In early August We left Zagreb to explore the Istrian peninsula. We traveled southward on a very comfortable, luxury bus complete with WiFi and a loo. Traveling by bus is the best way to get around Croatia unless you’ve rented a car or you’re training for the Tour de France. It was about a five-hour journey to Pula, our first destination, so we settled in to watch the scenery and read our Kindles.
I was finishing up an excellent book called People of the Book set in Sarajevo and the hills of Bosnia. It is a gripping work of historical fiction that takes you back and forth from just after the recent conflicts here in the Balkans to medieval times. I love reading books set in the region we are visiting and this one was perfect. As a side note, one of our favorite followers, Polly-Alida Farrington started a Senior Nomad Community on Goodreads where you can share your own travel-related favorites.
I am glad I finished the book at the beginning of our journey because once the bus began to hug the eastern Adriatic coastline the scenery became spectacular. We dipped into a town called Opatija and I wished we'd made it part of our itinerary. Its opulent casino, palm-lined streets, and villas with verdant green roof tiles reminded us of the Italian Riviera. That makes sense since Istria was tossed like a golden football between the Romans, the Venetians, and the Austro-Hungarians (even Napoleon hung out here for a while). And between World War I and World War II the entire peninsula was, in fact, part of Italy.
Opatija was a favorite destination of the Austrio-Hungarian King and his court in the mid 19th century, so there are many opulent villas, elaborate parks and gardens, and a stunning Casino.
We arrived at the bus station in Pula ready to find our Airbnb and get settled in. Finding a taxi was a challenge but we persevered and finally found a willing driver. Nothing along our route indicated Pula was the pretty harbor town we'd read about. In fact, we had that sinking feeling you get when you visit a desirable house for sale and find yourself in a dud of a neighborhood. We pulled up to a dingy grey building and there was our cheerful host Britt, smiling and waving from an upper window - so we knew we were at the right place. And, as it turned out, we were also in very good hands.
At the end of our stay, I wish I could have given this Airbnb six stars! It was sparkling clean, tastefully decorated, full of thoughtful touches, and our host was a great ambassador for Pula. And, once we got our bearings, we realized we were close to everything Pula had to offer without being in the crowded touristic center.
The city was once a thriving ship-building center and naval outpost. Shortly after World War II, Croatia became part of the newly formed country of Yugoslavia run by Josip Tito, an iron-fisted communist leader. Under his watch Pula's ship-building enterprise slowly slipped away, and even after Croatia's independence in 1991, it could not survive an onslaught of foreign competition.
Pula is home to an amazing Roman Amphitheatre built between 27 - 68 AD to hold 20,000 spectators. It is used for entertaining the masses to this day.
So Pula was left to reinvent itself, and like the rest of Croatia's larger coastal cities, it turned to tourism. And why not? It is home to one of the six largest Roman amphitheaters in the world. And while it is a well-preserved example with a nearly complete circular wall, it doesn't have UNESCO protection so it is open for exploring during the day and then becomes the perfect venue for concerts, operas, and a renowned film festival in the evenings.
If you go to Pula, be sure and take the free Fat Cat free walking tour. They offer other tours as well. The link below shares the owner’s personal recommendations for places to eat and things to do.
As always, we took a free walking tour. This time from a one-man operation called Fat Cat Tours. Our guide’s name was Sasha and he is the “Fat Cat". He was well informed, a bit irreverent, opinionated about local politics, and very funny. It was an evening tour, which was a first for us - but it ended at the fort that sits above the city so we had a nice view of the Lighting Giants - seven huge shipping cranes illuminated in rainbow colors.
These illuminated shipyard cranes are called the Lighting Giants (not a typo) and they dominate the skyline at night.
The region is also known for exceptional olive oil, wine, and truffles. Lots of truffles. Personally, I don’t care for them - to me, they smell like diesel, and taste like mold. I did sample some just to be sure. Yuk.
There is a fort to be explored, beaches to comb, cafes under the trees, and dozens of seafood restaurants. Our host suggested a great spot for our first night out and after a fabulous dinner, we knew we could trust her recommendations. Alighieri Bistro sat on a romantic little plaza with fairy lights all around and a burbling fountain in the center. I had my heart set on Spaghetti Alle Vongole but the kitchen had just run out of clams (a rare occurrence). I took our server's advice and had the evening’s special: Black Gnocchi with Peaches and Prawns. Do those things really go together? Thank the Lord there weren't enough clams in the house because that turned out to be one of the most delicious meals I've had in a long time.
At the end of five days, we’d seen pretty much all of Pula so we boarded another lux bus for the 45-minute drive to Rovinj, a city that has been recommended to us many, many times. When we searched for an Airbnb in this popular seaside city, there wasn't much to choose from - mostly because it was peak tourist season. Everything at our price point seemed too plain or further out than we wanted to be. But there was one Airbnb with a spectacular view of the harbor that caught our eye. We squinted at the rest of the pictures but decided with a view like that in such a central location had to be great, right? Sometimes we don't follow our own good advice.
