Croatian Locals Making an Impact
It is not difficult to fall in love with Croatia; it is a country home to many seductions – the shimmering Adriatic, pristine national parks, captivating medieval cities, fresh local food, and rich history. So often, these are the things that inspire our travelers to visit Croatia in the first place. But regardless of whatever temptation initially brought them there, many travelers come home surprised by the same revelation:
It was not just the charming towns, turquoise water, and delicious food which made the trip memorable, but the friendly locals who left the most lasting impression.
This is a sentiment we understand and relate to.
Tasteful Croatian Journeys Founder and President, Wanda S. Radetti, has always been a firm believer in the power of personal connections made through travel. “Travel is about people… it is my mantra… it is about loving, caring for, and respecting all people. It is about pleasures and newfound joys in new friendships. It is about expansion of mind and heart!” Wanda’s philosophy is woven throughout the itineraries she designs and a primary focus of the Tasteful Croatian Journeys team. We strive to facilitate the connections that lead to extraordinary, expectation-exceeding travel.
With that in mind, we seek out relationships with talented, passionate professionals who embody those same values. We endeavor to enrich our guests’ travel experiences by introducing them to our vast network of locals living in Croatia, whether that be a guide, a driver, a chef, or a hotelier. We are proud to call these individuals colleagues and friends, and proud to share their stories here.
Meet Ane from Mljet
Wanda first met Ane Stražičić-Rodriguez (or Ane Mljećka, as she is often referred) more than ten years ago at an Easter party in New York City. Wanda, who was born in what is now the northern Croatian city of Rijeka (then Fiume, part of Italy), and Ane, a southern Dalmatian woman from the island of Mljet, quickly became friends. They shared a mutual love and passion for their beautiful home country, something that they each brought with them to their adopted homes in the United States, and something which has, in different ways, steered the courses of their careers.
Like so many Croatians at home and abroad, Ane retains a strong connection to her birthplace and tremendous pride for her country, and more specifically, her island. She has devoted herself wholly to promoting her home and heritage… and who can blame her! Mljet is, by all accounts, a little piece of paradise. Often referred to as Croatia’s greenest island, one third of Mljet is protected national park territory, home to unspoiled nature and tranquil azure bays. The remaining two thirds of the island really isn’t much different, retaining a wild beauty and casual romanticism not often found in the contemporary world.
Of her brethren, she boasts, “We are not people, we are Mljetans!” She describes the people of her island as hard-working and big-hearted, doing all they can to do good in the world. It’s a description which seems to fit. Ane spends a good portion of her time promoting Croatia’s cultural heritage and gastronomy. She organized an exhibition of traditional embroidery from Mljet, Konavle, and Dubrovačko Primorje in both New York and Chicago. She petitioned to save Mljet’s mongoose population from extermination (once introduced to control the snake population, they have since been considered invasive to the island’s native animal population). She is currently pursuing officials to grant Mljet UNESCO status… The list goes on.
In 2013, she wrote a cookbook, “From the Kitchen of Ane from Mljet: Traditional Croatian Cuisine from The Region of Dubrovnik,” featuring recipes for healthy Mediterranean dishes. She is currently offering cooking classes and working on her second cookbook, a joint project with her friend, Tanya Bistre. Tanya is originally from the region of Istria, a well-known foodie destination, renowned for its delicious truffles. Together, they are compiling a book of recipes highlighting dishes from around Croatia, while also paying tribute to its autochthonous wines.
In addition, Ane is an active volunteer, fundraising for humanitarian efforts across Croatia, wherever help is most needed. Her hard work has not gone unnoticed. In 2020, Ane received the Croatian Women of Influence Award, being recognized by the Croatian Women’s Network for her leadership, innovation, and community impact. The 23 award recipients were chosen from more than 140 nominations across 10 countries. She also received an award from the Croatian World Congress USA (Hrvatski Svjetski Kongres USA), an organization of Croatian expatriates, for her work promoting Croatia and its islands. However, her most prized accolades do not come from organizations, but from the people of her island. “Of everything I’ve received, the most important for me are the songs that were written for me by Mljetan poets. To be an inspiration to someone, especially to a poet from my island, is priceless.”
