Though my home clock says it’s still yesterday at 10:30pm, my Croatia time is 7:30 am, and I arose refreshed and renewed, finding myself requiring nine and a half hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep! Having shaved and taken some pictures again, off my sixth floor balcony, of the Adriatic coast, the large island directly across and the dotted islands spread to the north, I find myself compelled to continue my writing. I tried last night after my wonderful dinner at Joke’s again (pronounced Yo-kayz) of medium rare steak with truffle sauce, tomatoes and fries and fresh salad with greens a grated form of white cabbage and a few olive oil marinated onions, but found myself too exhausted to produce coherence. It might have been a good reflection to have pressed to writing, only to review the blathering incoherence this morning, but alas, I truly had neither the strength nor desire. So, refreshed I rise and now finish the final occurrences of yesterday, but before I continue, I must make my way down to the breakfast buffet, and my first cup of coffee.
Mission accomplished! The coffee machine is interesting and has both Croatian and English on its buttons. I have yet to peruse the buffet, finding myself enamored watching even the other visitors, students from Italy, try to figure out its function. Ah, but the coffee, even from a machine is fine!
For some amazing reason, while checking in last night, I had mentioned to the clerk that I had traveled from western U.S. and was desperately in need of solid rest. Unknowingly at the time, she chose to room me in 602, on the south side arm of the hotel, knowing that 100 students from Italy were staying the night, part of a college experience group in the Balkans, were staying in the north arm of the hotel. What a Godsend!!! So, let’s finish up yesterday’s activities and head on to today’s.
Returning from a late lunch at Joke’s
Last afternoon, upon walking back to my hotel, my mind remembers, which couldn’t last night, three girls, sitting feet hanging off the dock, talking in Croatian and then I hear “Chinese” figuring they must be talking about me. They quickly arose, walking off the dock, grabbed their bicycles and strolled by me as I walked down the steps to the dock, their eyes glancing at me as they passed (I watched them through my peripheral vision). It’s not that they are not used to seeing Orientals here, just not off season, as the cruise ships bring many to the locality; It’s just that, and granted from a distance, they didn’t think, Japanese, but rather Chinese. I did snap a picture of them long before they saw me, so I should include it here.
Time warp back to present buffet
(Ah, and just as I speak, while continuing my buffet breakfast) A young Chinese girl dressed all in black, from high boots to tie in her hair strolls by (part of the Italy group? And obviously the only oriental on the trip from Italy?). As she descended the stairs to the restaurant, I noticed she saw me and couldn’t help but stare, wondering what another oriental, and adult to boot, was doing here in this hotel! Too funny!
Back to Past
Returning to back now to yesterday, in a daze, I found myself wandering the hotel. After settling in, it was then 2 pm and I found myself hungry, partly wondering if my blood sugar was creeping to low state, but not wanting to test it for fear of slight panic, I headed downstairs to escape to the beach and Joke’s, the restaurant which has had my attention ever since Cheri mentioned it to me in reminder, before I left. As indicator of my state, I remembered that when I asked the desk clerk earlier how to get to the beach, she told me, so I thought, to go down the stairs and to the right. I did so, heading down to the restaurant only to wander and find no such opening. Returning up stairs, I asked again and she told me to go to the left, down the stairs and out, and so it worked. I wandered down to the familiar walkway and, remembering to turn right, strolled down a short distance to the ever familiar and long awaited, Joke’s.
I was greeted by a familiar face, that of Mate (pronounced Mah-tay), our waiter from last year’s trip. His English pretty good, his smile and conversation, as the place was slow, did much to add comfort to my being here ‘alone’. We talked of the beach and then of olive oil, only to discover that he has family and father, who presses his own. I asked if it was much like that served with my bread and his positive reply forced my inquiry into to purchase of some before I left today. I arrived at the restaurant that evening, only to find absence of Mate, and then his partner whose name is lost in the fog of last night, tell me that he was called in tonight to bring me the oil, which I purchased for 160K for two liters, the two bottles costing more than my delectably delicious dinner. Mate spoke of his grandfather hand pressing the oil, in the past, but now his father using the same machine with a motor to press the oil, cutting the olives by hand, placing them in the vat, pressing out the oils. My plan all along was to replace the Nyquil I brought for the Nettletons, and return with olive oil, exchanging one form of liquid gold with another, both to be ingested toward health, mine being much tastier, and if you’re lucky, you might be invited over to try some yourself!
So for late lunch, I had fish soup and octopus salad (remembering the incredible salad I had last year in this venue), and was not disappointed in the least. While eating the lunch, a guy (who I took a picture of, was snorkeling just off shore by the walkway) walked by in his wetsuit, diving gloves hanging with his flippers under left arm, and out of his bag carried by the right, an octopus tentacle dangling (the remaining 7 in the bag, I’m sure). My current culinary consumption had to be yesterday’s or an earlier catch today. Wow! I engaged Mate in more conversation asking him if he knew Kent and Cheri, after a brief pause, and a mention of "Amerikanat", he finished with, "who live in Trogir?". And I affirmed, as he continued talking about their occasional visits to the venue.
