Autumn is wonderful on the island of Krk. The streets of this beautiful island are filled with the murmur of visitors – many foreigners, but also local lovers of the combination of nature, tradition and the sea. You can still find swimmers on the beaches, but there are also many who enjoy walking along the seashore and soaking up the sun. How do women experience the island of Krk and the iconic tourist resort of Malinska? This question was answered by lovers of an active and dynamic weekend and the women's program Women's Weekend in Croatia and the Surroundings, designed by journalist and fashion consultant Alma Premerl Zoko.

"The sea beckons us all year round, and Malinska on the island of Krk is a place that needs to be experienced at the end of the season. The streets are full of tourists, wherever you look you will see clear sea, most days are still sunny and warm, and October is traditionally on Krk marked by the olive harvest and wonderful wellness," says Alma, adding that the olive tree and everything that can be experienced with it was the guiding thread of the women's stay in Malinska.

The stay in Malinska thus began with a unique experience – the Olive touch project, which the tourist board of this destination conceived last year with the aim of providing quality content at the end of the season in Malinska and Dubašnica. The fact that the idea had fallen on fertile ground was proven by the numerous women who were ready to harvest olives in the olive grove of the Utla family farm. The traditional way of removing ripe fruits from fragile branches seemed to remove all the accumulated stress and made the weekend unforgettable. With laughter and joy, the mats in the olive grove were filled with olives that needed to be collected and prepared for pressing. Iva and Branko, olive growers from Malinska, were overjoyed by the joy that prevailed as they tried to explain how the olive fruit is transformed into Utla oil, which has been awarded gold multiple times. This oil, as well as young olive oil from olives picked the day before, could be tasted after the harvest. This experience is being repeated for two more weekends, so you can go on an Olive touch excursion yourself.

Olive oil tasting and the traditional dessert Presnac were served that day in Bogovski toš, a place that is also a small family museum, where the main place is occupied by the press where olives were once turned into olive oil, which was shown by Biserka Bogović, the museum manager. The Olive Touch program ended at the place where boarding the train that drove ten kilometers from the center of Malinska to the olive grove began - in front of the DUBoak Interpretation Center, which is characterized by wonderful content and a park on the roof. At this place, a wonderful story was told about maritime heritage, the culture of sailing, but also the way people live on this island in harmony with the sea, nature, especially the forest.

The olive stars of October at this destination also told their story outside the olive groves. Tanja Grbac, co-owner of Malinska Trattoria Gatto Nero , showed how a little olive oil combines with flour, eggs, spices and a lot of love from a woman who turns the ingredients into a unique mixture with her hands, from which šurlice are created in a special way, completely by hand. The dough, as she discovered, must be compact, and your hands and a thin stick are the only tools you need. The workshop was mastered, each woman made her own šurlice, which were topped with the restaurant's iconic sauces at the table - a goulash made from several types of meat and a shrimp sauce made according to a special recipe. Since this restaurant is open all year round, Marinko Tvrtković joined Tanja in presenting the gastronomic address, announcing a series of activities for gastronomes - from traditional specialties that make this place look for more chairs, to thematic programs that keep Malinska awake when it gets cold.

There is no shortage of good programs at the Malin Hotel, the base of this women's program, an hour and a half drive from Zagreb. Its location is great - just a minute's walk to the sea and five minutes to the center of Malinska, the hotel is categorized as four stars with rooms facing the sea, atrium or garden. The autumn program begins in October, which is called the month of olives, November is the month of laughter, and December is the month of cod, which traditionally ends with the New Year's Eve, for which there is always a demand for more space. Since it is open all year round, the Malin Hotel also offers a unique wellness & spa experience in the colder part of the year, which was especially pleasing to the women's team. To fully round out the story about olives, the dm beauty workshop, led by beautician Nina Babarogić, showed how olives and nature can greatly regenerate the face and body. All the women themselves mixed dm eco olive oil with sea salt and enjoyed a light peeling, sauna session and revitalization with numerous products from the dm basket, which are based on olives.

"The visit to Krk and Malinska was wonderful, as was the experience of the program through which the power of the olive tree ran. This was a dream weekend," said the women as they slowly headed home. As the saying goes at the end of every women's gathering - it was repeated - Alma announces new programs for this fall.

Photo: Nikola Zoko
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