The Brothers Do the Balkans

Croatia

We did a tour through the entire Croatian Istrian Peninsula during our April Spring Break.  We crossed the border from Slovenia and immediately hit the visually appealing vineyards of the Istrian interior (on the right).  Our first 'town' was the hilltop Buje (on the left), a stunning example of Medieval Europe. Comparisons were frequently drawn between Tuscany, Italy and this area (though this area won out).  We meandered down the coastal highway enjoying the stunning views.  The landscape was laden with impressions of Spring: light green, fertile earth, and budding vines. 
Our first seaside stop was Porec, home to the UNESCO Euphrasian Basilica. Built on the site of a 4th century basilica and a 5th century church,  the complex includes a newer (6th century) church, atrium and baptistery.  Mosaics from the earliest structures are still visible on the floor, though the real draw is the stunning mosaics on the apse.  These were made through the 6th - 12th centuries and feature biblical scenes and Istrian martyrs. 
    Jennifer and Susan cruise the local wine market and amaze as much at the ocher roofing tiles used as wine racks as the hundreds of local red wines available.  After a heavy dose of the Euphrasian theological, we decided we needed a drink at the local round tower (very reminiscent of the White Tower in Thessaloniki, Greece).  Dave and kids chatted with local fishermen while Mark and Jennifer and I changed money.  Our first cold beer and glass of red wine in Croatia were worth the wait in line for Croatian Kuna (as the clerk wrote down every single bill's serial number, thank you).
 Breck, oblivious to his historic surroundings, was enthralled with a sea crab he hauled out of the water. 
  

We hit the road toward Rovinj and noticed a subtle change in the landscape; orchards and vineyards were still widespread, but olive groves began to slowly dominate the scenery. Rovinj is set right up against the Adriatic in a tight curve around a small peninsula. The massive Cathedral of St. Euphemia, built in 1736, dominates the 'skyline', though the wandering backstreets are the real draw of Rovinj.  Rovinj was mentioned in formal documents as early as the 7th century, but historians believe the town emerged several centuries before that. Breck and Alea, of course, had to ooh and ahh over a gull eating a baby shark on the seawalk before anyone could proceed!!
 Mark and Jennifer check out the local market in Rovinj and ponder the cost/benefit ratio of purchasing (let alone consuming) ANOTHER bottle of the famous (and infamous) rakija.

 
 

 While the lovely coastal drive was all we expected, Susan was wondering where the famous beaches were, so the very first one we saw mandated a stop.  Here, we saw local men stripping after (what I am sure was a chilly) local dive.  The kids played boats with tree bark in the shallows while the adults meandered around.  Jennifer and Susan stretched their legs and walked the length of the beach and Mark and Dave hit the harbor and checked out the men restoring their boats in preparation for the summer flood of Italian tourists. 

 
 


   Our plan was to hit Pula - at the tip of the Peninsula and touch base with a local contact for a fishing call early the next day.  We rolled into Pula at 5:00 p.m. after a tremendous day and found out we had forgotten our cell phone at the hotel in Ljubljana.  With no way to touch base with our local 'bite' connection, we decided to search for a b & b, look around Pula that night and hit the road towards the Islands the next day. We found great places to stay, had a nice dinner at a place where we got the most 'looks askance' at our Belgrade plates and went into town to check out the spectacular Roman amphitheater.  Did I say spectacular?  Perhaps I meant stunning, magnificent, thrilling and overwhelming.  WOW!! This amphitheater, built in the 1st century, still has its full 72 rows of double arches.  It was constructed to host Gladiator contests and could seat over 20,000.  The spectator seats, made of local limestone, were removed for other construction during the middle ages, but the rest of the building remains amazingly intact.  We hit the site at about 9:00 pm when there was no other tourist in sight.  The whole area was lit by a full moon and strategically placed floodlights.  WOW (again).  It was really something.  We walked the entire perimeter and amazed at its ethereal beauty in the moonlight.

Between Pula and Rijeka is the small town of Rabin.  It was the most important coal mining town in Croatia for hundreds of years, and you can't ignore that fact driving into town.  However, once you are in the old town, you fall back in time just like in all the other small medieval towns in Croatia.  The Venetian influence is strong, though locals will tell you they did nothing to improve the local economy and culture during their 200 years in power here.  They are more amenable to the Austrian Hapsburgs, and you can see why when you hit Opatija... 

 
 

We breezed into Opatija by 11:00 a.m.  Opatija was THE fashionable resort during the Hapsburg Dynasty and the impression of wealth and prestige is immediately apparent.  We parked and wandered the seawalk only as far as the local water taxi.  We hopped aboard for Volosko and enjoyed a 1/2 hour ride to this secluded fishing bay.  We had lunch at an overpriced restaurant (you would think we would have learned by this time not to waste time eating lunch at snazzy places!!) that had a nice view of the bay.  We had a fantastic waiter, though, who patiently allowed us to take pictures of the food before we refused to eat it:) 
  We then walked the entire seawalk back to Opatija.   The wind was brisk, but it was a gorgeous day, the sky was blue, the kids were happy running over the searocks and we had any number of nice cafes for a quick refreshment stop.  We decided to spend the night in Opatija, so Mark, Jennifer and Dave hit the pavement for accommodation while mom guarded the kids.  Alea loved the wave action on the seawalk, and took some really nice photos. 
    Our b & b  had a balcony overlooking the sea, so Mark and Jennifer came over to sample some of the rakija we had bought enroute.  We talked, hung out on the balcony and enjoyed the gorgeous views and the great people watching.  Then we walked to a restaurant and had some terrific pizza for dinner.  Breck fell asleep in his pizza at the table - the sign of a great day:) 
 follow these links for more: Belgrade, Hiking, Slovenia
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