VISIT PLANINICA HILL WITH ME! EXPERIENCE WINTER FAIRY-TALE!

Hello, today I'm taking you to Planinica hill near Mostar. We have chosen this gorgeous hill overlooking Mostar city as our weekend hiking destination for a number of reasons. As regular readers of my blog might know, we love to hike there! The views from Planinica are absolutely amazing. It is the perfect place to breathe in fresh air. Moreover, it offers nice bird-watching opportunities. If you are an animal lover, this is a great location for you. I would add that it is a lovely travel location for any season.  It being winter, I must admit that our visit was additionally motivated by the snow. Herzegovina is a region marked by Mediterranean climate. Snow is a rarity here. There hasn't been any snow in Mostar this year (so far), so the only way to experience it is to visit nearby mountains or hills. We opted for Planinica hills because it's much closer than any of the mountains. 


SHOPPING MY CLOSET FOR A WINTER CHIC OUTFIT

 I don't have much time for hiking and trips these days. You might have noticed that I don't blog as often as I used to. It is entirely possible that I will blog less even in the future. I work very long hours and I struggle with my health. Something has got to give, as they say. 

One more reason to appreciate these little nature getaways more! I did enjoy our hike in the snow a lot. I wanted to look cute, so I dressed up a little. Nothing in this outfit is new. I wore a red umbro puffer coat, an oversized scarf, a second hand skirt, a vintage (hand made) brown belt and a pair of high brown boots. I think red is always a good choice when it comes to dressing for snow because it is a a colour that stands out. This red jacket has an interesting history. Originally bought by my husband and then passed on to me, it is more than a decade old. 

see how I illustrated this red coat!










MEETING A CUTE AND CUDDLY WHITE HORSE!





While hiking, we ran into Vezir, a white horse that dwells on this hill. He behaves more like a dog than a horse. I think it is because he is more used to spending time with people than with other horses. It seems he still fancies me. The first time he ever saw me, years ago, this horse immediately ran towards me. A dog (that used to belong to someone here) thought the horse was behaving too freely so he stood between me and the horse. I presume the dog was trying to protect me. Anyhow, this time there were many dogs but they all seems to be friends with Vezir so nobody stood in his way when he came to greet me.  


MORE POSTS ABOUT PLANINICA HILL NEAR MOSTAR:

MY PREVIOUS VISITS TO PLANINICA- Are you interested in learning more about Planinica? You are welcome to check out old posts here, here, here, here, here and here.  Planinica is one of the hills that overlook Mostar and it is possibly my favourite one. It is 862 meters tall. It offers fantastical views of Mostar city and the surrounding mountains and hills. There is a mountain track leading to the top if you're into hiking, but you can also get there by car (whether rent a car, taxi or your own) or a bike. 

TRAVEL WITH MY ART: PLANINICA - THE MAKING OF THE 'A HORSE ON A PLANINICA HILL' PAINTING. Visit this post if you want to see this landscape painting in more detail.I still have it! made this painting in 2021. I used Royal Talens acrylic paints on a mixed media sketchbook paper. I'm not sure how many hours I put into it but I finished most of it in one sitting. I sketched the horse with  watercolour pencils and then I added the acrylic paints.  I added some finishing touches once I was out on the balcony- I remember it was so hot my acrylic paints dried on the panel almost as soon as I put them on.  I tried to convey the feeling of this place. Let's say I tried to do the best I could with the landscape.  The mountains in the background are not detailed but that is how it is in the reference photograph. I used my own photographs as a reference for this painting. I didn't use a single reference photograph, I checked a few of them and sketched my own thing. Painting the horse didn't take up much time. Horses were actually one of my first motives. I remember drawing a horse in charcoal  back when I was in high school. A lot of artists are fascinated with horses. They are stunning animals for sure. In fact, the thing that took the most time was the grass. I tried to add some texture to the grass. I don't know can you see it in the photographs, but I tried to make the grass look realistic. The same goes for rocks, but somehow I didn't find them as challenging as the grass. The format for this painting is A4, so I couldn't really do the fine details. Seeing it now, it looks like a mix of impressionism and realism. 

Planinica was also featured in these outfit posts: 









HOW IS MAKING US HAPPY WORKING OUT? MEDITATIONS ABOUT HAPPINESS ON PLANINICA HILL




OVERLOOKING MOSTAR CITY: PLANINICA

HOW TO WEAR BOOTS IN AUTUMN AND WINTER? 

SNOW CHIC ON PLANINICA HILL (ALSO HERE)



Do you love snow? Do you enjoy hiking? Do you like Winter? Have a lovely week ahead!

