This is my fireplace

I like sitting here for a quiet cup of coffee and a book, I like bringing my guests here to relax with a shot of rakija and some coffee and some baklava. . .

My favorite window..it is in my room...it is said that the Blessed !Queen Katarina Vukcic- Kosaca used to sit in this very window to embroider or to read a book. This window is in a tower and has a nice view of the valley below.

I hope others will put pictures of their favorite places in their palaces and castles...

That is very nice. Where do you find these pictures?

This is our Reception Room for Foreign Guests. . . Amassadors Present Credentials here etc.

oh, Katja your castle looks splendid, such a fine and relaxing centre of Royal Power. I too enjoy guzzling my homemade rakija and watching a play at the Royal Theatre. Because it makes the terrible acting bearable, ho ho. What is the history of the Katjanski Castle? Do you have any poltergeists? There's one room in The Slavposki Royal Residency all refuse to enter because the ghost of Baba Schvaba inhabits it frighteningly.

This castle does have hauntings. the worst of the poltergeists went away after an exorcism. It is customary for a priest to come yearly to bless all dwelling premises and even the barns in Our country. We follow this custom as it keeps hauntings at a minimum.
This Castle is the Summer Residence at Blagaj. We have an almost identical reception room however in the Winter Residence in Sveti Stijepan. Everything in Sveti Stijepan had to be carefully restored as there was destruction back during the war. The Castle in Sveti Stijepan has some hauntings too.
The Castle in Imotski has really a funny haunting. The old king there was overthrown by his son because he became a serious drinker and led a wild life. His son was concerned that Affairs of State were being neglected so he confined his father and simply took over. The father did live on a few years on an allowance, with a couple girlfriends, and his drinking buddies. Every New Years Eve ghostly shots are heard and drunken laughter. Then a ghostly guzlar and gajdar play some music.
We only watch good movies, unless it's 'Cheeze Nite' that night the movies are cheesy and all the dishes involve cheese, for example 'chilimac' or 'popcorn with cheese' or simply sliced cheese and assorted other things, and the rule is you have to make fun of the cheesy movie. We find that moveis like 'Shaft in Africa' are the best for this type of evening.
p.s. We in Zahumlje do not 'guzzle' We sip.

Queen Katja,

Your castle and Royal activities sound higly cultured. Popcorn with cheese and a cheezy movie and where the Rule is to make fun of the movie sounds like like a larf. I am relieved to hear the power of Christ has removed most evil spirits.

That overzealous King with a-many lady friends sounds like he would have fit right in at the Slavposki Royal functions. Princes and Princesses have been known to hold wild "Partija Seksa" or Parties of Sex. You can imagine what frustrated young royalty, 25-ft ceilings and homemade rakija and heroin can mix to make. :)

The Slavposki Guzzle is a custom. Here we throw down the rakija as fast as possible. Sometimes there are elaborate drinking games as well as psychotropic hedonistic love festivals exclusive to royalty. I wish your Cheeze Nites and hangover days last for many more!

We do not do hangovvers... Before drinking significant quantities of any form of 'adult beverages' (legal drinking age in Zahumlje is 16), We take a tablespoon of lovely honey from Zahumlje. Zahumlje is famous for the quality of honey produced here, or We drink a small glass of mead. Either way you do not get a hangover. If one omits to take honey, the other good thing to do is to have some nice menudo the next day. It replaces all the essential nutrients destroyed by too much alchol. A tablespoon of honey for each drink of hard liquor or for every two glasses of beer and wine is also effective but not as good as having honey or mead the night before.
The other entertainment common at the Castle is the 'Diwan', this is a poetry reading which goes on until dawn of the next day. Someone brings a gusla, (small fiddle one string, sounds terrible until you get the hang of it!) and poems that are traditional are recited, people make up new poems too, on the spot. The idea is to create an atmosphere of 'sevdah'
usually the bevarage served at a formal 'diwan' is coffee.... understandable because it is poor form to fall asleep at such a function.
The other formal Royal recreations are hawking, ie hunting with the aid of falcons, archery, and the capea. The capea is a formal event held in summer and late spring at the Royal Toro Bravo Sanctuary. Usually We invite foreign guests to at least watch. We have personally participated in past years.

Castle Life in Zahumlje sounds incredible. Mmmm i wouldn't mind tasting some Zahumlje honey, even if reduces the severity of morning after nights of Hedon & Heathen will be an absolute bonus. Zahumlje Regal culture sounds interesting with a long and colourful history but it also seems elaborate and difficult to master. I am sure if i were invited on a Royal Visit Zahumljens would smirk at me and call me and say "jadni kralj" or "poor king." That is something i can do without.

I could indubitably agree with hunting game. Slavpo has wide open spaces for living, dreaming and hunting. :) The poetry reading sounds not too bad, however, do we need to be reminded that only things like radicalism and communism develop out of Cafe` Society. On a lighter note, my Minister of Candy will contact your people to order in a crate of Zahumlje's finest honey, which i will enjoy with my prize winning alcohol-fruitcake.

