All posts tagged: kuterevo

The Bears of Kuterevo

Published by

I’m a bit obsessed with bears and wolves. One of the reasons I’m spellbound by deer is that the idea of something so big wandering around wild in the woods is just so exciting. They’re so big! And they’re owned by no one! So obviously being in places where there are wolves or bears, which are way more exotic and wild and potentially dangerous, is pretty mind-blowing for me. The chances of us actually seeing a bear in the wild though are thankfully fairly slim, so we opted for the next best thing and went to the bear sanctuary in Kuterevo. The Kuterevo bear sanctuary was set up in 2002 by Ivan Crnkovic-Pavenka to give a home to orphaned bears that  otherwise wouldn’t have survived in the wild. It has since grown to accommodate four large enclosures and supports a permanent community of international volunteers. The site provides trees, pools and caves for the bears to live a life as close to wild as they’ll ever know and simultaneously a sense of community and purpose …

Tomo, Tomo, Tomo

Published by

I just had to write a little post about our wonderful stay at Buffet Butina in Kuterevo. We don’t eat out all the time as funds generally don’t allow it but sometimes, when we’re tired,  we just can’t resist. Particularly when the restaurant in question looks like the cosiest, most Tolkienesque place you may ever indulge in a plate of food. Fortunately for us, not only was the food delicious and the surroundings bewitching – our host, Tomo was also a superstar. We were given a sweet and safe place to park the van for a couple of nights, more homemade rakija than we really should have drunk, a family of hand carved spoons, and a welcome that makes a weary traveller’s heart thump with joy. Tomo’s place, like the rest of Kuterevo, feels ancient and magical. The light seemed to fall with intentional care and the combination of old wood with old embroidered and woven textiles cast a time-travelling spell. We ate vegetable soup, the best mixed grill of our lives and ustipci (a …