Croatia Networks

Holiday Home Management

Peter Saxon — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:48:57 +0000

365 Day Secure Key Holding

We can provide access for holiday changeovers, trades, utilities, gas checks; arrange for deliveries; collect and forward mail, etc. If requested we can sign out keys to tradespeople for access to the property, or accompany a visitor if required.

Subscription to our annual keyholding service includes email or website photo’s of your property.

Key holding Service - tarrifs. All prices are inclusive
Annual Fee 200.00 €
Prices may be subject to change. Correct as at April 2008.

Year-round property access from our local offices
Call-outs throughout the year, including out-of-hours
Property Checks
Mail Collection and Mail Re-direct We can collect mail from a vacant property and forward to the customer’s contact address.
Bill Payment Regular or one-off service available.
Access for trades, utilities, deliveries etc

Whether your property is used as a second home or for holiday rental, or whether you are away from your primary residence on holiday or business, we provide a locally based service which can be contacted at any time throughout the year.

Konoba Dalmare

Peter Saxon — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:56:50 +0000

Seafood is a specialty on the Dalatian coast.

If you are in the Sibenik region, you must feast at “Konoba Dalmare” ,it is located on the coast road, just outside Sibenik - Magistrale, Brodarica.

You can telephone +385 (022) 350 730

Without a doubt the very best seafood in the Sibenik region.

Cravat

Peter Saxon — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:57:59 +0000

Hrvat means Croat=Cravat As millions around the world dress to go to work each day or to go out for the evening, most probably do not realize that a major accessory of their wardrobe originated in Croatia.

The necktie, or kravata, is Croatia’s contribution to the world of fashion.
The use of the necktie in Croatia dates back to as early as the mid-1600s.

During the European Thirty Year War (1618-1648), Croatian soldiers were also drawn into battle and sent to fight in various regions of Europe.

At that time, the traditional Croatian military dress included a picturesque scarf tied around the neck in a manner which is very similar to the style in which the necktie is worn today.

In 1618, some agents of the Holy Roman Emperor were in Prague being disagreeable.
Some citizens threw the agents out a window.

The agents landed on a dunghill, so they survived.
Nevertheless, they were, in a foul temper, and (to simplify a bit) the “Defenestration of Prague” led to the Thirty Years War, which quickly, led to the need for Croatian mercenarie’s.
They were rough-and-ready fellows, but they did not neglect the decorative arts: They wore colorful neckwear.
The word “‘cravat” is derived from the word “Croat” and neckties are descended from what those Croatians wore.
It is unclear why those Croatians execited so much imitation.
Few people at the moment are sticklers about following the fashions of Croatian mercenaries.
Because some Croatian soldiers were stationed in Paris, this “Croatian style” greatly impressed their French counterparts.
French men adopted this new fashion during the reign of Louis XIV and referred to it as “a la Croate”.
Eventually, it became known by the French word “cravate”.
The tie entered the bourgeois fashion of th at era as a sign of cultivation and elegance and went on to conquer the whole of Europe.
Today, men across the entire civilized world tie knots in neckties in every imaginable color and made from a wide array of materials from silk to burlap.
Unlike many fashions, which fade or disappear over time, the necktie has retained its popularity for hundreds of years and is still considered a basic item of most men’s wardrobes, rather than just a decorative accessory.

As the court of Lottis XIV was a trendsetter in culturevand fashion, tile use of the “‘cravate” becamne wide- spread across Europe, with each country adopting a slightly altered word in their own language.

NAMES FOR THE NECKTIE (CRAVAT) AROUND THE WORLD:

Hungarian: Kravat, English: Cravat-Neck Tie, Portuguese: Oravata, Croatian: Kravata, Polish: Krawat, German: Krawatte, Italian: Cravatta, French: Cravate, Spanish: Corvatta.

