Mark Thomas - The editor and big chief of The Dubrovnik Times. Born in the UK he has been living and working in Dubrovnik since 1998, yes he is one of the rare “old hands.” A unique insight into both British and Croatian life and culture, Mark is often known as just “Englez” or Englishman. He is a traveller, a current affairs freak and a huge AFC Wimbledon fan.
Email: mark.thomas@dubrovnik-times.com
Croatia is known as a catholic country which esteems its traditional values thus the Catholic Church in Croatia fears a liberal sex and health education.
A recent survey carried out by the EduCentar portal about introducing sex education in Croatian schools shows that more than 55 percent of young population seek information regarding sex education on the internet.
''The situation is very disappointing but sadly it is true. In small places people are ashamed to inquire about birth control because it means that one is going to have sex before marriage. Instead it is easier to Google information and then share them with other uninformed friends'', said one of the respondents, whilst the others commented that ''the internet is the easiest way if you don't trust a person''.
The respondents also added that teen magazines were also one of their logical choices apart from the internet because ''teachers refused to answer their questions regarding sexuality''. They also complained about incorrect and incomplete information from different sources, including professionals. ''The important information was always missing. On the internet we are able to find arguments, studies and facts to support all those information we are trying to find. Information that we received from professionals were often limited and unsubstantiated, they expected us to simply accept them''.
The survey also showed that 15 percent of the respondents relied on their peers as a source of information on sexuality, whilst only 10 percent of them asked their parents for advice. They believe that this matter is to be dealt with parents, not teachers.
You can have Dubrovnik all to yourself, but you will have to get up early. Mexican blogger and photographer Frank Coronado recently visited Dubrovnik and proved that if you want to explore the historic Old City without the normal hustle and bustle of the midseason you need to do it at 7.30 in the morning.
Not only did he have the stone streets and monuments to himself but he also was pretty much all alone in the Adriatic Sea on the iconic Banje Beach. With the simple message of “Dubrovnik 7.30” on his Twitter account Coronado highlighted the beauty of early morning Dubrovnik.
Check out his “crack of dawn” gallery
Shawn Thomas is the host of the show 'Local flight' that recently published an episode on Dubrovnik. It was published on Tastemade, a global community for food and travel lovers. In this show, the host travels around the world meeting mixologists and challenging them to create amazing cocktails using unique local ingredients.
In Dubrovnik, Shawn Thomas, joined by Marjan Lipanovic, a bartender in Culture Club Revelin, brings together a cocktail reminiscent of the sea that begins with a locally sourced oyster and includes an orange, sun-dried figs from a nearby market and salt from a 4,000-year-old salt mine. An interesting way to get to know Dubrovnik and its surroundings!
Funny enough, The Dubrovnik Times team was present during the filming in the Old City. We noticed the host and cameraman, but didn't have enough curiosity to ask what was happening (yes, that happens to journalists too). Just in case, we took some photos and finally now we know what is the story behind them! It took only two months... Better late than never!
The members of U2 have been a real hit this summer in Cavtat and Dubrovnik, but the greatest ''fan mania'' was made by Bono Vox, who came few days later than the others to Cavtat. Yesterday, he spent his day with family and friends on beautiful island of Korcula.
He was seen in the most crowded street in the old part of the town – Petar Kanavelic promenade where he decided to have a lunch at the restaurant ''Filippi''. There, in his warm and laid back style, he met the young staff and also took some photos. It seems like the famous singer can't get enough of our area, so we're sure we'll see him again.
Every weekend our resident "Style Guru" will be scanning the streets of Dubrovnik for the latest and greatest in fashion.
“You can’t miss us; we are right on the river front.” Now that’s not a common sentence you hear when describing a restaurant in Dubrovnik, but this is no common restaurant.
Located on the banks of the Ombla River this “new kid on the restaurant block” not only has unique views but also nature’s air-conditioning. Bright and flowing, and no I am not describing the Ombla now, it has quickly forged itself on the Dubrovnik restaurant scene. Restaurant Bogo, or to give it its original name Konoba Bogo, is a breath of fresh air.