Comments

  1. Leone13 February 2023 at 13:11

    Planinica looks like a really beautiful place! Thank you for show us this amazing wild place :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sheila13 February 2023 at 16:11

    How fun to experience snow in your climate! I love your outfit, Ivana! OMG, that horse just came right up to you? How cool is that?

    I've seen a few bloggers hang up their blogs lately. Priorities...

    ReplyDelete
  3. J.P. Alexander13 February 2023 at 17:13

    Bello caballo y lindos paisajes. Me gusto tu pinta sobre el caballo. Te mando un beso.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Vix14 February 2023 at 02:49

    It's very unusual to see you in the snow, Ivana! The red jacket was a wise choice, you won't get lost in that.
    How beautiful is that horse? What a lovely photo of you both (and your fantastic art, too!)
    I'm not keen on snow although it's pretty to look at for the first day and I'm definitely a summer lover and not a winter one. I'm a confirmed townie. I love walking but not really a hiker, I like to see buildings on my travels! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mica14 February 2023 at 02:54

    It looks so fun to play in the snow! I like your cosy outfit too, nice and colourful for a fun day of hiking :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nancy 's Fashion Style14 February 2023 at 04:29

    Oh what a beautiful horse! Have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous14 February 2023 at 07:19

    Totally love that cozy red jacket. Hope you're doing good. Have a great rest of the week!

    www.fashionradi.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Polyester Princess14 February 2023 at 10:08

    What an absolutely stunning and fairy-tale like location, Ivana, even more so with the addition of the snow and that gorgeous white horse. Your outfit is absolutely perfect too! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pablo Parra (Fungi)15 February 2023 at 03:49

    Hey Ivana, hope you're doing well!

    Thanks for taking us to another amazing trip with you! Planinica hill looks awesome, I imagine the views from above would be spectacular! So good that you had the chance to see it covered in snow *___* seems that it was your lucky day!

    I also liked the illustrated version of your outfit in red!

    Pablo
    www.HeyFungi.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. ellie15 February 2023 at 05:02

    So inspiring! Welcome to my winter world! Adoring that pony! So great to see it's inspiration for you! All the best to a wonderful February💖💖💖💖💖Thanks for reading and commenting too!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Caitlin'nMegan15 February 2023 at 05:03

    Adoring the post! So enjoy the snow backdrop and your winter outfit! Wonderful! Adoring that pony too! All the best to your beautiful art!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rostrose16 February 2023 at 06:07

    You took us to a beautiful area, dear Ivana, and I love your winter photos! Your outfit is also very chic. I particularly like the idea of tightening the puffer jacket at the waist with a belt. I could also try that with my red quilted jacket. Thank you for the inspiration.
    ALL THE BEST from Austria!
    Traude
    ❤️
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/02/costa-rica-6-kapitel-tortuguero.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. Inspire My Fancy16 February 2023 at 22:38

    Your art is so beautiful! The story about the horse is adorable. I would love to meet Vezir. Such a wonderful surprise to have him walk up to you right? Also, the outfit with the puffer jacket is perfect! I love that it used to be your husbands and now it's yours. :))

    Cheers,
    Tania
    https://inspiremyfancy.com/

    ReplyDelete
  14. The Dainty Dolls House17 February 2023 at 03:33

    It looks like a wonderful place!! Your art is beautiful and I loved the horse, how precious!! So neat that he walked right up to you :))))) Take good care of yourself x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Turgay Aksoy24 February 2023 at 00:46

    It looks very nice.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Kezzie4 March 2023 at 16:05

    Your horse painting is great! I love your snow look- the coat has really earnt its keep.
    I had noticed you blog less (I do too- mainly due to being tired and feeling a bit uninspired, not due to health). I am sorry that such long teaching hours and health have stopped you from doing something you are so good at and enjoy.xx

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

All your comments mean a lot to me, even the criticism. Naravno da mi puno znači što ste uzeli vrijeme da nešto napišete, pa makar to bila i kritika. Per me le vostre parole sono sempre preziose anche quando si tratta di critiche.