Finally, fully exhausted, and filled with gastronomical content, I returned back to my room, struggling to remain in coherent contact with the world, instead to be overtaken by the eyelids for about 40 minutes. I always feel the need to press myself, clinging to muddled consciousness, until late night in my new time zone as an effective way of settling this body into the circadian rhythm of the zone, but failed somewhat this time. Following my extended power nap, I watched some local sports (European Olympics of some sort) and stayed awake until 7:15, finally heading back to Joke’s for dinner.
My steak with truffle sauce and incredible shredded cabbage and local lettuce salad dinner was stunning! I could close my eyes for moments and find myself overtaken with the joy and laughter of our group, back in May cajoling and drinking in our satisfaction, the glory of basking in all things Adriatic, and Dalmatian. The olive oil, the food, the friends, the beauty of the salt water gently lapping on the coast, it was just a short distance from heaven, and then my eyes open to the sounds of music and only a mother, father and young daughter recently joining me in the vastly empty, nautically themed eatery.
Back to the present (again?)
So here I sit, now that my morning buffet has turned silent, the crowd of young men and women leaving, being hailed by an adult, the music wafting, then drowned in their ruckus, has finally found my ears, reminding me of the Croatain music in Joke’s too, a blend of local Croatian fair (or so I believe). The only difference is that Joke’s played classic American tunes, while the music here is totally Croatian piped in radio station, complete with commercials. It is strange to have this whole, huge restaurant to myself, sans the three ladies who have moved through the room resetting and refreshing the sky blue table cloths and deep lavender napkins while another refreshes the breakfast bar.
Having finally found ‘the right’ button on the Necta Kobalto machine, my coffee now appears hot and full flavored, ah, I need two more cups of this! I am not sure why, but the eggs here are vibrant, nearly yellow orange in color and so flavorful! In fact, my steak last night and all my food here is, as I have heard Kent refer to as "tasty, bringing health to the body", as opposed to American food which when he eats it leaves an unsettled feeling in his stomach. Even in this breakfast bar, where I’m sure the food isn’t the freshest or finest, the depth of flavor, even in the cheese I am now consuming, is amazing. It seems we, as Americans and all the processed food has done nothing but processed out the fullness of flavor, my wish, that I could bring all this food and flavor home with me!!!!
Having returned to my room after purchasing and sending a postcard home to my similarly waxing in loneliness bride, I open the back patio door of my room to be greeted by the sweet smell of Adriatic Sea air mixed with the scent of coastal pines and junipers. The gentle swooning of seagulls and their cries in the distance and an occasional vehicle or loud vespa like motorcycle, drives by near the back of the hotel. Vehicles here seem so much less restricted, sounding sportier, in a European sense, than those found at home with so many seeking soft spoken vehicles and the inefficiencies these restrictions bring…
I find myself nearly overwhelmed with so many memories pressed in yet rejuvenated by the nearness of sight and smell of the Balkans. Soon I will be pressing on to the next page of my trip, the apparent reason and blessing of being reunited with my Bosnian friends, Trent, Nikki, Ariela their oldest daughter and Luka, their youngest son. I find myself thinking that, even should some terrible event keep us from my continuance on this journey, I could be quite comfortable remaining here for the next 11 days, and return home thankful for the restful, tasteful rejuvenation, but something tells me, that all will go on as planned.
The long awaited and much anticipated journey to Livno, will finally arrive today, and I will experience it unlike my colleagues of last year’s trip, staying in a hotel there and dipping even deeper into the fullness of the Nettleton’s ministry, into education, the people and the development of faith there. I find sweet joy in the unfolding of this adventure and the input of God into this heart of exploration. I find myself torn between wanting to remain in my room and wafting the cool, refreshing Mediterranean air, or making my way replete with baggage, down to the generous, yet empty lobby, but alas, the time has come to lurch forward to my next spot in wait, and, maybe more musings as I do. I don’t want to keep my friends in wait, just because I am lost in the sights and smells of all things gloriously Dalmatian. So, I’ll head to the reeking of smoke elevator, down 6 snail paced floors, to the lobby 45 minutes before the said, scheduled arrival of my dear friends.
My mind rushes, like streaming of consciousness from one thing to another and I hope my musings here do not wander too ineffectively in such musings, but this morning I was lead to Ephesians, finding myself closer to the area and thinking about the peoples then and there, and it struck me.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
Eph 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One (Jesus) he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment —to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
I suppose the heading of this part of scripture is partly correct (as it always is) yet not fully correct (as it always is). There are many blessings in Christ, being elect the ultimate blessing, but while many may either think they are of the elect or in fact truly are (in God’s estimation), maybe for some, being conformed to His will can be found in the ordinarity of life, the regular, day to day repeated chain of events, or for some, like me, the extraordinary chain of events, also rising in praise for His glory. Either way, for this soul, I find great comfort and joy that He allows me to forge ahead, maybe to flippantly, to causes that carry me to foreign lands with a gusto much like a bull in a fine crystal shop, or maybe, more accurately, like a bull in the midst of people, any people, anywhere. For I am the lucky bull, who gets to explore and revisit foreign soils, being fully ‘unemployed’, using skills and talents given me, by my Lord! For now, I get to venture on such trips of faith actually reveling being ‘stuck’ in this time machine laced hotel, the fixtures reminiscent of the 60’s futurama, Dalmatian marble floors, cheaply veneered woodwork replete with decades of scrapes and damage from it’s visitors, but alas, my friend has arrived and with him, his dad, visiting here in Trogir! How wonderful!!!
To be continued!....tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment