🌊 Croatia & Heritage
Learn with Nonna: 60 Everyday Phrases in Italian and Croatian
Nonna Do speaks English, Italian and Croatian. Here are 60 everyday words and phrases from her kitchen, garden and heart, with easy pronunciation tips.
Otok vitalnosti · Island of vitality
Mali Lošinj, Cres & the Village of Belej
Nonna’s story begins in Belej, a small stone village on the island of Cres, within the Town of Mali Lošinj in Croatia’s Kvarner Gulf — a place of olive groves, pine forests, healing air, dolphins and the bluest sea you will ever see.
🐬Sun · Sea · Pine · Dolphins
1892Climatic health resort
~2,600Sunny hours / year
~230Medicinal herbs
1999Apoxyomenos found
Belej — Nonna’s village
Belej sits on the southern part of the island of Cres, among dry-stone walls, sheep pastures and silver-green olive trees, a short drive from the ancient town of Osor where Cres meets Lošinj. Life there followed the rhythm of the seasons: olives in autumn, herbs in spring, the sea in summer and family around the table all year long.
It’s where Dorina learned that the simplest ingredients — good oil, fresh fish, wild herbs, bread from the oven — make the best food, and that family is everything.
💙 Why it’s called the island of vitality
Health, air, sun & sea
🌬️
The air
Clean, pine- and herb-scented sea air — the reason Lošinj became a health resort in 1892. A walk on the Čikat promenade is medicine.
☀️
The sun
About 2,600 hours of sunshine a year lift the mood. (Nonna’s rule: enjoy the sun, but wear a hat!)
🌊
The sea
Swimming in the crystal-clear Adriatic is gentle exercise for every age — and pure joy.
🌿
The herbs
Sage, rosemary, immortelle and lavender scent the hills; islanders use them in food, teas and oils.
🫒
The food
Olive oil, fish, wild greens, Cres lamb, figs and honey — the Mediterranean diet in its homeland.
🚶
The pace
Promenades, siestas, long family meals. Slowing down is part of the island’s secret.
✨ Did you know?
Fun facts about Lošinj & Cres
Declared a climatic health resort in 1892In the Austro-Hungarian era, Mali and Veli Lošinj were officially recognized for their healing, mild climate — the start of the island’s health tourism.
About 2,600 hours of sunshine a yearAmong the sunniest places on the Adriatic, with mild winters and breezy summers.
Air scented with pine and herbsOver 1,000 plant species and around 230 medicinal herbs grow on the archipelago — sage, rosemary, myrtle, immortelle and more.
Pine forests planted by peopleFrom the late 1800s, botanist and teacher Ambroz Haračić championed planting the pine forests of Čikat bay.
Resident bottlenose dolphinsThe waters around Lošinj are home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins studied for decades by the Blue World Institute in Veli Lošinj.
An ancient bronze athleteThe Greek bronze statue Apoxyomenos was discovered in the sea near the islet of Vele Orjule in 1999 and now has its own museum in Mali Lošinj (opened 2016).
Griffon vultures of CresThe rugged northern cliffs of Cres are one of the last Croatian nesting areas of the griffon vulture.
Two islands, one ancient townCres and Lošinj meet at Osor, where a narrow canal and a swing bridge join the islands.
A seafaring heritageLošinj was famous for its sea captains and shipbuilders; their elegant stone houses still line the harbors.
🗣️ Nonna’s three languages
Speak like an islander
The Kvarner islands have long mixed Croatian and Italian — just like Nonna.
| English | Croatian | Italian |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Hi | Bok / Dobar dan | Ciao / Buongiorno |
| Thank you | Hvala | Grazie |
| Please | Molim | Per favore |
| Good morning | Dobro jutro | Buongiorno |
| Grandmother | Baka / Nona (island dialect) | Nonna |
| Sea | More | Mare |
| Island | Otok | Isola |
| Cheers! | Živjeli! | Salute! |
| I love you | Volim te | Ti voglio bene / Ti amo |
| Welcome | Dobrodošli | Benvenuti |
🧳 Travel tips
Plan a visit
⛴️
Getting there
Fly to Rijeka, Pula or Zagreb, then drive via the Brestova–Porozina ferry to Cres, continuing south through Osor to Lošinj. Seasonal catamarans also connect Rijeka and Mali Lošinj.
🗓️
When to visit
May–June and September–October are perfect: warm sea, blooming herbs, fewer crowds. Summer is lively; winter is peaceful and mild.
📍
Don’t miss
The Čikat pine promenade, the Museum of Apoxyomenos, the Lošinj Aromatic Garden, Osor’s old town, the Beli visitor centre on Cres, and dolphin education at the Blue World Institute.
📰 From the blog
Heritage stories
🌊 Croatia & Heritage
Mali Lošinj: The Island of Vitality Where Nonna's Story Begins
Pine forests, healing air, dolphins and an ancient bronze athlete: discover Mali Lošinj and the island of Cres, where Nonna Do was born in the village of Belej.
🍝 Nonna’s Kitchen
Nonna's Pantry: 25 Essentials for Italian & Croatian Home Cooking
With these 25 staples on your shelves, dinner is always within reach. Here's what lives in Nonna Do's pantry, why each one matters and how to store it well.
📺 Watch & learn
See Lošinj & Cres
Aerial views, travel guides and the dolphins of the Adriatic.
▶️ Mali Lošinj & Cres More on YouTube
Mali Losinj 4KTop Destinations Croatia · Watch on YouTube
Čikat | Mali Lošinj | Hrvatska | Croatia | Aerial video | Snimanje iz zraka | 4KSaluto-Team · Watch on YouTube
Mali Lošinj, Croatia – Full Travel GuideExplore Croatia · Watch on YouTube
Dolphin Watching Adriatic - join dolphin watching program on Lošinj island, Adriatic Sea, Croatia.Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation · Watch on YouTube
Cres Island, Croatia–Full Travel GuideExplore Croatia · Watch on YouTube
📚 Nonna’s bookshelf
Books about Croatia
Beloved books to learn from, cook from and dream with.
🧭Lonely Planet CroatiaLonely PlanetView on Amazon →🗺️Rick Steves Croatia & SloveniaRick Steves & Cameron HewittView on Amazon →🏝️DK Eyewitness CroatiaDK TravelView on Amazon →
🇮🇹Italian Short Stories for BeginnersOlly RichardsView on Amazon →🇭🇷Colloquial CroatianCelia HawkesworthView on Amazon →📘Easy Italian Step-by-StepPaola Nanni-TateView on Amazon →
As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you.
🔗 Official links
Lošinj & Cres resources
- 🏝️Visit Lošinj (official tourist board)Events, beaches, health tourism and places to stay.
- 🌊Kvarner tourist boardCres, Lošinj, Rijeka and the whole Kvarner Gulf.
- 🐬Blue World InstituteDolphin research and marine conservation in Veli Lošinj.
- 🇭🇷Croatia Full of LifeOfficial Croatian National Tourist Board.
- 📘Mali Lošinj on WikipediaHistory and geography.
- 📘Cres on WikipediaThe island of Cres.