Istria

Just a few months ago, places with exotic-sounding names like Zagreb, Rovinj, and Istria never crossed my mind but fortunately, we are getting to know them well. Most people visit Dubrovnik.  We will close our Croatian visit there and look forward to seeing what we hear is one of the most beautiful cities on earth, often called the Pearl of the Adriatic.  But other parts of the country are equally inviting, like Zagreb, Croatia’s fascinating capital city in the northern part of the country and the unique Istrian peninsula on the sea.    Mary, my dear friend, told me that she heard Croatia is the new European playground and its coast, the new Riviera.  We think that’s true.  After our stay in Zagreb and the visit to Plitvice, we are now settled in Porec, in an apartment so attractively decorated and comfy, I’d love to stay here longer.  And as a plus, the beach is just a three-minute walk away. 

Istria is the largest peninsula on the deep blue Adriatic.  Unlike the long and narrow Florida peninsula we all know, the Istrian peninsula is a round-shaped 1220 square mile landmass that juts out from Slovenia and Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, a long “inlet” at the very northern part of the Mediterranean.  It separates Croatia from Italy. I often think, a refresher to my 8^th grade Geography class sure would be handy!  This very old land has been inhabited since the beginning of time.  They were a fierce bunch, those first tribes here; it took the Romans two attempts to conquer them and make them slaves. 

Porec (pronounced Por-etch or Po-retch) is a 2,000-year-old Roman city on the coast.   Ordinarily, it has a population of about 12,000 but in the high-season, the town hosts about 70,000 people a day. Thankfully we are enjoying the town’s off-season. The atmosphere and culture are distinctly Italian.  The streets are named in both Croatian and in Italian, and while most restaurants offer a varied menu of meats and fish dishes, all serve sardines, pasta – and pizza.   Many only serve pizza but the pizza here rivals any in Napoli. 

The romantic old town features a cluster of red brick houses with red-tiled roofs set off by a tall clock tower overlooking the sea.  A first glance takes your breath away. The primary place of interest besides the gorgeous sea, the old city walls, and the picturesque cityscape, is the Euphrasian Basilica, also called the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary. The compound, built in the 6th century, is the newest version of the Basilica but is in unbelievably well-preserved condition. Today’s church was built over the ruins of two older wooden versions of the church first built in 75 AD. The Basilica is an excellent example of Byzantine architecture and is the only complete landmark in the world that still exists from the 6^th century period.  In the world!

Except for restorations due to fire and earthquakes, the Basilica compound is much the same as it was nearly 1500 years ago.  The sculptures and paintings in the interior are stunning considering their ages.  Mosaic tiled floors from the earlier churches were preserved and carefully showcased to avoid additional wear and exposure to the elements.  The tall bell tower, which we climbed, of course, was added to the complex in the 16^th century.  It can be seen from almost any point in town. Compared to the first century or even the 5^th century, the 16^th century almost sounds recent.  I have difficulty wrapping my arms around the age of the antique relics we saw, touched, and felt today. 

Lucky us, and in extreme contrast, a Jet-Ski tournament was going on during our visit to the city. Flying through a course in the bay outlined by colored buoys, those guys were wild daredevils, pure adrenalin-junkies.  One little slip-up and hitting the water would be like hitting a stone wall at 100 MPH. At the end of the noisy day, the competitors and families were entertained by a trick-jet skier!  This guy could make his jet ski spin around in the air and could make his machine do back flips, double back flips and then as a finale, double spins followed by double back flips!  We watched it for free. 

We ended the evening at a peaceful outdoor, beachside bar with G & T’s.  Life can be so very good. 

With so much to see in Istria, the next day we drove to Rovinj (Ro-veen).  Ahh, only about 40 minutes away, this hilly town with narrow white stone streets and alleys, flowers, ancient buildings, art galleries, and shops made us think of our times in Santorini.  It is a very, very pretty town.  Our goal here was to wander each street and simply enjoy this little colorful, cultural jewel.  Rovinj is larger than Porce but every bit enchanting, enticing, and wonderful. 

Merely bumbling around looking for more interesting spots in Istria, I ran across something that suggested we might consider a visit to Pula.  A Roman Amphitheatre stands there.  We had to see this; we drove there.  Only about an hour away, the sea, the marina, and the great Arena were the first things we saw as we entered the town.  The Pula Arena is magnificent.  Built about the same time as the Colosseum in Rome, the Pula Arena is even better preserved.  I get chills when I see and touch the stones that were chiseled and stacked by men, real human beings, who lived, loved, and lost their lives 1800 years ago.  I cannot imagine the contraptions they used to cut and place the massive stones, or how they carved the underground chambers where competitors prepped themselves and where animals were kept.  My mind pictures the men and women in togas and sandals who came here in the year 200 AD and sat on the very stone terraces that Stan and I did today, to watch gladiators fight to the death.   Roman Emperor Honorius abolished the bloody games in the year 404.

The Arena takes the top seat to other remaining ancient Pula landmarks, like the old city gates, the 27 BC Arch de Sergii, and the lovely plaza where the Temple of Augustus overlooks the plaza.  Dedicated to the goddess Roma and the Emperor Augustus, the Temple of Augustus was constructed between 27 BC and 14 AD. Sadly, the incredible Temple is not just as it was.  It was hit by an Allied bomb in 1941 and almost totally destroyed.  But like gluing together pieces of a smashed dollhouse, the Temple was reconstructed in 1947 using original stones and materials.   

The antiquity and charming streets and cafes are almost overwhelming, but the beautiful blue sea just to the right, completes the picture. 

At lunch today, we learned our next-door table mates are similar souls.  Yes, they are American, from near Fairbanks, Alaska to be exact. Like us, they made the great leap.  They sold their possessions and have embarked on a life of full-time travel.  They don’t even plan to go “home” every six months; they just wander the world.  We hardly had time to choose and order food; we hardly had time to eat.  We power-chatted for two hours!  Meeting kindred spirits is a fun, encouraging encounter.  It reminds us we are not alone in hoping to see as much of this glorious world as possible . . . and to learn.  Steve and Julie have a page on Facebook called, The Global Road Warriors.  I am sure they have a good story to tell and more photos to share. 

There are so many wonderful, miraculous places in the world, but so far, for us, Croatia is one brilliant place. It is important, however, to mention what might already be obvious. My stories concentrate on the old towns, where these cities first began centuries ago. Most of the places we visited here and in the world, however, are modern and look very much like cities in the USA,. Typically I write about places and things one cannot see at home.

After a couple of days relaxing on the beach and readying ourselves for the next journey, we’ll hit the road to Split on Thursday. Come along with us. Cody is ahead of us and says it is heavenly.