“Travels to a Different Time” : 29July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Movie Night in Drače: The Singing Czechs

Up at 09:30 and I went to Nino’s house to take advantage of the running water having a shave and brushing my teeth. We sat around and I met a Yugoslav girl called Daria but I call her Dacia which is a Romanian car made under license from Renault. Mirela joined us and Nino took some pictures of the gang. Nino’s friends arrived and off they drove to Split. A group of us went swimming until 7 and two Belgian guys and I went to the restaurant for dinner and a few beers. At 8:30 about 10 of us went into the cinema at Janina and watched a French movie. The volume was so loud it distorted the dialogue and it was impossible to hear the dialogue. Two Belgian girls and two Belgian guys joined me at the restaurant where we remained until closing time.

30July1974: The days seem to be melding into one continuous stream. I waited a day later to write this and I can’t remember many details of the day. I remember getting up and having some cherry juice, bread and cheese and then going to the pier. I am becoming friends with the two Belgian guys André and Jean who are travelling on motorcycles. It was off to lunch for the usual with a fellow from Sarajevo. Had a rest on Nino’s balcony and spent the afternoon frying on the beach. Mirela joined us. The Belgians had some taped music we listened to which was good. At 7 Mirela and I hopped on the back of the motorcycles and off to buy some food at Janina. The locals were interested in the Japanese motorcycles and were asking questions about them. If this was Romania I think there would be a crowd of two hundred people with a policeman controlling them! Once back in the campground we went to a restaurant and had a jam. We left at 01:00 and returned to a quiet campground. Everyone seems in bed by 9 except for a group of Czechs that drink beer and sing all night long.

“Travels to a Different Time: 28July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Drače Dance Party: Fueling Gossip!  

Up early to hunt down food in Janina. Hot as blazes so early in the morning and a beautiful blue sky. I feel like I am drying out from my often-soggy Romanian trip. Chocolate wafer cookies and a rusk. It was simply too hot to have anything more complicated. I went to sit on the pier and met some students from a high school in Zagreb. Usual lunch and so blazing hot I found some shade to sit under. Met up with the students later in the afternoon. They said at night here there is nothing much to do. They said there was once a disco club in Janina which closed because the older folks said it was keeping them awake. No wonder young Yugoslavs are leaving the countryside. One of the students said the population of Drače in the winter was 10 people. Mirela arrived at the pier around 3 with a few young folk. One had a guitar and we played some music as I brought my harp on the trip. We stayed until 7 and I went back for dinner of bread and cheese and an orange juice that tastes like Tang. The Yugoslavs have great fruit juices but orange juice here is gross. Back to the pier with Mirela for an hour or so until her brother came to haul her back at 22:00. A few of us went to Nino’s house and he fixed me up with Vitamin enriched orange juice.

Nino said there was a monthly dance party at Janina so off a few of us went. This was a big event as many teens came from small villages. The old folks sat on the other side of the street gossiping. Someone said this will give them enough to gossip about until the next monthly dance. Two fights broke out in 30 minutes. The dance hall was the local cinema with the Yugoslav guys cruising with their shirts open but were doomed to failure as there was a shortage of girls. There were more adults up on the balcony with little children watching the spectacle below. Any event in a small town can often involve the entire community. The music deteriorated like a Romanian beer does after you open it. Walked home and crawled in the tent.

RKS Film: “Visionary Gardeners”: “Food Without Limits”

The Canadian television series “Visionary Gardeners” is a five-part series premiering March 7, at 9 p.m. ET on Vision TV and it runs for 5 weeks in half hour segments. It features avid Canadian gardeners with their own vision of what a garden is. You may think the series is about them and their gardens and that is true and of course that is interesting particularly if you are gardener. But these episodes may spark a certain reaction on your part particularly about the social use of food and just how far gardening limits can be challenged in Canada.

Visionary gardener Bob Duncan: Lemons in Canada!

