His hands are rough, his face soft. She laughs. Everyone is welcome at her place, her door is never closed, she prepares you a coffee to facilitate conversation. Nikolina Duracic is a shellfish farmer, shellfish are her life. Wine, olives, fish, sea and the peninsula of Peljesac. She welcomes us to the hamlet of Zuronja. Until then, few people knew about this little bay. There were almost no houses. Today, we build everything. It would be a shame not to enjoy !
“She is beautiful, my cove, the most beautiful in the world, she gave me everything I have”, dit Nikolina. “Hopefully it will stay like this or it will get even better when the road passes,” she adds, pointing to the works above Brijesta, opposite her cove.
The sun is blazing, the sea motionless. The mechanical shovels excavate the earth and pull the roots out of the ground. The comings and goings of trucks are incessant, they load and unload, paving the way for progress.
In the past, it was a narrow path that led to Brijesta, through olive trees and brushwood. It was difficult to get there, it was even harder to come back. Now a large access ramp catches the eye. The works are not finished but the construction is already impressive. Soon people and cars will be pouring over this bridge.
After the Second World War, Brijesta had 580 souls, a whole battalion of fishermen, shellfish farmers and olive growers. The village had a school and an oil mill. It was the most beautiful building in the village, with an inscription still visible: “Built by the inhabitants of Brijesta”.
“Prosperity, you say?”
Today, everyone builds for themselves. The signs are multiplying on the facades of the houses: “Homestays”, “Apartments for rent”…
On the Peljesac bridge that will lead to the peninsula, a plaque could soon be affixed: “Built by the Chinese, paid for by the European Union and made possible by Andrej Plenkovic”, Croatian Prime Minister. The few inhabitants who still live there are impatiently awaiting the promised prosperity. Now they can leave Peljesac in no time. Direction Dubrovnik or Split…
“Prosperity, you say? Maybe I’m a little stupid, but we already live well here”, comments Dragan Duracic, Nikolina’s brother-in-law. With his wife, Tina, he transforms the old mill into a rental house. They won