H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wanted to read this book because it was receiving accolades and rave reviews from every corner and genre. The story of the authors unique experience raising a goshawk.
But I just didn’t love it. I liked it but didn’t love it. It dragged for me. Sorry, I really wanted to like it more.
But I still think many readers would enjoy it, lovingly told the underlying story is how author and bird find themselves and succeed together.
If you love birds or if you have felt lost with grief “H is for Hawk” might ring true for you, as MacDonald chronicles her experience raising one of natures most viscous predators and coming out whole on the other side.
H is for Hawk ⭐️⭐️⭐️
gravelly beaches are the norm. You can hire a chair and umbrella (which we did twice) or lay on the concrete or rocks (which we did three times). The water is refreshing and clear and a great place to swim.
understanding. It’s fascinating to talk to those who lived through it and see how far they have come in just a couple decades.
done some shopping for us. And my friend Sonja went and bought me a collapsible colander! What a treat!
home with her as well. Even though we already shipped a box home, the longer we are gone the more we have honed down the clothes, shoes and 
miscellaneous other items we don’t need or want on the Grand Adventure. So she will take home some long pants and long sleeves shirts and a few other clothing items, my green Chucks, our water bladders that go in our backpacks, a few gifts and cookbooks we have purchased and a few miscellaneous other 
things.
ingredients for our dinner picking tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green beans, celery and parsley. Then we toured the rest of the garden where everything from laurel trees, figs,olives and 
called padispanj. While it baked we popped in to the car and drove to the next farm over where we milked a goat. My first milking experience! Thank goodness 
for a patient goat! It was fun, not too difficult and surprisingly warm!!
kitchens we went where it was time to start the fire for the main attraction the Peka, traditional Croatian meat and potato dish . It takes an hour to get the coals hot enough in the fireplace so while the fire burned we prepared a vegetable soup with hand made gnocchi. Our gnocchi was not potatoe but 
made simply with egg, olive oil and semolina flour.
large round and shallow pan. Into the pan goes veal, lamb, garlic, onion and salt. A layer of potatoes goes on top and then it is placed into the fire and covered with a giant steel “bell”. Ashes are 
placed all around to seal and then the bell is covered with coals. Now it bakes for 90 minutes. Oh the smell!
Not something you would prepare everyday. It is for special occasions and unfortunately there is no “quickie” version. If you don’t have a giant fireplace you aren’t going to be making Peka.
Adriatic Sea. We learned more about the incredible history, including that during the 1991 war the Yugoslav Army occupied the village and the estate and the family fled into old Dubrovnik. Luckily the estate was not destroyed, although many things were stolen. Not everyone was so lucky.
tomatoes and our fried eggplant and zucchini.
wine made on the farm. Delicious.
dedication to their culture and history- all while enjoying a spectacular meal based on sustainable farming and dedication to historical practices.
And anywhere you travel – slow down and embrace food as culture and history.
mean really, in the USA it’s “baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Mexican Food” right?
entire world doesn’t inhale Mexican food like we do. You can get a pizza in every country (even the stingy Seychelles). You can find pasta almost anywhere. But Mexican? No va a pasar!