Sunshine Tours

03/01/2023

As a part of my education to become licenced tourist guide in Ireland, I'm to do some assignments. One is to post a short story on FB. I really had a hard time to decide weather to publish it or not. Since you're reading this you know my decision.
Here are some images from Galway.

27/02/2018

Last time we had snow in Split was February 2012. Till yesterday. So we have holliday :). People in Split are not prepared for snow. Average winter temperature is arround 10°C. Only when strong nord wind bura blows temperatures fall to arround 0°C. Therefore our cars do not have winter tires, people are not skiled to drive in snow… But Split people are prepared for all kind of „sport“ activities in snow: swim and play picigin on Bačvice beach, have coffee outdoors on our promenade riva, ski on Marjan slopes…
Although we have snow rarely, members of the first bob slegh Olimpic team in 2002 come from this town.
Some photoes are from 2012. This year there was not so snowy.

23/01/2018

Sunshine Tours

Poštovani prijatelji,
Sunshine tours organizira izlet u Sarajevo 17. i 18.02.2018. s mogučnoću odlaska na koncert Đorđa Balaševića.

Program putovanja:
1. DAN
Okupljanje sudionika putovanja u Sarajevo na dogovorenom polazištu u 6:45 ujutro. Ukrcaj prtljage, upoznavanje s vodičem i polazak prema Bosni i Hercegovini. Dvosatna vožnja za Ramu. Usred akumulacijskog jezera nalazi se poluotok s Ramskim franjevačkim samostanom. Obilazak samostana, crkve i muzeja. Nastavak putovanja prema Konjicu. U Konjicu je smješten Titov bunker, tajna skrivana preko 50 godina, treći najvažniji bunker u bivšoj SFRJ. Nakon posjete bunkeru nastavljamo za Sarajevo. Smještaj u hotel 3*. Slobodno vrijeme. Gosti koji idu na koncert Đorđa Balaševića biti će odvezeni do Skenderije, povratak u hotel individualan (taksi je izuzetno povoljan). Noćenje.

2. DAN
Doručak i odjava iz hotela. Zbog svoje duge i bogate prošlosti, kulturnih i vjerskih raznolikosti Sarajevo se ponekad naziva Jeruzalem Europe. Razgledavanje Sarajeva u pratnji stručnog vodiča: Inat kuća, Gradska vijećnica, Baščaršija, Sebilj, Morića han, Begova džamija, Bursa bezistan, Katedrala Srca Isusova, Vječna vatra, Srpska saborna crkva, Latinski most, Sinagoga.
Predlažemo zajednički ručak – čevape u „Želje“ na Baščaršiji.
Fakultativno – posjet Tunelu spasa (nadoplata 50 kn)
Povratak u Split u večernjim satima uz stanke za okrijepu.

Rezervacije i cijene izleta na www.gustidalmacije.com.

13/01/2018

Poštovani prijatelji,
Sunshine tours organizira izlet u Sarajevo 17. i 18.02.2018. s mogučnoću odlaska na koncert Đorđa Balaševića.

Program putovanja:
1. DAN
Okupljanje sudionika putovanja u Sarajevo na dogovorenom polazištu u 6:45 ujutro. Ukrcaj prtljage, upoznavanje s vodičem i polazak prema Bosni i Hercegovini. Dvosatna vožnja za Ramu. Usred akumulacijskog jezera nalazi se poluotok s Ramskim franjevačkim samostanom. Obilazak samostana, crkve i muzeja. Nastavak putovanja prema Konjicu. U Konjicu je smješten Titov bunker, tajna skrivana preko 50 godina, treći najvažniji bunker u bivšoj SFRJ. Nakon posjete bunkeru nastavljamo za Sarajevo. Smještaj u hotel 3*. Slobodno vrijeme. Gosti koji idu na koncert Đorđa Balaševića biti će odvezeni do Skenderije, povratak u hotel individualan (taksi je izuzetno povoljan). Noćenje.

