Depending on climate conditions, the agave blooms once in ten, forty or a hundred years. And then, at its peak of beauty and luxuriance, it dies. Towards the end of its life, the agave’s stalks can be more than seven metres high, as if they are nobly defying their inevitable fate. Mother Nature made sure, though, that the plant leaves something behind for the future, because before it dies, the agave releases seeds that will bear life once again.
Once upon a time a known explorer and archaeologist, decided to settle down in Dubrovnik.
He began to build a house, on a cliff facing the sea and the old city.
He worked from the heart and was paced by the wind and rain. Stone by stone and tree by tree, he picked each carefully as one would pick one’s own friends. It seemed as though each ancient piece, each relic he collected on his quest for knowledge had decided to end its journey at this exact spot and fully surrender to the tranquil surroundings.
As a true explorer and archaeologist he admired the order of nature and used its ways to complement his new home. He left a stone canvas for the waves to carve their stories on, a window for a horizon to come to and sooth its loneliness‌
Clouds came to visit each morning, delivering news from the lands he was no stranger to and occasional advice on how to best humour the sun and the shade. Friends came to offer a hand and ask for advice. Children brought water in exchange for stories of mysteries and discovery.
He worked passionately during the day, piecing memories and freeing emotions, and rested at evenings to collect thoughts and disperse in visions.
When the moon peeked in late at night, the man greeted him warmly. They talked about ebbs and tides, time and friendship, unburdened by each other’s size and significance.
The house was finished on the first day of summer. It was a quiet, peaceful morning and people slept late.
It seemed that nature held its breath for a second, in admiration for the work of one man.
It was the day the agave flowers blossomed, the first and the last time in a hundred years.
Dubrovnik was always in Sir Arthur’s heart… Admiration for history, passionate search for new truths, a kind way with people, bravery to face challenges… woven in a house on a cliff facing the sea and the old city.
„Dubrovnik was once a famous Republic – and then it lived quietly for a long time, resting with its memories. That was when I met it. Today Dubrovnik bursts with life as a result of the countless cheerful tourists visiting it . This contributes significantly to its prosperity. It also gives it a beautiful, contemporary look. But I prefer the quiet, poor Dubrovnik, of my day…“ Quote from the article “With Sir A. Evans at Mons. Bulić’s”, Novo doba, 20 June 1932.