Episode 4 which shows on March 28th is entitled “Food Without Limits”. Bob Duncan of Victoria, British Columbia challenges the climate of Victoria, British Columbia by growing tropical and semi-tropical plants such as limes, lemons and figs. Duncan has had a passion for growing tree fruits for some 50 years collecting seeds from Spain, China and Florida. He has no complicated vision other than his joy of doing what most will say is impossible. Although he seeks to challenge the limits you may ask why. In this case gardening is shown time and time again, like life itself, to dangle impossibilities in front of the gardener who throws down the glove and duels with nature.

Tiffany Grenkow shows us the social importance of food seeking to feed the less fortunate in her Winnipeg community and recreating some indigenous food like Pemmican. Food grown in her garden helps people connect with nature. Is Grenkow a Johnny Appleseed? Her garden gives her a personal connection with community.

Visionary Gardener Tiffany Grenkow

Surely you must conclude gardening can be more than the act of growing food. It is but an expression of human will.

Not a gardener? That’s not important here as this series is above and over gardening and is about life. If you are gardening averse that’s fine as the cinematographic feast will have you coming back for more!

“Visionary Gardeners” is a new series from filmmakers Ian Toews and Mark Bradley of Victoria, British Columbia based 291 Film Company. If you miss the broadcast Canadians can catch it free for two weeks after the broadcast at www.visiontv.ca.

RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner and The Russian Oligarch: Is There a Putin Lovechild Igor?

We haven’t heard much from the Penniless Pensioner in some time. He contacted me and apologized for not keeping in touch with me. He says he had taken up with a Russian oligarch Svetlana before “all this Ukraine crap”. Svetlana apparently made a fortune in vodka, oil and fentanyl and was staying in her Toronto luxury penthouse condo at The Lonsdale in Forest Hill a tony suburb in Toronto. In fact she has the penthouse above PP but was rarely in Toronto. Well they exchanged pleasantries in the lobby one day and the rest is history. It wasn’t long before they were a couple. PP and Svetlana were cruising in the Adriatic on her luxury yacht when the Russian invasion started. She ordered the captain to nip into Serbia up the Danube as the Serbs were siding with the Russians. PP and Svetlana headed back to Toronto where she is keeping a low profile. She had squirreled away much of her money in Canada through a labyrinth of holding companies so she remained flush with cash for the time being. PP says he does not want to talk politics with his sweetie Svetlana. There is a nasty rumour PP says which is filthy and slanderous that she had a love child with Putin called Igor.

Does this rugged man have a lovechild Igor?

In any case PP invited me over to try some unbelievably cheap French wine as Svetlana would be at the dog fights all night. So it was an Atipic a Pays D’Oc wine for $13.95. PP looked great with a glorious tan and an upbeat attitude. But he was concerned about the amount of vodka and caviar Svetlana scoffs down each day! PP rolls his eyes and says that “those Russkes” brush their teeth with vodka and that two shots are enough for him but for Svetlana that is just getting started.

As for aromatics a stream of black cherry greets the nose like a vapour trail from a Stinger missile. There are lesser notes of blueberry and strawberry jam lurking on the edges like timid Russian soldiers more intent on running than staying and fighting. On the palate there is an unexpected brief flirtation with sweetness which transcends onto the finish giving the wine a unique quality. Notes of raspberry, cherry and blueberry in a light tannic framework. This bizarre twist of fleeting sweetness adds some charm to a wine that otherwise might have been categorized as cheap n cheerful like a minor KGB official before a ruthless ascension to power.

A good sipping wine. For food there is that adage you match sweet with sweet although how do you match a fleeting sweetness? Try this. Sautee an onion and throw in six cups of sliced mushrooms. Sweat the shrooms down then add a can of diced tomatoes and a half cup of brown sugar with salt and pepper to your liking. Bubble away until the sauce is done and serve over bucatini making sure you are wearing a bib as bucatini can cause collateral slurping damage. A great match like a Patriot missile taking out a Russian MIG at 30,000 feet.

