First by Ivan, a local restaurant owner who happens to be second cousins with our neighbour. He had heard of our special eating requirements and assured us in the kindest way possible that he could cater to our needs. As a matter of fact, preparing something for us would be a delight and no problem whatsoever.
Our second encounter was with 'Capitan' Luka, a friendly older bloke who had stopped us to comment on Zenchai's motoring capabilities. He has grown very fond of Zenchai over the weeks, watching him whizz by on his bicycle. With a twinkle in his eye, he invited Zenchai into his garage to look at his big motorbike. 'Capitan' Luka had a lovely yarn with us about his life on the sea (36 years) and his current setting in Kukljica.
Only a few meters from 'Capitan' Luka's is a luscious fig tree that we have been eye-balling for weeks, praying to eat of its fruit. On this particular day there was a man (aka Fig Man) picking figs from her full branches. Claude asked Fig Man if they were nice. He generously responded by plonking fig after fig into each of our greedy little palms. These were by far the best figs I have ever tasted, sun-blushed and sweet. My eyes roll into the back of my head with pleasure now just recounting the taste.
Within seconds of Fig Man disappearing down an alley and the three of us still licking our fingers, Apricot Lady appeared. A woman (I had nicknamed her Mrs. Greenfinger) who we have seen several times tending her charming garden and voluptuous fruit trees. In that moment she held out a plate with apricots straight off her tree. (Had she read our thoughts over the last few weeks of our plot to pick from her trees?) We each took one in turn and, poof, she was gone just as quickly as she had appeared. Our little trio stood beneath the shade of the fig tree sucking down the juiciest apricots on the planet. I have never experienced an apricot like it. Heaven really is on Earth.
Later we discovered that Fig Man and Apricot Lady are actually a pair, which makes their random acts of kindness even more random.
Are we loving village life in Kukljica? More importantly do even need to ask?
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