Popular posts from this blog

THE ISLAND OF THE MISSING TREES BY ELIF SHAFAK (BOOK REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION)

Image
Today I shall review The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. I was actually gifted this book. What a wonderful present it proved to be! Published in 2021, this postmodern  novel  follows two  story lines and uses framed narration.  The Island of Missing Trees  tells the life story of a Greek Turkish couple and their adolescent daughter.  This novel examines and explores a number of topics such as identity, migration, immigrant life, war trauma, memory, love and family. It's an ambitious novel that examines serious topics with due respect and sensitivity . I read it months ago, but I remember it vividly. Honestly, I cried a lot while reading this novel. It really moved me greatly. In fact, that is probably why it took me this long to finish this book review. I needed to emotionally process the story.   The Island of Missing Trees is   set in London and Cyprus. The narration isn't chronological .  The story jumps back and forth, following two main timelines, one set in moder
Read more

SUMMER TO AUTUMN TRANSITION 2024 (SPLIT CITY)

Image
Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! In this post, we'll talk about Summer to Autumn transition. It's actually one of my favourite seasonal transitions, because it allows us to easily play with layers and textures. Early Autumn is that magical time when you can wear a sweater or a light jacket over your summer dress and call it a day.  As the days get colder, we'll need more layering but we can still draw from that Summer inspiration.  How to keep Summer in our hearts even when the Autumn arrives? Well, think of all the positive things that you associate with Summer and then figure out how you can keep them in Autumn. That's what I'm trying to do for myself. Not to stress about the seasonal change, but rather to embrace it. For example, this particular post has been long in the making. I started it this Summer and planned to post about the summer outfits I wore while in Split city. However, as Summer turned to Autumn, I found myself with some new looks. So, I dec
Read more

THE WILD GIRLS, A STORY BY URSULA K. LE GUIN (REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION)

Image
Hello fellow bloggers and/or blog readers! In this post, I'll share my review for Ursula K. Le Guin short story The Wild Girls . Published in 2011, this powerful short story tells a touching tale of slavery , trauma , loss and survival. Sisterly love is at the core of this immensely sad, complex and profound story. If you want to read an intelligent and multifaceted story focused on female characters, and set in a dystopian society, look no further. Don't expect a happy ending, though! This is not that kind of story. I actually listened to this short story (that isn't so short, it sorts of feels like a novella). I planned to listen to it while I do Pilates, but I wasn't aware of how serious and tragic the story truly was. I've read an awful lot of Le Guin's writing, so I know her writing can be ambitious, complex and challenging. Still, I wasn't prepared for the complex sadness of this story.  Needless to say, I didn't finishing my Pilates routine that d
Read more

SHADOW AND BONE BY LEIGH BARDUGO (BOOK REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION)

Image
Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! In this post, I shall review Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo ,  the first novel in the Shadow and Bone trilogy. Published in 2012, Shadow and Bone is a young adult fantasy novel featuring a young female protagonist Alina Starkov who tries to find her way in a world troubled by war and class divisions. The novel is set in Ravka, a fantasy world inspired by feudal Russia, but still unique in its own way. The world Alina Starkov inhabits has its own mythology and magic, and the worldbuilding is quite interesting. For example, there are Grishas, people who have magical powers, that are partly based on study of science and partly on instinct. While the organization of power is feudal, with a corrupt monarch and nobility, there's mention of higher education and even science.  I actually got introduced to this series through listening to music on Youtube. I'm pretty sure I heard about this fantasy series (especially on  goodreads), but someho
Read more

SUPPORTING LOCAL DESIGNERS IN MOSTAR: TRANSITIONAL AUTUMN STYLING WITH OZZ BRAND

Image
Hello readers and fellow bloggers! In this post, I'll share two transitional outfits featuring a lilac skirt from fashion designer Stanka Zovko. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you've probably seen this skirt before. Afterall, I'm really good at shopping my closet. I've been wearing this lilac skirt a lot in the past few months. It's also a great piece for transitional weather because it can be easily layered, or dressed up and down.  Supporting local designers and artisans is certainly something that pays off in the long run. If you want to own unique pieces and at the same time, support your local community, you should really explore shopping local, or commissioning local artisans and designers.  Sustainability in fashion is a big topic nowadays! However, sometimes I feel like people make it more complicated than it really is. We should go back to our origins. Explore vintage, second hand and local shopping. Learn how to stay away from the big shoppin
Read more

TRAVEL WITH MY ART #40, A VIEW FROM MARINE LUČICA SPLIT (CROATIA)

Image
Hello blog readers and fellow bloggers! It's time for another TRAVEL WITH MY ART post that is another posting in my art series. In this post, I'll share an acrylic painting inspired by a location in Split city, Croatia. I used one of my own photographs as a reference for this painting. The format of this painting is quite small, but I'm pretty content with how it turned out. Furthermore, I might do another version of this painting on a canvas. I will share more details about the location and the painting shortly, but first a few words about why and how I'm sharing it.  As you might know if you read my blog regularly, TRAVEL WITH MY ART is basically a regular feature on my blog where I post my art (paintings & illustration) inspired by different places. I will mostly illustrate and paint places I have visited, but sometimes I will paint based of a photograph a friend has sent me or one that caught my eye. Sometimes I will paint places I would like to visit as opposed
Read more