2. DAN
Doručak i odjava iz hotela. Zbog svoje duge i bogate prošlosti, kulturnih i vjerskih raznolikosti Sarajevo se ponekad naziva Jeruzalem Europe. Razgledavanje Sarajeva u pratnji stručnog vodiča: Inat kuća, Gradska vijećnica, Baščaršija, Sebilj, Morića han, Begova džamija, Bursa bezistan, Katedrala Srca Isusova, Vječna vatra, Srpska saborna crkva, Latinski most, Sinagoga.
Predlažemo zajednički ručak – čevape u „Želje“ na Baščaršiji.
Fakultativno – posjet Tunelu spasa (nadoplata 50 kn)
Povratak u Split u večernjim satima uz stanke za okrijepu.

Rezervacije i cijene izleta na www.gustidalmacije.com.

30/12/2017

Sunshine Tours Team wish you happy and prosperous 2018.

24/12/2017

Merry Christmas from Sunshine Team.

15/11/2017

SPLIT IN THE WINTER.

And so it has arrived! Winter in Split. One day we are wearing a simple long sleeved t.shirt and the very next day coats, shawls and gloves.The rain is here, the bura is blowing and the days are so much shorter. But fear not, the sun does shine on many days too!
What to do in Split in the winter? Well, there is always the possibility of doing a tour with Sunshine Tours : Zagreb Advent (nominated two years in a row as the best European advent) Dubrovnik Advent, Sarajevo Weekend, Day Tour of Solin, Trogir, Šibenik and other towns, or something rather different : Dalmatian Cooking Workshop..
Aside from that, in and around Split there are many exhibitions, concerts and film projections happening on a daily basis.
Of course Split also has its own advent commencing on the
1 December on the Riva and various squares around the town.
It has a very festive feel, great gastronamic offer and mulled wine to die for. Not to mention the music!!
So nothing else to do but enjoy.

29/09/2017

Grand Tour Krka
Roški, slap, boat trip to Visovac island monestary and Skradinski buk. A wonderful day was was had by all. Thankfully weather played the part!
Thank you ladies for your enthusiasm, enjoyment and the lovely photos taken. Much appreciated.

27/09/2017

And just like that it's autumn!
Cool mornings and evenings yet very pleasant day time temperatures and warm enough seas to have a swim, at this time of the year Split takes on a whole new feel. Early autumn is a magical time: catch a glimpse of the afternoon sun on the now turning foliage or the intense colours after a rain storm and be reminded what a wonderful world!! Yes, it does bring grey skies and rain but after the long heat intense summer it is much needed and welcome.
Relax, take long walks, go on a tour or two,have a lazy long coffee break but most of all enjoy! It truly is a delightful corner of the world.

For ideas and inspiration dont forget to check out
www.gustidalmacije.com. We would love to make your visit that much more pleasurable.

18/09/2017

Šibenik and Medieval Garden Guided Tour

Visit the beautiful town of Šibenik and walk around the renovated gardens of St Lawrence Church and Monastery, the only one of its kind in Croatia. Also included in the tour is a visit to the Šibenik museum and the not to be missed St James's Cathedral.

Now on offer at 27€ / 200kn.
For further details and booking form visit:
www.gustidalmacije.com

13/09/2017

Brač- Island of Stone Tour.
A whole day out on the beautiful island of Brač, visiting Splitska, Škrip, Pučišča, Nerežišća, Supetar and to top it all!! the highest peak on the island, Vidova Gora (778m)
It is the stone from this island that built Diocletian's Palace.

Now on offer at 48€ / 350kn pp.

For further details and booking form please visit our web page
www.gustidalmacije.com

08/09/2017

No matter the angle, time of day or device used, photos of the old town (Split) always speak volumes!!

30/08/2017

LET'S HELP KEEP OUR SEAS PRISTINE AND SUPPORT MARINE LIFE.

The Croatian coast is a stunningly beautiful corner of paradise and annually thousands of people from all over the world flock to experience its beauty. BUT if we dont become more aware and conscious of our daily actions and habits future generations may not have the privilage to enjoy it.

