Ok, not really. But today I’m going to Isteria – which is another region of Croatia, and it crazy close to Italy. If only I had another two weeks! (I did actually think about going into Italy for two days, but decided it needed an entirely separate trip to really do it justice.)
In case you didn’t believe me: I would have had to cross through Slovenia briefly to get there, but I was about an hour away by car from Italy!
But I didn’t go, so it isn’t important. (Though I was booked in a small group tour…but I was the only one there. At one point the guide asked if there was anywhere else I wanted to go…and it took more strength than I thought I had to say “no.”)
ISTERIA
We are just focused on Croatia today, dangit. And specifically, we are focused on the region called Isteria (similar to the Dalmatia region, but without the pointy ears). It’s the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea, and it includes a tiny bit of Italy, and a small amount of Slovenia, though most of it is Croatian.
However, during World War I, it was actually given to Italy, and the residents were forced to assimilate. Slavic languages were banned, and even names were (forcibly) modified to be more Italian. After WWII, the area was then ceded to Yugoslavia, but a lot of Italians remained. The schools still are taught in both Italian and Croatian, and legal documents can be completed in either language.
Hum
Our first stop of the day was because the driver asked if I wanted to see the smallest walled city in the world. The obvious answer to this question is “do they have espresso?” (because we left at 6:30 this morning) – and when you are told they do, you agree to a stop.
But friends, espresso isn’t the only thing they were serving.
Further south, it was normal to be greeted by first Czech, and then based on the glazed expression in my eyes, they’d try Italian, then English. Once I moved further north, to Zagreb, the order was Czech, German, English. (Zagreb was under German control during WWII, and the coast was under Italian control.) Here, they went Czech, German, Italian, English.
According to legend, giants built Hum from the rocks left over after building the larger towns in the region. The walls were built in the 11th century. Technically, the town contains formal facilities for administration and public affairs, as well as a mayor, so some say it is actually world’s smallest town – but that is up for debate. About 20 people are residents.
The watch tower was built in 1552.
Hum Glagolitic wall writings (those are real words) were displayed, and they are some of the oldest examples in existence. It is a script/font/way of writing, used by the Istrian Slavs in the 11th and 12th century.
These had just started flowering yesterday. I was told it is good luck.
PULA
The next stop was Pula. Pula is the biggest city and the center of the Istrian peninsula. The earliest mentioning of the city was in the 10 century BC when it was founded by an ancient tribe. The city was well known by the Greek travelers and sailors so it was also included in some Greek myths. The Romans also spent a lot of time there; the area became critical for ship building and ship repair.
The Arena
The most famous of the Roman architecture is the Arena, one of the best preserved amphitheaters in the world. I saw the foundations of one in Salona earlier, but this one is overwhelming in comparison. (Also: am I the only one who didn’t know coliseums were built all over? I thought there was just one, with Russell Crowe?)
ROVINJ
The final stop was Rovinj. This city was also founded by the Istrian tribes. It was built on a small island close to the mainland and in the 18th century was connected to it. It was ruled for 5 centuries by Venice, which is why there is so much pizza here.
Of course the church is at the top of the hill. Croatia loves its steps.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME
And then I got the view (once I climbed through the construction fencing because there was 0% chance I was climbing back down those stairs to climb up another flight on the other side of the church.)
Have you ever wondered how old a town has to be, to be considered an Old Town? Me too, so I asked. Maybe it was a language barrier, or maybe the tour guide just thought I was an idiot. I guess we’ll never know.
The drive home was a bit rough, as it started storming. And the tour guide started talking about aliens and alternate universes and I had not had enough espresso for that conversation.
I was tired, and grabbed something quick to eat, and then contemplated umbrellas.
Everyone here uses them. Each of the Airbnbs has come equipped with at least one, if not two. Stores have umbrella stands outside of them.
There is even a store by my apartment. A whole store, selling umbrellas.
Is this normal? Is there this kind of umbrella culture in the US, and I’ve just never seen it, because the hood on my raincoat blocks my peripheral vision?
I’m not sure how I’m going to sleep tonight with all these questions, but I’ll do my best. (with an assist from my tea)