Majesty: The fears you have about 'cafe society' only apply to totally Westernized societies. The 'kafana drustvo' of Zahumlje is simply an aspect of Our society which has been affected by the fact of previous Turkish era. Those Zahumljani who harbor radical ideas tend to meet in Meeting Halls, as kafana is too vulnerable to ....um shall We say Monitoring... yes....that's the word, Monitoring.....
Some nice honey is on it's way along with a box of our best walnuts. honey and walnuts are healthy to eat.
Royal people in Zahumlje have a very nice time. People in Zahumlje would just say 'Well he's a bit young yet...'
Court amusements and diversions of Zahumlje have a long history, it is true, since Our State dates back to the 11th century, and a distinct people living in Zahumlje dates to the dawn of time, there has been time to form the Customs of thee Court, and indeed the People...
We welcome You to visit after this weekend. You might wish to avoid the Socialist Convention that is this Weekend.

Carica Katja,
We must let our differing politcal persuasions melt away in the name of Regal Slavdom! :D I am exceptionally pleased to hear that Zahunlje's "café sociéty" is only a realm for non-political pleasure. I am in complete understanding of Zahumlje's 'eye' over its people. It's for the good of the Nation (tee-hee)

Do you look back on Zahumlje's Turkish era with regret, anger or fondness? Do Zahumlje's academic machines condemn or celebrate the Turkish era? Is Turkish taught in schools? What languages and what kind of subjects are taught in Zahumljie academia?

I may be a young king but at least i have Zahumlje's finest hangover-reducing honey. That is more than enough for yours truly. Thank you for the above-and-beyond walnuts. They will lecherously enjoyed by the Royalty.

I will be honoured to visit your chosen Royal Castle of Zahumlje. However, i will like to wait for a generous period so as i don't ruff with any persons remaining from the SocialistConvention. I mean nothing ill of it and i hope you understand my forthcomingness.

bog za sada!

We in Zahumlje have many views of Turkish era. At the time of initiial contact it was difficult for our people. Still it brought certain advantages. The Turks put in free libraries which any person who'd recently bathed was at liberty to use, they put in public baths, they put in more medical clinics. They did have a sort of military draft but then again so did the rulers previous to them, they actually lowered the taxes initiially. They introduced new musical styles, coffee,restaraunts, and new forms of archtecture. They introduced, improved metal workinng techniques, and new styles in jewelry.
Some extremists are still on about the Turks, but most Zahumljani feel that that era helped make Zahumlje what it is.
When someone is particularly brave in battle, it used to be said 'he fights like a Turk!' When a man had the sort of presence which of itself discouraged physical challange, it was said 'he walks like a Turk' Even it is said, 'Scratch a Zahumljani, find a Turk' So although the true Turks no longer live here in significant numbers, their memory is very much alive.
Many of the foods we Zahumljani enjoy are of Turkish origins, cevapi, lokum, coffee, baklava, sarama, rice with lentils, red lentil soup, boza (a mildly alcholic beverage enjoyed in winter time)
Since from an early point there were Zahumljani who joined the Turks, we had de-facto self rule early on, this mitigated the worst effects of 'foreign rule'.
Their influence was profound. We Zahumljani don't regret or have nostalgia either. That is just historic fact.
To answer about schools, what young Zahumljani study in school has to do with practical necessities first, reading, writeing, arithmetic, and some arts, such as music, calligraphy,and education in a trade. Because it's good for the brain we encourage learning foreign languages.
This helps Zahumlje to have foreign trade, and if a Zahumljani lives abroad, this makes it easier.
Don't be hesitant about visiting the Socialist convention ends to day. Most of the foreign Socialists will be leaving tomorrow. Zahumljani don't bother getting too excited about politics. A Royal visitor is not going to make people excited.

Katja of Zahumlje,

Slavpo too has had contact with the Turks. We do not look back on them quite as positively as you do. Don't you feel a bit of sadness that The Turks kept all their subjects away from things like Renaissance, Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution? What is Baklava? In Slavpo we have more central and eastern European foods like borshsh (борщ), goulash, and Kransky sausages, but we also enjoy chevapi (čevapi) occasionally

Overall, I am very impressed with Zahumlje, you have an captivating history and an incredible past. I can even look past the socialism :) I wish you, Carica Katja and her Kingdom all the wealth, prosperity and love in the world. I look forward to seeing Zahumlje in the soil and cement in my visit soon.

Excellency: Baklava is a lovely sweet pastry it is made with a dough similar to the strudel dough, that probably you have in Slavpo, walnuts chopped up very small, and a lovely syrup made from honey annd rosewater. People all over the Balkans eat Baklava! They vary the spelling a little, and sometimes alter the recipe a little. In Zahumlje we serv large pieces of baklava, in Turkey it is served in very small pieces. Four Turkish pieces make one Zahumljani piece.
We'll make sure there is some baklava and other specail dishes to try out.

Oh, i think i've had baklava. Is it similar to those Lebanese cakes that are excessively sweet and you feel sick after eating more than 8? :)

I am sure Zahumlje's staff will prepare me a meal fit for a king :D Overflowing with goodness and Zahumlje home treats, this talk of food has made me very hungry all of sudden.

Majesty, it is very possible you have eatten them. We can eat four Zahumljani pieces of baklava without too much discomfort. The key is to precede it with somehting which proides protei and to have coffee with one's baklava. If one does this then at least oe avoids the 'sugar rush'
Zahumljani 'stand-up' comedians are always making fun of Zahumljani police officers for takeing excessive coffee and baklava breaks bu the policemen here while large and imposing are NOT overweight. They are very fit . Our female police usually have excellent figures, in fact many are 'knock down drop dead gorgeous'! Would people who took excessive coffee and baklava breaks be fit and good looking?
The Lebanese foods have some foreign influences since from ancient times they have traded with the whole world. This must necessarily have affected their cuisine.