Abbott and Costello In Croatia

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Curtis and I are quite compatible as travellers. His laid back, "go with the flow" attitude counterbalances my incessant worrying and detail-oriented character. As husband and wife, we are a team in all aspects of our relationship, complementing each other very well. However, after spending 24 hours a day together for the last 39 days we have somehow evolved into Abbott and Costello! The old "Who's On First?" routine pretty much sums up how several of our conversations go in a day! There are some moments where we just look at each other during a discussion, shake our heads because the conversation between us has made absolutely no sense at all and we have been talking in circles. At the end of it we just have to laugh and try again!

Later in the morning we headed out to begin our planned adventures of the day. As we made our way up the winding roads we stopped at a spot where there were several roadside stands selling Istrian olive oil, truffles, wine, grappa, proscuitto, and cheese. The jovial man in the first booth happily offered us truffles to try on a piece of bread. Absolutely to die for delicious! Truffles (tartufo) are mushrooms that grow under the ground. They have a very pungent smell and for years pigs were used to dig them out. However, this job is now usually performed by "truffle" dogs. Apparently the pigs, being pigs, liked to take bites out of these delectable treasures. Dogs are much easier to control and don't tend to sample that which they are digging up! Next on the list for us to sample was grappa! We tried honey and pear and then limoncello. Since Curtis was driving, he responsibly declined to try the walnut and cherry grappa! All was delicious and soon we packed grappa, olive oil and a jar of truffles into our car! The olive oil and truffles we hope to bring home, the grappa we may end up drinking, as it is three bottles together!!!

Next we headed to the beautiful hilltop village of Groznjan. The steep trip up was on a long gravel road that was lined with olive tree groves. The view as we climbed the hill was amazing. This stunning medieval town was virtually abandoned until the 1960's when artists and artisans moved in and brought it to life with their shops and galleries. The cobblestone streets weave along between the ancient stone houses. There were several, well-marked buildings to find, such as The Smithy, Palace, and a Corner House to name a few. Looking down from this gorgeous place is truly a wonder to behold. We stopped for lunch at an outdoor cafe where I enjoyed thick Istrian Minestrone soup and Curtis had a honey pancake.

Several of our friends at home have various athletic hobbies such as running, cycling, car racing, soccer, etc. We have been to places, like Madrid and Barcelona where soccer is hugely popular and they would have loved to take in a game. The phenomenal, never-ending paths and trails we have travelled on would be a dream for our running group. As for our cycling friends who LOVE climbing those hills on a Sunday morning ride, they would be in absolute heaven here. Put four Scotch Mountains together, connected by hairpin turns and it is a cyclist's paradise (my worst nightmare). We have met dozens of cyclists who are relentess in their determination to get to the top. The worst part is when you are in a car coming down from the top it is painful to know how far they have yet to climb. You can see the burning sensation reaching their faces and all I could think was, "and you think this is fun because...?' We also learned that Mario Andretti and his twin brother were born in our next destination, Motovun. Having grown up on these nail-biting, switchbacks that snake their way up the mountains it is not at all surprising that Mario Andrettic became a race car driver. Drivers go at incredible speeds on these roads where one side is solid rock and the othe a sheer drop. At one point I was pretty sure we were starring in a Fast and Furious movie and one of the cars barreling down around the corner at us was going to go into a Tokyo Drift!

We made our way to Andretti's birthplace, Motovun. This medieval village sits 270m above sea level. It is home to 531 residents and surrounded by ancient walls which you could walk around, offering magnificent views of the four corners of Istria. Shops and restaurants were again filled with truffles, oils, and wines. Plates of homemade pasta and truffles cost 90 kunas which roughly amounts $16.20 CAD.

Leaving Motovun we then headed for Pazin which is in the centre of Istria. It has the Castle of Pazin, the largest and most well-preserved medieval fortress in Istria, dating back to 983. Below this castle is a huge chasm and it is one of the most dramatic sights in Istria. This massive canyon has white, striated cliffs that fall to the endless depths below. The river of Pazincica flows above the ground then continues underground, 100m under the town level, which then creates two underground lakes connected by a siphon. When there is a lot of profuse rain, the hole of the cave can't take in all the water and so a real lake is formed in the canyon, sometimes as long as 2km. The last time this happened was in 2009. Unfortunately, the cave itself does not open for entry until May! We were able to hike down some of the way on a path that is being built for the new zip line course across the canyon. Pazin is also famous as two characters in one of Jules Verne's books escape of the Pazin Castle. There is even a Jules Verne society here.

Making our way back to Rovinj noticed several "Cow Crossing" signs but have yet to see one, even in a field! As we drove along we came upon a peaceful picture. An older man was just sitting in the middle of a field on his lawn chair, amidst his flock of grazing sheep. It was a lovely sight, reminding us to take the time to enjoy the simple things in life. We then stopped for very expensive gas and finally home for dinner. At sunset we walked back down to the water and then around to the other side to see the beautiful Basilica of St. Euphemia lit up at night.

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Photos

The Smithy
Groznjan

Tower and Church
Motovun