Visit Krapanj Island

Peter Saxon — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:56:01 +0000

“From many sources too many to mention ……”
Edited by Peter

Krapanj is an Island in the Sibenik achipelago, covering an area of only 0.36 km2; it is the smallest inhabited island in the Adriatic and is only 400 m off the shore. Due to the alleyways and stone houses, the atmosphere on this island has remained almost preserved. The moment you get off the ferry in Krapanj’s port, time stops and Krapanj starts telling its story. If you want to ask someone something about this island, its enough just to in one of the coffeehouses on the island for a while, and you will soon know everything. In the morning, most of the people living on Krapanj will say hello to you. They are happy to make passing comments on the weather, wind or about their daily chores. It is wonderful to be on an island so close to the land, and enjoy its unspoiled insular atmosphere.

Torna Juric, a nobleman from Sibenik, and a descendant of the Subic family from Bribar, gave the island to the Franciscans, the Brothers of the Bosnian vicary. He had bought the island from the Kaptol od Sibenik with intention to build a chapel there. He only had one condition: only the Friars minor were to live on this island and no one else. Only the Franciscans were allowed to inhabit the island. Very soon, the monestery came under the possession of the St. Jerome’s province of Dalmatia. Since the 16th century Turk invasions in these areas were very fierce, the Franciscans allowed peope living on the neighbouring mainland to build their own settlement, southeast of the monastery. When Turks invaded the country, the Franciscans used armed force to defend themselves. Today, the settlement is overlooked by a beautiful pine forest, which also contributes to the feeling of peace dominating the island.

After the death of Torna Junic, his three sons wanted to build a monestery, and Pope Eugene IV gave them permission to do so. The Holy Cross monstery was built in 1450 and creates a special separate unity on the island.. since the work of the Franciscan friars was closely connected to the inhabitants of the island, in 1652, the monestery was given a parish, and the friars began offering spiritual and other assistance to parishes on the mainland. The remains of the old church walls, in part, can be seen by the front door of the cloister. The church was expanded in 1937, and the wall bearing the consecration date (May 15, 1523) joins the new church building with the cloister.

The church is located on the northen side of the monastery, and its remaining three parts are residential. In the central part of the monastery, there is a wonderful cloister, and a well. The cloister got its final appearance in 1626. it is simple and finely made, full of semicircular arches and massive pillars, without any ornamation.
Since the monastery had been rebuilt, and expanded so many times over the years, the only original room remaining is the dining room. A very valuable painting of the Last Supper by the 16th century Italian artist Francesco da Santa Croce and six paintings belonging to the period from the 15th to 18th centuries are kept in that room. A very valuable Renaissance painting, the Black Madonna on the throne, a bible from 1473, 23 incunabula, and theological books from 15th to 18th centuries are also kept in the monastery. There is also an exhibition of sponge diving on Krapanj in the monastery museum.

PADI Discover Scuba Diving

Peter Saxon — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:31:05 +0000

Curavic Diving Academy

For those who would like to discover diving for the first time we offer PADI Discover SCUBA. Candidate is equipped with complete SCUBA gear and closely guided by the instructor makes his/hers first dive.

PADI Discover SCUBA is created for the people who would just like to try diving, to see how they feel and to see how they like it before they decide to continue the SCUBA diving education.

The program is carried out exclusively by professional instructor. During the dive you will be introduced to the most important rules of diving theory perform adaptation to water and diving equipment perform exercises in limited open water or in a pool.

Duration: 3 hours

PADI Open Water Diver Course

Diving education program begins with the basic course - PADI Open Water Diver. The candidates receive basic knowledge about the SCUBA equipment, techniques and underwater physiology. Completing the course the candidates is trained for dives up to depth of 18 meters.

Course includes :
PADI diving theory (5 moduls)
Excercises in limited open water or in a pool
4 dives in open water (4th dive is most often from boat) maximal depth is 18 m
usage of our diving equipment
PADI kit and certificate

Duration: 6 days

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course provides deeper and wider knowledge on topics already covered by Open Water Diver. It also provides additional diving skills and techniques such as underwater orientation, deep diving (up to depth of 40 meters), night diving and underwater searching.

