it seems that there has been a lot of positive change. There are certainly lots of new buildings going up, several roads that were dirt a few years ago are now tarred, and maybe the biggest change was the complete lack of children hounding me continuously for a pen or a Birr (the local currency which equals about ¢12) that followed me everywhere a few years ago. There is still a long way to go. As we drove through the streets of Bahir Dar, I noticed two young boys in tattered clothes peeking over a fence. When I looked closer, I realized they were eavesdropping on a class lesson going on at the elementary school on the other side of the fence. Education at government schools is free, but there are still many children who do not attend because their families cannot afford the cost of the required uniforms, books and pens, and most importantly the cost of the lost labor to the household from the children going to school instead of working. As a result, many children stay home, furthering the cycle of poverty. According to the 2005 national health survey 67% of girls and 54% of boys have never been to school. The large gender gap is because the earning potential for girls is generally perceived as being far less than boys.
It was very rewarding to be able to speak to some of the women that are benefiting from our program by having access to land to grow their own vegetables. Almost all of these women are producing their own food for the first time and they told me they were feeding their families, and selling some vegetables, using the extra income to send their children to school. Surprisingly, I believe the biggest impact of the program is the impact on the women and children’s self perception. It may seem very touchy feely, but by producing their own vegetables and earning income, the HIV/AIDS affected people are transformed by renewed hope.
In general, it seems that there has been a lot of positive change. There are certainly lots of new buildings going up, several roads that were dirt a few years ago are now tarred, and maybe the biggest change was the complete lack of children hounding me continuously for a pen or a Birr (the local currency which equals about ¢12) that followed me everywhere a few years ago. There is still a long way to go. As we drove through the streets of Bahir Dar, I noticed two young boys in tattered clothes peeking over a fence. When I looked closer, I realized they were eavesdropping on a class lesson going on at the elementary school on the other side of the fence. Education at government schools is free, but there are still many children who do not attend because their families cannot afford the cost of the required uniforms, books and pens, and most importantly the cost of the lost labor to the household from the children going to school instead of working. As a result, many children stay home, furthering the cycle of poverty. According to the 2005 national health survey 67% of girls and 54% of boys have never been to school. The large gender gap is because the earning potential for girls is generally perceived as being far less than boys.
It was very rewarding to be able to speak to some of the women that are benefiting from our program by having access to land to grow their own vegetables. Almost all of these women are producing their own food for the first time and they told me they were feeding their families, and selling some vegetables, using the extra income to send their children to school. Surprisingly, I believe the biggest impact of the program is the impact on the women and children’s self perception. It may seem very touchy feely, but by producing their own vegetables and earning income, the HIV/AIDS affected people are transformed by renewed hope.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Zimbabwe-Ethiopia connection
I have been thinking a lot about Zimbabwe over the last couple of days, what with the government arresting the opposition leaders, giving them a severe beating in jail and then releasing them so they could tell their story to the world media. You would almost think that it was a set up by the opposition except that the incident is so characteristic of the current Zimbabwe government. I have been following this story and am holding my breath that the renewed international pressure, and signs of cracks in the ZanuPF support for Mugabe (at a recent Zanu convention there was little support for Mugabe’s proposal to alter the constitution to allow him to extend his term in office until 2010) could eventually lead to a change in government. It has long been my dream that Mugabe dies – and that it would then open opportunities for agricultural development in Zimbabwe and I would be able to go work there and start to repair the damage done by this monster.
So today my main objective was to renew the license for my company to operate in Ethioipia. One could assume that this would not be too difficult as we already had a license, but only someone not familiar with the joys of African bureaucracy would make that mistake. My Ethiopian colleagues have been trying to renew the license for months but have been refused for one artificial reason or another. In the middle of talking with one particularly stubborn man trying to put obstacles in our way, there was a knock on the door and who should enter but the Head of the Investment Commission for Zimbabwe! He was there to be introduced to the stubborn ministerial employee but shook hands around the room. I greeted him with a warm “mangwananani”, the Shona greeting. He was surprised and asked if I knew Zimbabwe. I thought for a split second and decided to surprise him. “My family is from Zimbabwe”. “Oh” he said and smiled and quickly made his exit. What I would have given to have more time to discuss with him. What I did take away from this brief encounter was the level of desperation in Zimbabwe if they are looking for investment from a country that is better known for famine than funding. (Either that or he was looking to invest ill-gotten gains from Zimbabwe…)
Three hours after arriving at the ministry we achieved an unexpected success and walked out with our license to operate. What a pleasant surprise. I have been told by the Chief of Party of the project that with this major accomplishment under my belt it is okay if I do nothing else for the rest of the week. Tempting, but I am hoping to get a lot done this week – including some visits to fun tourist sights. What amazes me about the experience today is that this ministry is considered the most efficient in Ethiopia (according to one of my Ethiopian colleagues). As all investors have to get a license as a first step before they can operate here you can only imagine the difficult business environment. Another much-needed development project.