“And as you can see we have plenty of space to sit inside,” said the friendly waitress as she greeted me. I nodded my head in agreement, it was hard to argue with beauty of the high-ceilings, the wooden theme and the walls of windows, but my eyes were already wandering. Through the large windows I spotted a little piece of paradise. “Yes, it is very nice…would you mind if I had a look outside,” I answered.
Three things hit me as I walked out onto the terrace, a) it was much cooler than the rest of the city, b) I had never eaten with a view like this before and c) the olive trees that lined the terrace were stunning. “They are hundreds of years old,” came a voice from behind me. Ah, they had obviously seen that I was admiring their mini olive grove. “It must be nice sitting out here,” I changed the subject. Whether for a morning coffee, light lunch or romantic evening meal the terrace would have been my choice, and a different perspective on the Dubrovnik countryside.
Enough of the location I wanted to get done to the real business…show me the menu! I am definitely a fan of short menus. Those novel length menus which advertise a mind-boggling array of dishes just makes me feel one thing, nothing here is fresh. I only had one problem, where should the gastronomic adventure begin?
I would describe the menu as a fusion of traditional Mediterranean meals with a modern twist. Although that word “fusion” seems a bit tired now, so let’s just say – traditional values, modern ideas. They have a show-cooking kitchen and a grill that is larger than my apartment. Fish, meat, pasta, risotto…it might have been a short menu but it was also terribly tempting.
I plumped for a solid starter, Dalmatian smoked ham, cheese from oil, olives, cherry tomatoes…well you know the deal. The smoked ham immediately caught my eye, well rather my taste buds. The story that unfolded was an insight into the care and preparation that Bogo will soon be famous for. “We never slice the prosciutto with an electric slicer we only use hand sliced prosciutto,” commented the owner. I had to ask why! “Because the electric slicers produce heat when slicing which takes away some of the flavor from the prosciutto,” he explained. It seemed obvious, but also extremely meticulous. And the result was absolutely delicious.
And then there was the wine list, oh boy! “Don’t forget we also have a unique list of craft beers from tiny breweries,” added the waitress with a smile. This was going to be a long afternoon, but I am sure there were worse places to be on a sunny day in Dubrovnik. To slightly misquote Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Bogo, I will be back!”
Contact Info
Address – Konoba Bogo, Gorava 41, Dubrovnik
Phone – 00385 (0) 95 333 5335
Web - www.facebook.com/BoGoDUBROVNIK
The British have fallen in love with Zupa! Figures just in from the Zupa Tourist Board show that the number of British tourists in the Zupa region this year is an amazing 46 percent more than last year. In the first seven months of 2015 a grand total of 60,443 tourists visited Zupa, a borough adjoining Dubrovnik, which is an 8 percent increase over the same period from last year. The majority of these guests came from the UK, 7,383 in total.
One of the reasons for this jump in interest from the UK market is undoubtedly the opening of the Sheraton Hotel last year. A brand name that is recognised on the UK market has acted as a magnet for UK guests. After British tourists came guests from Croatia, France, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Korea.
Of course with the opening of the Dubrovnik Sheraton Riviera comes the news that the largest increase in the number of overnight stays this year is in the hotel and resort sector, an impressive increase of 21 percent. Guests choosing to stay in private accommodation is at the same level as last year whilst visitors plumping for camp sites has dropped massively, an 80 percent decrease compared to 2015.
Ivanka Trump, American businesswoman, writer, former model and the daughter of Donald Trump, who is currently fighting hard to become USA president, has been around Dubrovnik for couple of days now. Yesterday, she shared an Instagram photo from the City Walls with Wendi Deng Murdoch, another American businesswoman, famous as the third wife of News Corporation chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch.
It seems like two businss oriented ladies decided to take some rest from their busy schedule, especially Ivanka, who has been involved in her father's campaign. In 15 hours, photo got over 26 thousand likes and mostly positive comments, one of which is: TWO powerful women that I adore the most!!