(Atipic 2019 Pays D’Oc IGP, Caves de Roquebrun, Roquebrun, France, $13.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 21268,750 mL, 13%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

“Travels to a Different Time” ; 27July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Adopted by a Serbian Family: A Ride on a Putt Putt

Well I think I am in a tiny town called Drače in Croatia. What a beautiful beach! What clear sparkling water. There isn’t much to do but get up go to the beach, have Dalmatian smoked ham and a bun with a cold litre of Radenska mineral water, sit in the shade and head back to the beach. Romania was tiring and quite frankly disappointing so I am in paradise “recovering”. I walked into Janina to mail some letters and buy some food. I returned and ate my breakfast in the shade and then went to hang out on the pier and then enjoy my favourite lunch of Dalmatian smoked ham and an ice-cold bottle of Radenska sparkling water. I went back to the pier and felt like I was burning but couldn’t see any evidence of it. Around 4:30 a very good-looking girl with soft brown eyes and her brother stopped by in their small putt putt boat. The girl’s name is Mirela and her brother Boca. They recognized me as the camper next to their camper. We puttered around for half an hour and had a swim and played some Frisbee. Mirela is here with brother Boca and is my age. Her mother and father ae here too. They are from Belgrade in Serbia. I cut my finger opening a can of Russian sprats. I watched the sun set on the beach and was in bed at 21:30 tired from the sun and surf but feeling very happy to be in the Adriatic again!

28July1974: Up early at 06:30 and I am healthy and even wealthy and wise. I am wealthy as I have learnt so much in my travels and all that has made me wiser. I wonder at times if I am too driven to discover a country and its people so perhaps it is good to cool my heels here and veg out. I have almost everything I need here including a sweet girl Mirela who seems different from all the other Yugoslavia girls. She has a good heart to match her good looks. I had my breakfast of two peaches, fruit juice with some bread and cheese. These Croatian peaches are just as good as Turkish peaches. At 10 I was at the pier and Mirela, her dad and Boca picked me up in their put putt and we travelled to tiny islands where we had beaches to ourselves. They are very good to me and I feel somewhat like an adopted guest. Me the pasty white boy is turning a glowing red. A great Dalmatian smoked ham sandwich and a cold bottle of Radenska sparkling water for lunch. The staff don’t even ask what I want and simply bring me the usual! I walked with Boca and Mirela to Janina which is a small town with donkies, chickens and goats wandering around. We went for a cherry nectar and walked home. I talked with Mirela until she had to go for supper and she stopped by to talk more being very curious as to what life is like in Canada. The trailer beside us had their television was blaring so we walked to the pier and hung out until 22:30. I said my goodbye to Mirela and went to bush my teeth using the hose with cool water. The camping is free so one hose for the entire campground will have to do.

“Travels to a Different Time”: 26 July1974: Somewhere in Yugoslavia: Low Budget Paradise: Where in the Hell Am I?

I woke up today knowing I am north of Dubrovnik. A tiny village called Janiania? It is not on my map. I really don’t care as I know I must head north to get to Germany to leave Europe shortly. I am in the Twilight Zone and there is a beautiful ocean and lots of Dalmatian smoked ham. My Austrian pals returned with loads of food for breakfast. We feasted and headed off to a fabulous beach for the morning. We are all hooked on this wonderful Dalmatian smoked ham and we went to a tiny restaurant for a bottle of sparkling Radenska sparkling water and two Dalmatian smoked ham sandwiches each. As we were eating a fight broke out in the restaurant with the son of the owner slugging the daughter of the owner. A crowd emerged to separate the two combatants. I think that spooked my Austrian friends and they packed up and left asking me if I wanted to go with them. My answer was no as I am stuck by forces unknown here. So I am alone in the big world. So back to the beautiful beach and cleaned out my nylon house of garbage and walked about a village unmarked on the map that I think was called Drače? This place is off the grid. Dinner was leftover food from Romania meaning bread, Russian canned sprats, peach juice and a peach. I have a dilapidated tent. No radio. No TV. I don’t even know where the fuck I am! Off to bed at 20:00. Wherever I am it is a therapeutic recovery from the horrific Romanian Black Sea Coast. What can happen in the Twilight Zone? Who knows? My mom always said the ocean had a healing power. I am beginning to understand this!