So today my main objective was to renew the license for my company to operate in Ethioipia. One could assume that this would not be too difficult as we already had a license, but only someone not familiar with the joys of African bureaucracy would make that mistake. My Ethiopian colleagues have been trying to renew the license for months but have been refused for one artificial reason or another. In the middle of talking with one particularly stubborn man trying to put obstacles in our way, there was a knock on the door and who should enter but the Head of the Investment Commission for Zimbabwe! He was there to be introduced to the stubborn ministerial employee but shook hands around the room. I greeted him with a warm “mangwananani”, the Shona greeting. He was surprised and asked if I knew Zimbabwe. I thought for a split second and decided to surprise him. “My family is from Zimbabwe”. “Oh” he said and smiled and quickly made his exit. What I would have given to have more time to discuss with him. What I did take away from this brief encounter was the level of desperation in Zimbabwe if they are looking for investment from a country that is better known for famine than funding. (Either that or he was looking to invest ill-gotten gains from Zimbabwe…)
Three hours after arriving at the ministry we achieved an unexpected success and walked out with our license to operate. What a pleasant surprise. I have been told by the Chief of Party of the project that with this major accomplishment under my belt it is okay if I do nothing else for the rest of the week. Tempting, but I am hoping to get a lot done this week – including some visits to fun tourist sights. What amazes me about the experience today is that this ministry is considered the most efficient in Ethiopia (according to one of my Ethiopian colleagues). As all investors have to get a license as a first step before they can operate here you can only imagine the difficult business environment. Another much-needed development project.
Back in Addis
I find myself in Addis Ababa for the fourth time in four years and it is good to be back. I’m here for two weeks on a management visit to one of our projects. I helped to start up this project in 2004 and this is the first time I’ve been back to work with the team since, so it’s great to see how much the team has accomplished.
It was a typical grueling flight, but at least it did not involve flying through Charles de Gaulle. The highlight was watching the golden sun set over the sand dunes of Sudan out the window of the plane. A surreal sight. My preferred hotel here (the Hilton) is fully booked as usual so I am staying at Hotel Leopold, and yes, it is just as interesting as it sounds. As I walked through the entrance delirious from the 24 hour journey I thought my eyes were deceiving me as I was flanked by exotic animals – a very badly stuffed scruffy lion and an equally sad-looking leopard. The trip continued when I got to my room and discovered a king sized bed with a leopard print velvet bedspread and matching pillow cases. In the morning I had to shower one-handed as the only way to ensure a stream of water was to pull down on the shower hose. Plus the soap dish was angled downward so it was impossible to keep the soap on it. At breakfast, I discovered a beautiful chandelier in the dining room – it was just a shame that the ceiling was only 10ft high and the chandelier is at least 5ft tall, meaning that you have to walk around the chandelier, which is conveniently located in the middle of the buffet. The sad thing is that Leopold is the same price as the Hilton, and although no where near Hilton standards, it is actually quite a nice hotel, it’s just the little things that they have missed. Now why isn’t there a tourism development project in Ethiopia – it would be very helpful.
It was a typical grueling flight, but at least it did not involve flying through Charles de Gaulle. The highlight was watching the golden sun set over the sand dunes of Sudan out the window of the plane. A surreal sight. My preferred hotel here (the Hilton) is fully booked as usual so I am staying at Hotel Leopold, and yes, it is just as interesting as it sounds. As I walked through the entrance delirious from the 24 hour journey I thought my eyes were deceiving me as I was flanked by exotic animals – a very badly stuffed scruffy lion and an equally sad-looking leopard. The trip continued when I got to my room and discovered a king sized bed with a leopard print velvet bedspread and matching pillow cases. In the morning I had to shower one-handed as the only way to ensure a stream of water was to pull down on the shower hose. Plus the soap dish was angled downward so it was impossible to keep the soap on it. At breakfast, I discovered a beautiful chandelier in the dining room – it was just a shame that the ceiling was only 10ft high and the chandelier is at least 5ft tall, meaning that you have to walk around the chandelier, which is conveniently located in the middle of the buffet. The sad thing is that Leopold is the same price as the Hilton, and although no where near Hilton standards, it is actually quite a nice hotel, it’s just the little things that they have missed. Now why isn’t there a tourism development project in Ethiopia – it would be very helpful.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
It had to happen sometime
For the first time ever, I have just missed a flight. I must add that it was no fault of my own – the Charles de Gaulle Airport has now risen to the very top of my list of least favorite airports. Quite an accomplishment really. My flight from Zagreb arrived on time, but it took me a full hour and ten minutes to get from my arrival gate to my departure gate just two terminals away. Needless to say, I only had an hour to connect.