The course includes five dives.
Duration : 2 - 3 days
After finished course one gets ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER certificate !

PADI Rescue Diver Course

PADI Rescue Diver course provides the diver with the additional safety. Course covers additional topics of human physiology and CPR. Candidate is trained to recognize and prevent unwanted situations during diving. To attend this course it is neccesary to have any proof of passed first aid exam, not older then two years. If you dont have such an certificate, we will enable you to attend MEDIC FIRST AID course in our center.

Duration : 3 days

After PADI RESCUE course one gets the certificate.

For its candidates we provide complete SCUBA diving gear of very high quality. After completing a course candidate receives PADI official certificate for the corresponding category.

For more experienced divers Curavić SCUBA program offers education and certification for instructor levels according to PADI diving school.

Diving trips

After completing the course(s) it is our wish to provide our candidates with continues diving activities during the whole year. Center is organizing diving trips to very interesting destinations of Adriatic underwater world. There are speed-boats on our disposal allowing us to transport divers to the destination fast.

For divers on our diving trips we offer the service of renting the complete diving gear or just some parts of it.

Mob.: +385/91/5627878

Hotel Spongiola - Krapanj Island

Peter Saxon — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:18:07 +0000

Obala I br.58, Krapanj HR-22010 Brodarica
Tel: +385 22 348 900 Fax: +385 22 348 903
info@spongiola.com

Fast Food Brodarica

Peter Saxon — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:11:17 +0000

Barba Konoba Pizza

UL. Obala Maratuse 36, Brodarica

Tel: 091 252 9089

Opening Times 16:00 - midnight

Apartment for Rent on Krapanj Island

Peter Saxon — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:04:27 +0000

Modern apartment available in a quiet piazza on Krapanj for 2 to 4 people.

Modern kitchen with all facilities

Contact: Frane (Frank) Juric
Telephone: +385 (0)91 2110946

Beautiful Family Home to Rent

Peter Saxon — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:02:30 +0000

For up to 6 people,and only 30m from the sea.

The accommodation comprises:
3 Double Bedrooms.
2 Bathrooms.
Fully Fitted Kitchen.
Fully equipped saloon TV.
Terrace and barbecue area.
Ample Parking.

Cost; Only 70 Euro per day.
Contact Velimir on Tel. 00385 (0)22 350139

General Info

Peter Saxon — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:35:16 +0000

Currency:
Kuna (1 Kuna = 100 Lipa). There are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 Lipa coins, 1, 2, 5 and 25 Kuna coins and 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 Kuna banknotes.
Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices, post offices and at most tourist agencies, hotels and camping grounds.
Credit cards: Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards (American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard/Mastercard, Visa, Sport Card International). Cash dispensing machines are ubiquitous.

Electricity:
Voltage of city power grid – 220V, frequency 50HZ

Water: Tap water is potable throughout Croatia.

Time zone:
GMT plus one hour in winter and GMT plus two in summer.

Travel documentation:
Passport or some other internationally recognised identification document. Tourists may remain in Croatia for up to three months.

For more information:
Diplomatic consulates of the Republic of Croatia abroad or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia.
Tel. 01 4569 964
Web: www.mvp.hr/mvprh-www-eng/index.html

Customs regulations:
Customs regulations of the Republic of Croatia are in line with the standards of European Union countries. Foreign currency is freely brought in and taken out of the country (up to a value of 3.000 euros); up to a value of 15.000 kn for domestic currency. More expensive professional and technical equipment should be registered at the border. Dogs and cats, accompanied by their owner, need to have an International certificate from a registered veterinarian stating that at least 15 days and not more than six months have passed since their vaccination against rabies. Tax refund for goods purchased in Croatia over 500 kuna in value with a validated “Tax cheque” at departure from the country. Information: Republic of Croatia Customs Administration (tel 01 6102 333); Web: www.carina.hr