The top photo is the seductive view we fell for. Thankfully, the location was great. The apartment is in the red building shown here (our Airbnb was the one with the closed shutters) The fresh market was just below our windows and we really did have a fabulous view.
The apartment itself was on the tired side with a slapdash kitchen, worn-out furniture, and cluttered shelves. But the view was indeed great - if you were standing up. In fairness, the owner did tell us they will be doing a complete upgrade in the next couple of years and asked for some advice.
All the reviews were enthusiastic about Zeijko, the host's father who would meet us at the bus station. Everyone said he was “eager to please” and full of great advice. And they were right!
During the ten-minute walk from the station to the Airbnb, he offered a running commentary. “Eat there! See that! There's the best Gelato! Don't buy from the fruit vendors at the tourist end of the market! There's the supermarket! Watch your step!” We were bewildered, but no worries - he pulled out a map at the house and circled everything he mentioned with notes and arrows for emphasis. Then meticulously took us through the apartment.
He would have happily stayed longer but we had a work call so we ushered him out the door with a promise to reconnect. All during our travels in Croatia, we were simultaneously working with Airbnb on The Live Anywhere on Airbnb campaign. We had Zoom meetings with the team around the upcoming "onboarding" session with the participants and where we fit in as mentors. It turned out that we were allotted 20 minutes at the end of a two-and-a-half-hour Zoom call during which we would attempt to condense eight years' of wisdom. There were some technical issues, but we did our best, and hopefully inspired those lucky travelers.
With that behind us, It was time to enjoy Rovinj or Rovigno as it is spelled in Italian. This city has a permanent population of about 12,000 and half of those are Italian (whom we expect are mostly senior citizens). So street signs, maps, and important civic communication are presented in both languages.
We don’t speak Italian but we do speak “Gelato”. This was the ‘real deal’ and we were happy to get in line behind other afficiantos. Cash only!
Once we returned to Zielko’s recommended Gelato spot and favorite pizza place we had no doubt about the Italian influence in Rovinj. That and the fact it looks like Venice after someone left the drain open.
He also recommended a family-run restaurant called La Vela, just far enough away from the tourist track to be a "local" favorite. I had a humungous fish platter that included an entire grilled fish, a dozen mussels, clams, two kinds of shrimp, grilled octopus, buttery potatoes, and creamed spinach. I was in heaven. At both of these fish-centric restaurants, Michael stayed in his lane and had a salad or schnitzel.
Was there a free walking tour you ask? Yes! It was by Free Spirit Tours, the same company that provided tours in Zagreb. Our guide was a bit laid back, but he got us to all the main sites. That involved winding uphill through the narrow streets to Saint Euphemia Church, a Baroque beauty with a colorful history. Once there, the panoramic views of the sea and surrounding islands made the climb worthwhile. We walked carefully back down over polished ancient cobbles that took us through arched alleyways and small courtyards with delightful shops and coffee bars tucked along the way . There were definitely some places we wouldn't have found on our own - including small openings between buildings where the stone steps drop straight into the sea. Another nod to Venice.
If we hadn't taken the walking tour I would have described Rovinj as another beautiful spot spoiled by tourism. The two main streets running through the old town were filled with shops that sold the same souvenirs (most of which had nothing to do with Rovinj), and the same inexpensive clothing, punctuated with pizza and ice cream vendors. Of course, there were some upscale stores and specialty shops, too, but they were harder to come by. But once we knew how to get away from the crowded center the city became more interesting and intimate.
We enjoyed a lovely waterfront concert (thanks to a heads up from Zeljko) featuring Klapa singing - a musical tradition of the Dalmation Coast of Croatia. It is a beautiful form of a capella harmonizing that started with fishermen singing with one another between boats during long nights of fishing. Here is a sample of this beautiful music (not responsible for the crazy video).
Michael rented a bike for two days so he could explore further and found some nice beaches. My neuropathy has put my bike riding days behind me. It's not so easy when you can't feel your feet! But I found my own swimming hole just a short walk from our Airbnb. You reached it by climbing down a few stairs onto some flat rocks and then entered the water on a metal swim ladder bolted to a stone wall. It was all a bit slippery, and once you were in you'd better be able to swim because the water was deep.
We took a 15-minute water taxi across the bay to Amarin where there is a beach popular with the locals. Our Airbnb had a chest full of beach goodies and luckily there were two pairs of water shoes that fit - otherwise the rocky beaches would have been unpleasant (especially for me) underfoot. We plopped down on two free lounge chairs under an umbrella and enjoyed the day swimming, reading and playing backgammon.
On this visit, we just nibbled the edges of Istria, and I know we missed some beautiful places in the interior. We seem to be drawn to Croatia, (this was our 5th visit) so I am sure we will return to the Istrian table for another helping of beautiful countryside. Our next stop was Trieste, Italy. A beautiful city with its own intriguing history.
Thanks for following along,
Debbie and Michael Campbell
The Senior Nomads