The airport is under construction to repair the roof of the E terminal, which collapsed a couple of years ago (which in itself is not exactly a good indication), but even without the construction, the airport has a highly inefficient layout. I had to take three separate buses to get from the plane to my departure gate – and of course there was a significant wait for each bus. When I finally got to what I thought was the terminal, I had to go through security. Why does Paris have the toughest security out of any airport in the world? The surly French official manning the x-ray machine did not make life any easier as I was rushing through. Not only did my (flat) shoes set off the x-ray machines prompting a very thorough hand search, but they actually hand search each and every piece of hand luggage coming into the terminal.
I explained to the grumpy man searching my bag that I was in a major hurry and my flight was scheduled to leave in 10 minutes (at that point). He pretended not to speak English. My frustration mounted as he searched every nook and cranny, opening my eye shadow pot and feeling my neck pillow, calling over the person to wave his wand and test for explosives. I muttered under my breath, ‘bloody Frenchmen’. It was a miracle, suddenly he spoke English! He looks up at me and dared me to repeat the insult to his face! Oops. I started to have images of me being put on the no fly list as he gave my boarding card to yet another security official to check on the computer. While I waited he continued to dare me to repeat my comment. I didn’t, although I was tempted to see what his reaction would be. Would he hit a woman? He seemed like he might so I didn’t dare.
When I was finally released (after only about 5 minutes total), I ran down a long hallway, down three flights of stairs carrying my hand luggage (yes, the French somehow believe that is a good idea to have stairs and no escalator which is so helpful to those strange people that are carrying hand luggage in an airport) only to discover that this was in fact the terminal in name only – I had to take another bus. The 10 minute ride made my chances of making the flight nil. So my punishment for insulting the ‘bloody French’ is that I am now spending a total of 7 hours in CDG. At least writing this story has given me my first laugh of the day.
I am not looking forward to my 8 hour flight – without food. Yes, it is too late to special order a meal. I just hope my luck changes. I couldn’t handle another Frenchman hooking up with a chick he picks up on this flight (see my blog about my trip out to Serbia Jan 14th).
Next time I am routing through Amsterdam!
The airport is under construction to repair the roof of the E terminal, which collapsed a couple of years ago (which in itself is not exactly a good indication), but even without the construction, the airport has a highly inefficient layout. I had to take three separate buses to get from the plane to my departure gate – and of course there was a significant wait for each bus. When I finally got to what I thought was the terminal, I had to go through security. Why does Paris have the toughest security out of any airport in the world? The surly French official manning the x-ray machine did not make life any easier as I was rushing through. Not only did my (flat) shoes set off the x-ray machines prompting a very thorough hand search, but they actually hand search each and every piece of hand luggage coming into the terminal.
I explained to the grumpy man searching my bag that I was in a major hurry and my flight was scheduled to leave in 10 minutes (at that point). He pretended not to speak English. My frustration mounted as he searched every nook and cranny, opening my eye shadow pot and feeling my neck pillow, calling over the person to wave his wand and test for explosives. I muttered under my breath, ‘bloody Frenchmen’. It was a miracle, suddenly he spoke English! He looks up at me and dared me to repeat the insult to his face! Oops. I started to have images of me being put on the no fly list as he gave my boarding card to yet another security official to check on the computer. While I waited he continued to dare me to repeat my comment. I didn’t, although I was tempted to see what his reaction would be. Would he hit a woman? He seemed like he might so I didn’t dare.
When I was finally released (after only about 5 minutes total), I ran down a long hallway, down three flights of stairs carrying my hand luggage (yes, the French somehow believe that is a good idea to have stairs and no escalator which is so helpful to those strange people that are carrying hand luggage in an airport) only to discover that this was in fact the terminal in name only – I had to take another bus. The 10 minute ride made my chances of making the flight nil. So my punishment for insulting the ‘bloody French’ is that I am now spending a total of 7 hours in CDG. At least writing this story has given me my first laugh of the day.
I am not looking forward to my 8 hour flight – without food. Yes, it is too late to special order a meal. I just hope my luck changes. I couldn’t handle another Frenchman hooking up with a chick he picks up on this flight (see my blog about my trip out to Serbia Jan 14th).