As you may have guessed, Ane’s network is wide and far reaching. She maintains contact with Mljetans and their descendants across the globe from her home in New York. She, like so many others from her island, do not actually live on Mljet anymore. In fact, the island currently has a population of just over 1000 people. “You can find Mljetans all over the world, many more than in Mljet actually – but America has the most!” Mljet native Ivo Dabelić wrote a book, Mljetans in America, chronicling the contributions of these Mljetan immigrants in their new country. The accounts are wide and varied, starting from the year 1790 and touching every part of American history, from westward expansion to World War II. Immigrants from Mljet were digging for gold, working in Californian mines, and building railways. Many of them were engaged in the hospitality industry, owning restaurants, hotels, and bars. Brothers Frano and Nikola Kastelan were pioneers in the fishing of salmon in the state of Washington; Ilija Dabelic was a volunteer soldier in the Civil War; Jack Claudius Hazdovac was a sailor on the U.S.S. Arizona, which was sunk in Hawaii during the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Ane can trace her own family and the Stražičić name back to the fifteenth century guards employed with protecting Mljet when it had been annexed as part of the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik Republic). The Stražičićs she has connected with in America all come from that same family, from the hilly village of Goveđari on the western side of the island. “Even though they mix with Americans and different nationalities through marriage, that drop of Stražičić blood keeps them together and makes them proud to be Mljetans. Most Stražičićs in America, and most Mljetans in general, live in California. A cousin of mine has been organizing a Stražičić Family Picnic out there for many years. There are about 200 relatives who get together every year. Even with just few drops of Stražičić blood, they consider themselves Stražičićs, and it binds us together in celebration of our heritage. We Mljetans, and we Stražičićs, are very proud of Croatia, the country that we come from, and our Mljet. We will always keep it in our hearts. But we are also proud of our new country, America, where our dreams come true.”
Ane’s own “American Dream,” began in the 1980’s when she, like her great-grandfather before her, set out for the United States. She settled in New York, where she met and married Luis A. Rodriguez, a handsome Puertorriqueño and professional chef. Together, they have two beautiful children, Michelle Ramonita and Alberto Ilija. Ane and Luis instilled in their children a deep love of their three homelands – the United States, Puerto Rico, and Croatia – and raised them tri-lingual, speaking English, Spanish, and Croatian. Alberto is a Marine Ingeniero and officer in the US Coast Guard. Like many Mljetans who are traditionally sailors, he became one too. Michelle’s love of Croatia runs so deep that she decided to return to her mother’s home country to pursue a career in tourism there. Ane’s husband and children support her fully in her efforts to promote her Croatian heritage and homeland. They are the driving force behind everything she does.
Meet Ane’s Daughter, Michelle
Michelle Ramonita Rodriguez Stražičić is following in her mother’s footsteps, promoting the island of Mljet and working in the tourism industry.
In 2015, Michelle made the decision to study International Hospitality and Service Management at RIT Dubrovnik, a global satellite campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology and the only higher education institution in Croatia which grants both American and Croatian degrees. Although she had not originally planned to attend college so far from home, she ultimately fell in love with the prospect of studying tourism in her second home. RIT offered not only the major she was looking for, but a small campus experience that was very appealing to her.
Her inspiration to pursue a career in tourism came from summers spent in Mljet helping with the family business. The Stražičić family had built a fishing house in the bay of Pomena in 1948 and in 1968 moved there to engage in the island’s tourism. This came about 8 years after that part of the island was granted National Park status. Michelle’s grandparents (Ane’s parents) had a little pension where they catered to tourists, serving freshly caught fish and lobsters, homemade wine, grappa, olive oil, goat cheese, and prosciutto, and organic fruit and vegetables from their farm. Working at the pension, Michelle found that interacting with the travelers became much more than just a job. It was an opportunity for her to share her love of Mljet and show visitors the island through her eyes – an enchanted place with ancient legends, rich history, beautiful nature, and warm people.
After graduation, Michelle decided to move in to her family’s home in Pomena, the same house that had once been home to her mother and grandparents. From there, she first worked for Mljet National Park before switching to a private company offering tours around the island. Through Michelle, a Croatian-American girl living in paradise, Tasteful Croatian Journeys is happy to provide insider knowledge and access to one of Croatia’s most stunning islands.
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