“No.”
Antonia, when we asked her to call us a boat taxi so we could go home
Oh Prvić, the Island at the End of Summer, protected by mysterious powers of both Prvin the God of Spring, and the Ministry of Culture of Croatia – what song shall we sing you this time?
The island is small, the people sparse, the wind surprisingly uncooperative this time, the days too short and too few.
But the hearts are always flying here, even if the kites sometimes don’t.
And everything is so warm … the weather, the colours, the sea, the people …
You find yourself debating for hours with the chef of konoba Stari Nanini about making the perfect black risotto (first and foremost, one has to startle Botnica the Octopus that lives in the kitchen).
You get kidnapped and made to pick olives, as the harvest is bountiful beyond belief.
Then it’s suddenly 4 AM at the Dva bunara and the amplifier cable keeps sliding out of the outlet from all the stomping, so Žare has to glue it back in; and you dance like if possessed with someone named Gana who is so sweet, has the most beautiful smile, and four legs and a tail that is wagging so hard …
And the next day you hear all about the benefits and vitamin content of a cold morning beer. And that a roasted badger has an earthy taste!
The Prvić routine gets us the moment we stuff ourselves into the kitemobile and make the obligatory selfie.
The long drive through Dolenjska, Bela Krajina, Gorski Kotar, and Lika into Dalmatia means we always arrive at Srima when it’s already dark, and the short boat ride through the night to Prvić Luka is just so magical …
Then it’s hugs and kisses and the year that had passed since we’ve met last time simply disappears – was it really a year and not just a couple of days?
The Prvić routine goes on like clockwork … hangover, coffee, hearty breakfast, more coffee, a kite workshop …
It’s easy, as the kite workshop for kids at KDFV festival is always done by Zmajoljupci – Croatian Kite Association, so usually we are there just to help (and to take photos) – but this year it was just Žare and we had to be a bit more … proactive 😉
To be honest, a kite workshop for kids is one of the best things a kiter can do. It’s so much fun to see the little ones struggling to cut the paper and tape the sticks, pondering the colour of the tails, tying the strings …
And if you are not a kid – when you are making a kite, you become one!
But the best part is when the kites are done and it’s time to colour the sky …
When the kids’ eyes light up as the kites – the kites they made themselves! – lift into the wind …
And you can feel the data dump as your nonsense-and-boredom filled brain resets.
The second part of the kite stuff at the festival is always the aerial show with giant monsters flying above Prvić Luka. Well, usually it is.
We were huffing and puffing and pulling and running …
… but alas, no wind means no wind.
However, we do not give up just like that – and after a looong wait and the night threatening to end it all, at last the gentlest of breezes came in across the bay, and suddenly … monsters in the air!
The kids were screaming and running and taking pictures …
… but then we had to let the night win – even monsters need to sleep.
Prvić is fighting fate and – winning. The Creative Days of Faust Vrančić festival, now in its 12th year (!), is the cornerstone of this amazing re-birth – Faust was a Renaissance man after all! – of an island that should be (and almost was) lost in hysteria of tourism during the Summer and slow death during all other times.
The intrepid organizing team of Otok association bring all kinds of cool people to the island to enlighten it. Robots and underwater drones and all kinds of scientific experiments. Creative workshops from knitting to ceramics and bridge making. Tattoos and aerial silk dancing. Lectures, presentations, explorations, and learning. Stories and jokes and fun … an amazing weekend bursting with life – that ends much much too soon.
That’s the only critique of this fantastic event: it’s too short! Make it a whole week! Or two! Maybe even a month … or two …
On Sunday – the dreaded Sunday with the clock ticking towards the terrible time to go home – the wind came by to apologize for its absence the day before, and the kites finally rose above the bell tower of the church by themselves.
We couldn’t do a full aerial show – the wind was still a bit shy, or hungover, or both – but it was enough to enchant the kids …
Faust Vrančič would be proud to see a kite flying above the museum bearing his name …
He did invent the parachute, after all!
We even managed to do a kite aerial photography session – KAP Jasa FTW! – but that deserves a whole article. Stay tuned!
But then Antonia simply replied “No.” when we asked her to call us a boat taxi to take us to the mainland.
And yes, we thought for more than just a moment to just say ah, stick it somewhere, we are staying.
But we couldn’t.
It’s sad. So sad.
Just look:
This is Prvić Luka … disappearing.
The only thing that lifts our spirit is the good people of Prvić that are already planning the 13th Creative Days of Faust Vrančić – and we know that we will come back next year. The dates are already reserved!
It’s impossible to thank all of you enough. Antonia, Drenka, Gaša, Sara, Simona, Vlado, Ana, Tomo, Marijana, Martina, Roko, Ivana, Željko, Jeffrey, Toma, Nuša and each of the rest who made this festival such a great part of our lives.
Because of you, our hearts are still flying over Prvić island.
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