It has been a very busy year at Total Croatia News, with some 8,337 articles written so far (and not including this one). A look at the top ten most popular of the year on December 28, 2017.
Lots of great writing on TCN in 2017, and many thanks to the 105 contributors so far this year. As we end the year, a look back at the ten most popular articles of the year in terms of page views, and confirmation of what we already know - sex, religion and bad weather beats all.
Coming in at a respectable number 10, and an article which is to blame for the smell of lager on my laptop screen as I could not control myself while reading it, the first in a 4-part series of Croatian language fails by TCN Editor Lauren Simmonds, a series which was picked up by the Croatian media this very morning.
10. Smallpox, Diarrhoea and Free Hand Jobs: Lost in Translation in Croatia by Lauren Simmonds
2017 will go down in memory as one of the weirdest for weather patterns, no more so than in Zadar, which experienced freak conditions at the same time that Hurricane Irma was devastating the Caribbean and United States - but the most rain on the planet at that time fell on the Dalmatian capital.
9. Heavy Rain and Flash Flood Hits Zadar by Sonja Babic
Much has been written this year about Dubrovnik and cruise ships. Add a little sex in there, and the readers cannot get enough. And several months later, I am still astounded at how many Google searches we are getting for 'ship sex'. It is not something I have encountered on the regular ferries between Split and Stari Grad on the Pride of Jadrolinija, the Tin Can.
8. World's First Sex Cruise Ship Visit Dubrovnik by Nikolina Demark
Lost in translation, the video. Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon and Google Translate in Croatia - a readership winner.
7. Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon Sing Music Hits Google Translated into Croatian... and Back by Nikolina Demark
It was a high profile year for the island of Hvar and its party tourism, and one hopes that as Croatia's premier island celebrates 150 years of the oldest organised tourism in Europe in 2018, the headlines will focus on the huge potential and fantastic offer of this truly sensational island.
6. And Now Genitals: Croatia's Elite Tourism Summer Continues by Paul Bradbury
In among the sex, drugs and rock and roll, one of the best researched and extremely useful articles of the year, especially due to the border issues with Slovenia during the tourist season - the definitive guide to how and where to cross the border from Slovenia to Croatia.
5. A 2017 Guide to Crossing the Croatian-Slovenian Border by Dragana Niksic
Slavic languages are hard enough at the best of times, but would it be easier for us long-suffering foreign Slavic-speaker wannabes if there was just one Inter-Slavic language? An intriguing idea, which got lots of attention.
4. Czech Linguist and Local Anthropologist Create an Inter-Slavic Language by Nikolina Demark
Medjugorje and the apparitions - myth or reality? It has been a topsy-turvy year with mixed messages coming from The Vatican, the latest being that Vatican-approved pilgrimages can now take place, but the most popular Medjugorje story of the year focused on the local bishop.
3. Local Bishop - There were No Apparitions of Virgin Mary in Medjugorje by Vedran Pavlic
No self-respecting news website could make it through TCN without a slice of The Trumpster. The most popular TCN article of all time in terms of visitors to the site at any one time literally broke the site and put it offline for several hours just when we needed connectivity the most. Fabulous effort from Ivan Saric and team.
2. Fabulous Promo - President Trump, Please Put Croatia Third by Paul Bradbury
Sadly, the most read article of 2017 on TCN was not a happy story - the terrifying wildfires of Dalmatia came to the very gates of Split. One more heartfelt thank you to the brave firefighters who performed true heroics.
1. Inferno in Dalmatia - Blaze Spreading towards Split by Nikolina Demark
Those, then, the most popular. As for the top 25 articles of the year on TCN in terms of actual writing, click here.