RKS Wine: The Bordeaux River Keeps on Flowing

There is no shortage of Bordeaux reds flowing into Ontario at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. It is not a waterfall as the LCBO attempts to please all with a bit of this and a bit of that and none of many.

At $19.95 there is a Château Tour Castillon from the Médoc which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère.

As for aromatics the first thing you might notice is the lushness of the Merlot and the exoticism of the Petit Verdot. I would venture at least 50% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot but no such information is on the label. Loads of black cherry and some cassis. On the palate there are noticeable tannins but they retain their moderate nature at least initially. Black cherry again! If only the inviting aromatics could translate into an exceptional wine! The tannins gain more steam and begin to interfere with the palate. This is a wine that dashes your hopes on the rocks.

(Château Tour Castillon 2016 AC Médoc Cru Bourgeois, Earl des Vignobles, Peyruse, Gironde, France, $19.95, LCBO # 22949, 750 mL, 13.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 84/100).

I am at odds with James Suckling on this one who gives it a 92! Yikes!

RKS Film: “When We Were Bullies”:  The Perpetrators and The Victims 50 Years Later

“When We Were Bullies” initially may seem to be a case of 50-year-old memories careening out of control. But in this case the documentary is not about a presidential election in Zimbabwe or some other esoteric event we have no real tangible connection to. It has to do with bullying and I venture to say we all have bullying experiences.

I recall in grade 3 being surrounded by three boys in the schoolyard. I thought I had waited them out so my heart stopped when I saw them coming after me. I fought like a lion and it was a draw. I remember that utter desolation being alone and outnumbered. I also remember in grade 6 X pooping in his pants with feces causing a horrible stink. The mean machos made his life miserable to the point he had a nervous breakdown.

In this documentary director Jay Rosenblatt remembers a bullying incident where he was both an instigator and participant. He reconstructs the incident that occurred at Public School 194 in Brooklyn some 50 years ago when Dick was surrounded by his entire class and punched, spat on and insulted. The incident was broken up by staff and Rosenblatt remembers his teacher Mrs. Bromberg blasting the class calling them “animals”.

He contacts former classmates and most express some remorse although many have a foggy memory. He also speaks with Mrs. Bromberg who can’t remember the specific incident but a whole series of similar incidents saying children have a sixth sense for detecting weakness. In fact her own daughter was one of those who was bullied and never was with the in crowd. She committed suicide. Mrs. Bromberg does remember Rosenblatt himself was bullied. I caught that line and I wondered if the film is not about Dick but Rosenblatt. Rosenblatt quickly had mentioned that his brother had died when he was in grade 4 and he closed down after that. He concludes this bullying incident and film is not so much about Dick as it about all of us. What does Rosenblatt want to say to Dick? “I’m sorry”.

I was thinking this would be a flippant trip down memory lane but it is a powerful study of bullying and how it can damage both its victims and its perpetrators.

It will be broadcast on HBO on March 30th at 22:00 hours with streaming launching on HBO Max on the same day.

You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcFJPTj94aM&t=2s

Image courtesy of HBO.

“Andrij the Orphaned Ukrainian Rescue Dog” : Chapter 16: We Meet The Grand Ayatollah in Tehran Who Loves Pancakes and Waffles!

We arrive in Tehran after stopping to refuel in the Azores. We are met by an assistant to The Grand Ayatollah and taken to see him at his office. He has a big smile when he sees Reggie like they are long lost friends. As customary no business is talked until we have many cups of tea and some dates of which Bob will not let us eat. The Grand Ayatollah is concerned he has not prepared the right food for his canine guests. Bob explains that dates are not good for dogs. The Grand Ayatollah looks perplexed and insists his canine friends must eat. Its a matter of Iranian hospitality he insists so Bob suggests some watermelon or carrots and within moments such sweet watermelon and carrots are set down before us. He mentions Reggie to hop up on his lap. If only people could see this they might be willing to seriously talk to Iran about its nuclear ambitions and its human rights issues.

