Tuesday 23rd July 2013 –
Djalovica Canyon & The Happy Machine
Total Distance: 12.83km / Total Ascent: 324m / Total
Descent: 318m
A much shorter walk was
scheduled for today, from the village of Bistrica into the Djalovica Canyon, up
to the St Nicholas Church and back – a round trip of about 13k.
|
High Street, Bistrica |
An early mist had
already burned off by shortly after breakfast, and the day was warming up
nicely as we took the short 4WD transfer to Bistrica.
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Walking beside the Bistrica river |
We left the village
along a road beside the Bistrica river. Soon, the asphalt gave way to a rough
track that rose through woods, across open hillsides and past farms as we made
our way deeper into the canyon.
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Farm in the Djalovica Canyon |
After around an hour or
so of wandering through scenes of bucolic beauty, we stopped at an
attractive-looking farm. Here we were invited in for rakija and coffee, and
were given the opportunity to look round. Unlike Laništa, which was a katun (summer dwelling), this was a traditional
lowland farm. We got to meet the family and had the chance for a brief insight
into farming and the way of life in these parts.
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Chatting with the family |
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Coffee with friends |
|
Land girl |
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Making hay while the sun shines |
|
In use, the haystacks are sliced like a cake |
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The farm and outbuildings |
|
A variety of building techniques and materials |
After a look at some of
the buildings, farming methods, tools and livestock, we were introduced to the
Happy Machine.
|
The Happy Machine |
We sampled some of the
produce and, with half a litre of the good stuff tucked away in our luggage, we
definitely left a little happier than when we arrived! It is interesting to
note at this point just how much of a part context can play in the appreciation
of such things. In the cold light of day, our purchase looked less like a
lovingly crafted artisan product and more like a half litre of wee-coloured
liquid of questionable flavour, with a kick somewhat akin to Nitromors. It
was, indeed, an unsubtle brew, more than capable of putting the ‘blind’ into
‘blind taste test’.
|
Beautiful woodland |
Moving on, we followed
the track through cool, shady woods. Then, below us, we came upon the 17th
Century St Nicholas Church, tucked away at the point where the canyon narrowed
to a tight gorge.
|
St Nicholas Church |
To hide the church from
invading Turks, it had been deliberately sited in an out-of-the-way place and disguised
as a simpler dwelling, so as to avoid detection and sacking.
|
Internal decoration 1 |
|
Internal decoration 2 |
|
Frescoes on the outer wall |
Dimitrije was surprised
to find the church open: in ten previous visits he had not been able to go
inside. Had it not been for the imminent arrival of a wedding party, we would
have been out of luck again. The frescoes and decoration were beautiful, and we
were allowed to look round, learn a bit about the history of the place and even
take a few photographs.
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The bell tower |
|
From the back |
|
Lunch in the church grounds |
A slightly overgrown
path took us down through the woods to the river, crossing a precarious wooden
bridge to reach the far bank. The valley itself is beautiful – a steep-sided
limestone gorge, a wild aspect, a sparkling mountain torrent tumbling at the
base – but in recent times, the original path has been devastated and replaced
with a bulldozed track. A shame, because otherwise it would have been idyllic.
|
Looking into the gorge |
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Rickety bridge |
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Tumbling mountain stream |
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New bulldozed track |
Back in Bistrica, we had a beer at
the same bar as yesterday before returning to the villa. Tonight’s dinner was
to be taken at a restaurant in Bijelo Polje. We had soup, beef and potatoes and
cheesecake, and followed this up with a walk round town and a beer. A
basketball tournament was in progress, and we stopped to watch the local side
lose narrowly 2-1 in a close-fought contest.
For some, travel is
about trekking, scenery and wildlife. For others, it’s about people, tradition,
food and culture. Either way, this trip delivers both – and is all the better
for it.
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