8 million tons of refuse per year ends up in the world seas - 80% of that falls under some form of plastc. Our seas are choking and marine life is under more threat than ever before.
As a society we are increasingly producing and using more disposable plastic for our convinience, without much thought to the consequences: plastic cutlery, plates, cups, packaging, shopping bags etc. Most, if not all of these objects are unnecessary in their plastic form and contribute to turning our beautiful seas into waste dumps, killing our marine life and entering the food chain.
Help put a stop to this. We all need to make a change now.
Let's do our own small part by intergrating the 3 R principles :
REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLE.
And apart from leaving only footsteps when visiting and enjoying a beautiful spot, lets make the effort to leave it even better than how we found it. Change is possible one person at a time.

23/08/2017

National Park Krka Grand Tour
( includes: Visovac, Roški Slap, Skradinski Buk)

Take advantage of our late August Special Offer

Now only 34€pp

See website for details and booking form.

www.gustidalmacije.com

17/08/2017

The Pirates of Omiš

Many a young child (and the not so young too!) loves a good tale about brave, ruthless and cut-throat pirates. Omiš, a small town on the Dalmatian coast boasts its own story of such pirates. They were the most formidable and menacing pirates of the Mediterranean sea. They were merciless and without scruples in their exploitations, even attacking the Pope's galleys as well as the crusaders on their way to the Holy Land.

They ruled the sea for 3 centuries and when the rest of Dalmatia was completly taken over by the Venetian Rule and Omiš was left entirely alone, they managed to survive for another 24yrs.
Due to their bravery, extraordinary shipbuilding attributes, sailing skills and the fact that Omiš was strategically well positioned the area was impenetrable to all trespassers.

This part of history comes alive every year since the introduction of the "Pirates Night on the river Cetina" event. It is a re-enact of the battle between the Venetian Fleets and the Pirates. Having lost, the Venetians had to pay a fee in gold coins to pass through the Brač channel.

This year it will take place on Friday the 18th August.
If you are planning to join in the fun do get there early as it does draw a crowd.

14/08/2017

Tomorrow, 15 August, is a major feast day celebrated in many European countries. It is the Christian belief that Mary was assumed into heaven on or around this date.
It has been celebrated since the early 4th century ce.
It was converted from the pagan Harvest Festival to a Christian one. It only became an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1950 when Pope Pius XII pronounced it in.

Velika Gospa in Croatia (Assumption Day)

I have heard it said that Velika Gospa is to Croatian's what St Patrick is to the Irish.
The tradition of Velika Gospa originated in the town of Sinj. In 1715, the Turkish Empire armies where advancing toward the town of Sinj. The local people, knowing they were in a very vulnurable position to defend themselves, beseeched the Blessed Mother for help.
They prayed all through the night in front of the portrait of Our Lady of Grace. Come morning light, an apparition of a beautiful lady appeared in the sky, visible to all. The Turkish soldiers, who had very suddenly become ill, retreated, never to return to Sinj again.
This victory, despite such great odds, propelled the Croatian's love and devotion to the Blessed Mother to new heights. This loyalty is as strong as ever today, as well over 100.000 pilgrims set off on foot on the eve of the 14th from Split and other parts of the country to walk to the church in Sinj. Once there, they will bow in silent prayer and gratitude to the Blessed Mother.

07/08/2017

Split's own Lazaretto

Thanks to the good relations between Venice and the Turkish Empire, Split became an important transitional trading hub with the Orient. This however brought with it the threat of deadly outbreakes of the plague to the city. To prevent and control this the construction of the Lazaretto buildings were commenced. It had a two fold purpose: a) to isolate all the sailors and mechandise coming off the docked ships for 40 days in the quarantine area and b)provide space for the custom's office, bank, and wharehouses.

