A STRIPED ROMPER AND A CAPER FLOWER (BAY TORAC, ISLAND HVAR)

Hello, dear readers. Happy Monday (and happy start of a new month)! For the first post of June, I decided to return to bay Torac, island Hvar so that I can talk beach wear with you. What to wear for a day at the beach? My answer to that question is pretty simple: go for something practical. Typically I go for one piece clothing items (think dresses/ tunics and  rompers/jumpsuits) because they are easier to slip on and off. A pareo is also a lovely choice, but that one is kind of obvious, isn't it? Anyhow, I've told you that one of the first things I packed for my island Hvar vacation was a yellow jumpsuit. What else did I pack? Well, besides a few printed dresses (that are my top summer essential), I also packed a striped romper. I'm certainly glad I did, for it was my 'go to' beach outfit. Fortunately, I'm getting better at packing (I used to be the worst). The romper isn't new, I bought it a few years ago (you might have already seen me wear it here and here) and it's from a small Croatian brand Modain. As you know I'm all for sustainability and saying no to fast fashion by doing what you can (for example by supporting small brands and wearing what you've already got).  Basically, today I'm going to  talk about two things: a striped beach outfit and a lovely capparis spinosa bush (scroll down to find out what I mean by that). 

 

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EUROPEAN FLOWER- CAPPARIS SPINOSA OR SIMPLY THE CAPER BUSH

 While I was visiting my family in bay Torac (island Hvar, Croatia) I took the opportunity to take photographs with the flower that signifies summer for me. You see, this huge caper bush has been here for as long as I can remember. Are you familiar with the caper bush? My mother told me that the caper bush (latin name capparis spinosa) was voted the most beautiful European flower. I'm not sure does it still hold that title (who organizes that contest, I wonder?) but for me it is certainly one of the most beautiful European flowers. Calling it the most beautiful European flower seems about right. Its delicate beauty is in sharp contrast with the conditions the caper bush grows in. You see this plant thrives growing on a rocky terrain, often with no visible earth  to speak of, it just spreads itself over the stones and amazes with its stunning green leaves and magnificent flowers. Capparis spinosa is endemic to Mediterranean (i.e grows here) but it is uncertain whether it is indigenous to Mediterranean is uncertain (i.e it may not have originated here, the experts are still doing their research it seems). In addition, some experts aren't sure whether it is a single spices as there are quite a few variations. What is sure is that it is a beautiful perennial plant and one worth noticing. 

THE EDIBLE BUDS EVERYONE IN MEDITERRANEAN IS CRAZY ABOUT

 Our talk doesn't stop at flowers, for Capparis spinosa is famous for more than its beautiful flowers. In fact, the caper bush is primarily known for its edible buds (knows as capers). They are supposedly really healthy too! This plant grows in all of the Mediterranean region. In Croatia (as far as I know), the caper bush grows only in wild (mostly near the sea). I don't have enough botanical knowledge to tell you whether the caper bush in Croatia is significantly different from other capers in Mediterranean or how many subspecies there actually are. I've been eating capers since as far as I can remember, but only from this particular plant you can see. It is definitely a part of our cuisine and culture, as seems the case with other Mediterranean cultures. People typically pick the buds and pickle them, but as to possible differences in preparation I can't tell before doing some research. I can share my recipe in case someone is interested. You can also buy capers in stores, but  I don't know if it is the same kind as the one you an see here. What I do know is that people in Croatia don't really plant it and everyone says that it is almost impossible. I know that in some Mediterranean countries the caper bush are cultivated and grown for sale, but I'm not sure is the wild variant of it or some kind of hybrid. If you know, feel free to enlighten me. If you see the caper bush while in Mediterranean and decide to pick and pickle its buds, please take care not to damage it. Pick the buds if you will (the new ones will grow, that's no a big deal) just be careful not to damage the roots or the bush itself. While doing some caper research on wikipedia, I found out that there are supposedly poisons flowers that look similar (I have never seen them myself, I don't think we have them here) so it might be good to do some research before venturing to harvest a wild caper plant.

  A ROMPER FOR A BEACH DAY (BAY TORAC, ISLAND HVAR)

Enough talk about this plant for day (isn't it fascinating. though?), let's say a few more words about this beach styling. I mostly wear this romper for beach. I feel this romper is a bit too short for every day, I don't think I would feel comfortable wearing it in the city. When I don't wear it to beach, I typically layer this striped romper by wearing a skirt over it or something of the sort. Rompers are great items to pack for a summer vacation because they are so easy to style and they don't take much space (just like summer dresses, really packing is easier in summer). For a completely casual and relaxed vibe, I styled this romper with white slips ons but it would be easy to dress it up. The six days I spent on island Hvar were mostly spent actively but didn't include much city or night life (basically just hanging around in Gdinj, hiking around, swimming and picking capar buds) so I didn't have the need to dress up. I won't talk much abut Torac bay itself much, because I have blogged about it so many times. Instead, I will leave you with two links to my older posts, feel free to check them out if you already haven't:

1. BAY TORAC, ISLAND HVAR: WOULD YOU LIKE TO VACATION HERE?

2. BAY TORAC, ISLAND HVAR IN SUMMER

What do you think about my outfit? What do you think about bay Torac? Here is a link to one of the agencies that rents the summer houses in Torac if you want to check for vacancies and availability (not sure there are many vacancies this time of year, but you can always try). If you don't want to go through the agency but rather book with locals, I can inquire about the numbers but I can't promise you they'll have free accommodation in Gdinj's bays right now, because the tourist season is already in the fool swing. Naturally, private accommodation isn't the only option and there are many hotels on island Hvar. You can also visit these bays without staying here. I definitely do recommend visiting island Hvar, it's such a dreamy place.  That would be all for day. Thanks for visiting and commenting.