Next time I am routing through Amsterdam!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Rumblings in Kosovo
There were protests today in Pristina, the captial of Kosovo. The protestors were ethnic Albanians (which is 90% of the population of Kosovo) protesting that the new UN plan for semi-autonomy does not go far enough. The UN forces broke up the protests, but I saw film footage of at least one bad injury. This does not bode well.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6350125.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6350125.stm
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Impressionist
With my time in Zagreb running out, I decided to continue my culture streak and visited the Mimara gallery on Saturday morning. The gallery hosts a variety of medium from glass to tapestries, but the highlight were the impressionist painters with original paintings by Renoir, Manet, Degas, Serrat, etc. They have a very unique Degas pastel on paper of a woman bathing and a spectacular Renoir that I have never seen before.
I am now back at my hotel and procrastinating working on a article that is due on Monday. How hard can it be to write 800 words, right? I am going to a housewarming party tonight hosted by my colleague who just moved out here for a year. It should be a fun event.
I am now back at my hotel and procrastinating working on a article that is due on Monday. How hard can it be to write 800 words, right? I am going to a housewarming party tonight hosted by my colleague who just moved out here for a year. It should be a fun event.
Krabuljnom plesu
I had no plans in Zagreb on a Friday night, so I decided to make a solo cultured evening out of it. I walked the one block to the National Theater (see photo below) and bought a ticket to the opera. I knew it was Verdi, but the name Krabuljnom plesu did not give me a lot to go on in figuring out the English (or Italian) title.
I had an hour to wait after buying my ticket, so I walked across the street to the Arts and Crafts Museum which currently has an exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus – a collection of his drawings and writings on architecture, geography, engineering, and weaponry. I think of Leonardo as an artist and a researcher of movement of the human body, but had no idea the he was also a brilliant mechanical engineer. What was interesting is that his inventions and designs had very little text to go with them and mostly were captured in detailed drawings with incredible perspective. I also learned that Leo was left handed and actually wrote from right to left, so that each letter is in reverse order
!daer ot tluciffid yreV
Included in his drawings was a design for an incredibly modern looking bicycle. There is some dispute as to whether this particular drawing is authentic, but if it is then he beat the ‘inventor’ of the bicycle by centuries. I would not be at all surprised if it were authentic given some of Leo’s other inventions including a deep sea diving suit, a glider, a parachute and lots of weaponry.
The opera turned out to be Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball). I managed to figure out the very basic plot (man falls in love with friend’s wife and ends up dead) but would not recommend going to an opera with translation into Croatian and no clue as to the plot. I even thought about leaving at intermission (1.5 hours into the show), but the music was good, besides, I didn't want to offend. It was a packed house (I got one of the last tickets) and people from all generations from young children out with their parents to older couples and everything in between were enjoying the show.
I had an hour to wait after buying my ticket, so I walked across the street to the Arts and Crafts Museum which currently has an exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus – a collection of his drawings and writings on architecture, geography, engineering, and weaponry. I think of Leonardo as an artist and a researcher of movement of the human body, but had no idea the he was also a brilliant mechanical engineer. What was interesting is that his inventions and designs had very little text to go with them and mostly were captured in detailed drawings with incredible perspective. I also learned that Leo was left handed and actually wrote from right to left, so that each letter is in reverse order
!daer ot tluciffid yreV
Included in his drawings was a design for an incredibly modern looking bicycle. There is some dispute as to whether this particular drawing is authentic, but if it is then he beat the ‘inventor’ of the bicycle by centuries. I would not be at all surprised if it were authentic given some of Leo’s other inventions including a deep sea diving suit, a glider, a parachute and lots of weaponry.
The opera turned out to be Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball). I managed to figure out the very basic plot (man falls in love with friend’s wife and ends up dead) but would not recommend going to an opera with translation into Croatian and no clue as to the plot. I even thought about leaving at intermission (1.5 hours into the show), but the music was good, besides, I didn't want to offend. It was a packed house (I got one of the last tickets) and people from all generations from young children out with their parents to older couples and everything in between were enjoying the show.
Split Road Trip
Today was one of those days where I had to pinch myself to remind me that I am actually being paid to be here and do this work. It was an early start to drive down to Metković to interview mandarin farmers that have recently gained EurepGAP certification. The drive was spectacular, watching the sun risking over the Adriatic coast and enjoying the company of my driver and translator provided by the project.