The Split Lazaretto became the largest and most well run of its kind in Europe at the time.
While trading was good, Venice made much profit and was able to use the money to fortify the city of Split. These fortifications were to become Split's saving grace from the Turkish invasion.
Eventually trade started to diminish due to the Candia and Morean wars but managed to continue on a much smaller scale until the end of the 18th century The Lazaretto complex was completly dismantled during world war 2

The origional site of the Lazaretto is today home to the brand new Tourist Centre opened this year in Split.

03/08/2017

Gušti Dalmacije...
A phrase not so easy to translate into English without losing some of the meaning it portrays if we use just one word.
The best I could come up with is : sights,sounds, tastes, fragrances and emotions of Dalmatia.
This phrase conjours up not only images of stunning scenery, crystal clear waters, delicious food,fragrant herbs and flowers, but also the warm hearted hospitality and passionate disposition
of the Dalmation people.
Gušti Dalmacije.....a haven of delight! Rich, warm, traditional,colorful,fragrant yet simple. One has to only think of the most renowned Dalmatian dishes to know this is true:
Pašticada: slow cooked beef stew in a sauce of wine, spices and prunes.
Brudet: Fish stew of several kinds of fish, spices, wine and olive oil.
I have decided to focus on the sweeter side of the menu with
Traditional Dalmation cakes/sweets.
Having a sweet tooth myself and an insatiable love for baking,it's
the first section I turn to in any cook book I have at hand

Rožada: Traditional Dubrovnik dessert, where it is made with a unique liqueur called Rozalin (rose liqueur) Amongst other ingredients for this liquer are the 2 most important FRAGRANT rose petals and 40 days of SUN!!

Hrapoćuša: Brač cake
Strange name for a cake!! In actual fact it is the name of the stone found in the village of Dol on Brač. Once baked the top layer of the cake resembles this stone in its natural look.
It's a protected intangible heritage and is also known as Brač's aphrodisiac. A cake rich in nuts, sugar, eggs yet is remarkably light to eat.

Splitska Torta. The Imperial city's very own cake!
Very rich in dried fruits, nuts and all things nice.

Dalmatian fig tart. Figs abound in Dalmatia and most people have a tree or two on their property.This tart is sublime! Cream, fresh figs and honey encased in a light pastry.

Famous Dalmation fig cake: Simplicity at its best : dried figs, toasted almonds fruit liqueur

Bobici, olive oil, lemon and rosmary biscuits, rafioli, mandulat, carob cake........ The list goes on. Obviously too many to mention all.
It is pleasing to know that some places around town are starting to offer these taditional sweets even if at times with a modern twist.
I leave you to enjoy and delight your taste buds with all that you may indulge in.
As for me I will be donning my apron again!!

31/07/2017

Another beautiful day of sunshine and clear blue skies.
Stay hydrated folks, as tempretures are set to soar during the coming week.
Do you find it hard to face the midday sun? Check out www.gustidalmacije.com and consider taking one of our EVENING tours so you can enjoy the outing with out the intense heat!

Poljud
If you are an ardent soccer fan, then one place you may be interested in visiting is the Poljud Stadium here in Split.
Built in 1979 for the Mediterranean Games it has a capacity to seat 35.000.
It is home to the Hajduk Football Club which was founded in 1911. The name " Hajduk" refers to the freedom fighters who fought against the invading Hadsburg and Ottorman occupation.
Torcida is the name of the Hajduk supporters. They are the oldest support group in Europe. Their slogan is: Hajduk lives for ever and many a griffiti artist has captured this with some impresive artwork.
There is a deep bond and cooperation between the club and its supporters, so much so that when Hajduk was punished by the UEFA and forced to play a match behind closed doors (no spectators) the fans bought tickets anyway as a donation. The club has honored their loyalty over the years by producing a No. 12 jersey and considering their supporters as their 12th player.
If there happens to be a match when you are in Split, buy or borrow a scarf, mingle with the revelers and experience the flares, tourches and loud singing.