Purchase tax reimbursement for foreign citizens:
Tourists making purchases in Croatia (apart from petroleum derivatives) which exceed 500 Kuna per receipt may reclaim VAT (”PDV”).
At point of purchase the sales person will provide on request a form PDV-P, which should be filled out and stamped, on the spot. On leaving Croatia the receipt must be verified by the Croatian Customs service. A PDV refund in Kuna can be obtained within six months, either at the same shop where the goods were purchased (in which case the tax is refunded immediately), or by posting the verified receipt back to the shop, together with the account number into which the refund should be paid. In this case the refund is dealt with within 15 days of receipt of the claim.

Medical service:
There are hospitals and clinics in all larger cities and first aid clinics and pharmacies in all places. Foreign tourists do not pay for medical services if the Health Care Convention was signed between Croatia and the country they come from. Expenses of health services provided to persons coming from the countries with which the Health Care Convention was not signed are charged directly to users according to the price list. There are hospitals and clinics in all the major towns, and health centres, as well as pharmacies, in all the smaller places. For patients whose lives are in danger, there is emergency transport by air(helicopter) or sea (speedboat).
There is a network of veterinary clinics and centres in Croatia.
Information: www.veterinarstvo.hr, e-mail: veterinarstvo@zg.tel.hr

Working hours:
Shops and department stores are open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., or to 3 p.m. A smaller number of stores close between noon and 4 p.m. Many stores are also open on Sundays, especially in the summer, and a smaller number in the larger cities are open 24 hours a day. Public services and companies usually work from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Post and Telecommunications:
Post Offices are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays until 1 p.m. There are Post Offices in the larger cities which are open until 10 p.m. in the summer. Postage stamps are sold in Post Offices and at newsstands.
Public telephones can be used only with phone cards, which can be purchased in Post Offices and at newsstands, in hotels and tourist complexes.

Shopping
Traditional handmade objects are the best souvenir, cloth and other ornament made from silver or sea shells. Interesting object of wood and ceramics, handmade can be found along the coast.
If you go shopping shoes or clothes, shop prizes won’t pleasantly surprise you. If you aren’t interested in design clothes we suggest searching small boutiques and local market. Prizes are much better and during season choice is rather big.

Environmental protection:
Protection of the biological diversity is in conjunction with the EU regulations currently in force. The water quality of the Croatia’s Adriatic Sea is of high quality for swimming and in conjunction to the EU criteria. In case of an accident or contamination of the sea, please contact the National Centre for Sea Search and Rescue on the number 9155 (free telephone), which is a part of international institutions of the same rank. In case of accidental environmental contamination on land, report it to the National Information Centre on the number 01/4814 911 For additional information about the environment: tel: 01/6106 111
Tel: 0800 200 037, Web: www.mzopu.hr

Fire prevention:
Ensure that you have done everything to prevent a fire!
Do not throw lit or flammable objects into the environment!
If you see a fire, please inform others in your proximity; report it immediately on the telephone number - 93; try to extinguish the fire till the fire-fighters arrive and in such a manner so as not to endanger yourself or others!
Take notice of signs forbidding the lighting of fires!
Take care that your parked vehicle does not obstruct accesses to the fire or roads!

Radio news in foreign languages during the tourist season:
On Program 2 of Croatian radio, along with the regular news in Croatian, the Croatian Auto Club (HAK) will give traffic reports in English, German and Italian along with nautical news a number of times throughout the day.
Other than on Program 2 of Croatian radio, alternating news and traffic reports will be emitted every full hour from the following studios: Program 3 of Bavarian radio, Program 3 of Austrian radio, RAI Uno, British Virgin radio and Chezch radio. Throughout the day nautical news will be emitted in English and Croatian.