Jocelyn Karolyi de Karoly-Patti

Getting around

Slow and Delayed Trains in Dalmatia

The narrow-gauge train between Split and Sinj traveled at speeds rarely exceeding 20 km/h, and it was common for the 2.5-to-3-hour journey to be delayed by half an hour.

At the table

Diet of ordinary families in Croatia

Ordinary families relied on basic foods like cereals and milk, with meat, such as pork or poultry, typically reserved for Sundays, feasts, or heavy labor. Daily meals often consisted of porridge, beans, potatoes, and vegetables seasoned with onion and garlic.

What people wore

Formal Shirt-Sleeves for Feasts

Peasant men considered it essential to show good manners on feast days by taking off their coats indoors and eating in their white shirt-sleeves, which were considered an important part of their holiday dress.

Music

Popularity of the Zither in Zagreb

The zither was a popular domestic instrument in Zagreb, with specialized clubs and private instruction, often featuring arrangements of works by composers like Schubert and Chopin. Its popularity declined rapidly after the collapse of the Monarchy in 1918.

Daily life

Boiling milk with heated stones

Cooking in mountain areas sometimes involved heating stones in a fire and dropping them into wooden bowls of milk to make it boil without an open flame.