28/07/2017

The Split Summer Festival

There is still time to catch a show! 14 July- 14 August 2017

To the theatre lover, the Split Summer Festival is a delight for the soul and a strong incentive for self indulgence!!
Held every year during the height of the summer season, it is able, thanks to the warm weather, hold performances in some of our most beautiful outdoor venues: Peristil, Sustipan, and Republic Square. However, even the indoor venues hold their own, adding much splendour to the experience: HNK Split's own magnificient building, Villa dalmacija (otherwise not open to the public) and Meštrović Gallery. It is not incidental that the official opening of the festival takes place every year on Peristil with a production of Giuseppe Verdi's operas, either Nabucco or Aida as it lends its self as a natural stage with Egyptian scenary. To add to this, it was Diocletian's favorite venue for his personal entertainment!
The festival offers a selection of operas, ballets, concerts and exhibitions. The last few years has seen an introduction of jazz concerts, poetry evenings and street theatre.
Performances include a mixture of national and international productions of very high standards and the more modern ones often deal with very current human and social issues .
Lampedusa Beach ( plight and tragedy of refugees)
Azis or The Wedding That Saved The West (blind presumption and discrimination)

If you happen to be in and around Split during this time, give your self the gift of attending at least one of these performances.
You won't regret it. ENJOY!

25/07/2017

Picigin
This is a ball game played in the shallow waters of Bačvice beach, in Split. It was introduced in 1908 by a group of students who, finding it challenging to play water polo in the too shallow waters, discovered Picigin. Necessity IS the mother of inventions!!

There a normally 5 players in a team, two of which do not move from their spot, while the other 3 do all the running. The players have to use their hands to keep the ball moving and out of the water, without taking hold of it. This results in many a performance of high leaps and falls. Groups can and often are of mixed gender and age.

Despite being full winter, New Year's day is a very popular day when one can see many playing Picigin.
There is even a World Championship held annually on Bačvice.
Not many rules apply, but two 'requirments' are: a shaved tennis ball and a very small tight speedo!

21/07/2017

The Romans and Salonae
Iliric tribe called Delmati or better known as Dalmatians lived between river Krka in the west and river Neretva in the east. They were known as good worriors and pirates. At the end of BC and the begining of AD, Romans tried to conquor that area. Dalmatians gave them a realy hard time. The Romans needed 300 years to conquor them. To honor the worthy opponents, Roman named the province Iliric and Salonae became the capital of the province. Of course, the costal part got its todays name Dalmatia.
Salonae was situated 10 km north of Split. It was the 3rd biggest citiy in the Roman Empire. Historians estimate its population between 60 000 - 80 000. Although some sources say 100 000 inhabitants. Salonae was destroyed in 7th century AD and never rebuilt. Archeologists have, untill today, uncovered only 15% of its total area.
Today we'll concentrate on the nutritional habits of the ancient Romans (after all at the time of writing it is lunch time :) )
The ancient Roman, just as much as their modern day counterpart, enjoyed eating well. It is not unusual today for people from Rome to travel for hours just to eat a well prepared plate of simple pasta.
At the start of the Roman Empire there was not much dietary difference between the social classes. This quickly changed with the growth and expansion of the Empire. Images of Roman feasts depict people lounging on coutches, gorging on delicacies, laughing and wine flowing in abundance.
During the festivities Romans consumed as many as 20 dishes!
Let us introduce main ones:
Bread was very popular and eaten at every meal. It was made from emmer then later wheat. It was shaped into flat round shaped loafs. They enjoyed dipping it in wine and eating it with olives, cheese and grapes.
Meat was scarce and beef was not very popular. Pork was much more favored as was game and poultry. An exeption to this scarceness was during time of sacreficess.
Fish - The Roman Empire sprawled bothe sides of the Mediteranian Sea making fish and seafood very popular. Fish farming was well developed with large areas allocated to oyster farming.
Fruit & vegetables featured prominently on their menus. Oranges and lemons were used mainly for medicinal purposes rather than in the kitchen.
Carrots were available in many colours exept orange! The humble poptato, tomato, zuchinni and corn were not available.
Cheese was part of the standard ration for the Roman soldiers.
Garum (fish souce) an absolute essencial ingridient in ancient Roman cooking. Used in many dishes to heighen the flavors.
Deserts - The Romans were very fond of sweets. Desert was known ad "MENSA SECUND" - second meal.
Drinks - The alchol grade in wine was very high so they added water just before drinking. They also produced and drunk flavoured wines:
- Passum - strong sweet raisn wine (Prošek in modern days)
- Mulsum - Wine with honey
- Conditum - Wine with honey, laurel, dates, mastic and saffron.
The solders and lower classes drank a popular drink of sour wine with water and herbs. Beer was thought of as distaseful.