Reggie and the Grand Ayatollah of Iran may change world history

After tea and refreshments Bob gets right to the point as he aways does and asks if Iran can increase its output of oil to compensate for boycotted Russian oil. The Grand Ayatollah strokes his beard and says some remarkable things. He says that Iran is disturbed about Tsar Putin’s irrationality and brutality. He was especially concerned about Tsar Putin’s public statement that those who criticize his invasion might have to be “cleansed”. He says this reminds him of Hitler. He also says Iranians are having second thoughts about Syrian decimation caused by Tsar Putin. In short he says Tsar Putin was massacring fellow Muslims. Iran, he says, started becoming very worried after seeing me attack and kill The Brute in Kiev. Iranians know what drove the little dog to attack this Russian rogue soldier that being the massacre of his family. The Grand Ayatollah says that Iranians see Russians as barbarous invaders. He then says we must pray about this and invites Reggie and I to pray at his private mini mosque. Reggie is a trusted friend of The Grand Ayatollah. Bob explains that I am Ukrainian Orthodox. Nonetheless the Grand Ayatollah still invites me saying Allah welcomes all peaceful loving creatures and has a special place in his heart for brave warriors with noble causes like me. I go with Reggie and The Grand Ayatollah. I do not kneel but quietly watch Reggie and The Grand Ayatollah pray. We pray for an hour and return to meet Bob. The Grand Ayatollah surprises us even more by saying he has seen the right way and will apologize to the Canadian government for the Revolutionary Guard that shot down a Ukrainian Airlines plane killing scores of Canadians aboard. He also says he will check with his ministers about increasing oil production but there may have to be concessions from the Americans. He says he knows Reggie and President Biden are good friends and hopes Reggie and Bob can broker a deal if necessary. He quickly says enough business. You must be my guest for a private dinner tonight. He asks Bob if ground lamb, carrots and rice would be good for me and Reggie. Now that will be a treat.

We go to a hotel and have a rest and prepare for dinner. We arrive for dinner and sit-down and The Grand Ayatollah asks Bob to say a Christian grace. Bob delivers a very sincere grace thanking Allah for our food and asking him for guidance and help in bringing peace to the world and making Canadians and Iranians great friends. The Grand Ayatollah astounds us by saying Iranians will increase oil production to the levels President Biden requires provided all sanctions are dropped against Iran. Iran will promise it will not develop nuclear weapons and open all nuclear facilities to United Nation’s inspections. Iran will meet with the representatives of the United Nations to discuss human rights. He says let the bureaucrats paper the deal. Reggie will be busy with President Biden.

After dinner The Grand Ayatollah gives us three dog blankets and jerseys from Teheran’s main football club. Bob gives The Grand Ayatollah a case of Canadian Maple Syrup. We are some of the few that knows The Ayatollah’s love of pancakes and waffles!

We are off to Rome for a quick visit with the Pope.

“Travels to a Different Time” : 25July1974: All Over Yugoslavia: Massive Confusion in Dubrovnik: Minimalist Camping! Existential Question of Where am I?

I woke up shortly after my Peugeot 404 friends did, Alex and Eckart. On the road at 09:00. We encountered a traffic jam in Titograd but it cleared up and we stopped at supermarket to buy some food for breakfast. Not eating dinner we all were starving. The incredible scenery continued. We arrived at the campsite but it was full. What is going on? Into Dubrovnik but there were no rooms and hundreds of tourists seemed to be arriving in a state of confusion. They were on their way to Greece but it seems the Yugoslav-Greek border is closed. So we tried another campground for 25 cents a night but no facilities other than a hose with cold water! It is near a small village with 15 homes a store and a restaurant. It has a beautiful beach. Dinner was a beer and some of that wonderful Dalmatian smoked ham on a bun! Where am I?