Our company has helped a group of 28 farmers to get EurepGAP certification so their mandarins can be sold into supermarkets in Western Europe. Most supermarkets in W. Europe are now requiring this certification that basically ensures triple bottom line accounting – environmental, social and financial benefits to the farmer. The certification ensures that neither the farmers nor the environment is harmed from the use of pesticides and fertilizer and that they get a fair price for their product. These farmers were the first in Croatia to receive the certification at the end of last year.
On the way back to Split, we stopped off in the little town of Omiš (o-mish). It is a tiny little town built between the mountain and the sea with a river running through the middle. With no room to expand, it still has its medieval architecture completely in tact. We walked around the town and passed several open doors of wine cellars with small groups of oldies sitting around an enjoying an afternoon tipple. When it started raining we jumped in the car and headed home.
Our company has helped a group of 28 farmers to get EurepGAP certification so their mandarins can be sold into supermarkets in Western Europe. Most supermarkets in W. Europe are now requiring this certification that basically ensures triple bottom line accounting – environmental, social and financial benefits to the farmer. The certification ensures that neither the farmers nor the environment is harmed from the use of pesticides and fertilizer and that they get a fair price for their product. These farmers were the first in Croatia to receive the certification at the end of last year.
On the way back to Split, we stopped off in the little town of Omiš (o-mish). It is a tiny little town built between the mountain and the sea with a river running through the middle. With no room to expand, it still has its medieval architecture completely in tact. We walked around the town and passed several open doors of wine cellars with small groups of oldies sitting around an enjoying an afternoon tipple. When it started raining we jumped in the car and headed home.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Split
Welcome to my tour of the Adriatic. I arrived in Split on a flight from Zagreb at 9 am this morning. I decided to fly in a day early to see some of the sights as I have a feeling that my next two days are going to be a little busy with work. Sadly, because of my unexpected day off yesterday, I ended up spending almost the entire day sitting in my hotel room looking out over the Adriatic while I caught up on some work.
I did take a two hour break to go explore the city and it is magical. The center of the city has been built inside an old Roman Palace. When I heard this described before I arrived, I thought it was built on top of ruins, but no, the new is built right into the old. The Roman emperor Diocletian built his retirement palace here in 305 AD and it was designed as a large fortress 215m x 181m. In the 7th Century Romans from the surrounding countryside moved into the palace to protect themselves from invading Slavs, and basically they stayed and new generations continued to build in and around the palace. Today it is a fascinating neighborhood and a hodgepodge of architecture from the ages, polished marble streets, little winding alleyways, interesting art galleries and apartments.
Ironically Diocletian was known for his persecution of early Christians and it seems some of those discriminatory views still exist in the city (see photo of graffiti below).
I had been told that it would be at least 10 degrees (Celsius) warmer here than in Zagreb, so I packed accordingly. Well, it is freezing here today. It was extremely windy – to the point that I ended up wearing half the flakes from my flaky and delicious cherry pastry that I munched on as I strolled around. I decided to go to they gym to warm up (and wake up) but instead discovered a beautiful looking gym with not one piece of equipment that works! The internet access that is claimed by the hotel is also non-functional (I’ll have to post this in the office tomorrow). I’m not sure whether I’m having an unlucky day or whether it’s an indication that the hotels are not quite up to international standards just yet.
I did take a two hour break to go explore the city and it is magical. The center of the city has been built inside an old Roman Palace. When I heard this described before I arrived, I thought it was built on top of ruins, but no, the new is built right into the old. The Roman emperor Diocletian built his retirement palace here in 305 AD and it was designed as a large fortress 215m x 181m. In the 7th Century Romans from the surrounding countryside moved into the palace to protect themselves from invading Slavs, and basically they stayed and new generations continued to build in and around the palace. Today it is a fascinating neighborhood and a hodgepodge of architecture from the ages, polished marble streets, little winding alleyways, interesting art galleries and apartments.
Ironically Diocletian was known for his persecution of early Christians and it seems some of those discriminatory views still exist in the city (see photo of graffiti below).
I had been told that it would be at least 10 degrees (Celsius) warmer here than in Zagreb, so I packed accordingly. Well, it is freezing here today. It was extremely windy – to the point that I ended up wearing half the flakes from my flaky and delicious cherry pastry that I munched on as I strolled around. I decided to go to they gym to warm up (and wake up) but instead discovered a beautiful looking gym with not one piece of equipment that works! The internet access that is claimed by the hotel is also non-functional (I’ll have to post this in the office tomorrow). I’m not sure whether I’m having an unlucky day or whether it’s an indication that the hotels are not quite up to international standards just yet.
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