In our Salona tour we will show you the remains of that magnificant city. You will taste Roman snack (not all 20 dishes!!), play Roman social games, make coins..........
More details on our web site www.gustidalmacije.com

20/07/2017

Game of Thrones Season 7

The wait is over. The winter has come in the height of summer!
Game of Thrones season 7 premiered on the 16.07.2017
More passion, deceit, power and clashes as the story keeps unfolding

Split and surrounding area boasts its own filming sites of the popular series.

If you are in the vicinity book your Game of Throne Tour with us.
Visit the sites, enjoy a Game of Throne feast and try your hand at archery.
Full details and booking form on www.gustidalmacije.com

19/07/2017

Listen,watch, learn........

The humble honeybee, or so we think.
Questions about their life abound and yet they are the most studied species on the planet. Why?
Well, not only does the survival of our planet depend on them, they can teach us much about life and living and catapult our spiritual evolution with the simplest of lessons. Most believe the honeybee only pollinates flowers and producers honey for us.
Far from it!

Bees are living examples of qualities we could all aspire to improve in our own lives; qualities of patience, love, kindness, compassion and interdependence. They are in perfect communion with one another,devoted to the queen and hive, united and buzzing with joy. This way of being helps produce the ultimate of end products: sweetness and completness = HONEY.
They also live by the 100% effort rule in every activity they perform. Imagine if we could live just this one lesson even only some of the times in our day to day activities and interactions what would that do for our societies, communities and interpersonal relationships? Bees understand they are not solitary beings but part of a bigger whole. Another approach that could, if applied in our lives transform our world.

These lessons are simple, but are truths that we are all born knowing. Unfortunatly the veil of forgetfulness starts clouding this knowledge from a very early age.

GIVE BEES A CHANCE and let's start remembering......

One local beekeeper Mr Tvrdić, is passionate about introducing us to the wonderful world of bees and honey with this lovely tour on the island of Šolta
Full details and booking form on our website: www.gustidalmacije.com

18/07/2017

Travelers and visitors to Split and surrounding areas.
These have been a few scary and difficult days.As we have either all seen the large smoke cloud hanging over Split, or actually been in or near an area threatened by the fires, we are all aware of the bushfires raging in various locations.
Despite the fact that many of us welcomed the Bura over the weekend because of a respite from the intense heat, it actually was the worst time ever for it to blow.
Not only did it create more danger by its unpredictability and by spreading the fires at an uncontrollable rate, it impeded the fire fighting planes to take off and douse the flames.
This morning, thank goodness, the wind has subsided somewhat and the planes have been flying non stop.

We, from Sunshine Tours, together with many other people I am sure, would like to take this opportunity to thank our unsung heroes, the brave and courageous men and women who have selflessly given their all and everything to keep us safe and control the situation. They are still at it despite being on duty for hours and hours already.
We also thank groups of citizens,local businesses and our staff for helping organize and collect meals and necessities needed most.
One thing is evident, everyone is pulling together to help in a very precarious situation.

To everyone affected by the fires, our prayers and thoughts are with you.

17/07/2017

The time has come to meet Sunshine Tours Team 🌞

17/07/2017

Sunshine Tours's cover photo

14/07/2017

I'd like to thank Marina Blažević for allowing us to use her photos on our FB page. At the same time I'm in a huge dilemma. I simply don't know which photo to post. So,to begin with just a few.
To be continued...

13/07/2017

It's lunch time. We suggest old Dalmatian food : squid with broadbeans.