The first stop...Pula!

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Yesterday, I left my boyfriend in Ljubljana in order to travel out on this my bildungsreisen or educational travel as I consider it to be. My first stop is Pula in Istria, Croatia.

I had feared to feel very alone already on the first day, but I soon found myself having received one phone number from a very helpful girl who, if I was in any troubles, had friends all over Croatia and was arranging launch parties. By getting this reception at my arrival I forgot my sorrow over the good-bye the same morning and cheerfully went to the hostel - which I found rather uninteresting.

I decided to leave for the city centre, since I only had one day to see this apparently friendly city. On my way to the bus I met a local man picking plums from a tree by shaking it strongly. I thought I would try out my Slovene/Croatian and ended up with a handful of plums. Already the day seemed to be a good one. I feel kind of sad that I did not have more time on my travel to enjoy this town - not so much in order to see the centre which is done in a few hours, but so that I could sit in a café, soaking up the life of the locals.




The centre of Pula is beautiful. Any architect would walk around with open mouth and eyes out the forehead. Not only are there several Roman-ruins throughout the centre as well as an amphitheatre, which though not as big is looking much the same as The Colosseum in Rome. The normal houses are also all beautifully made and have not seen masonry in several years, which give them a wonderfully cracked charm and character.

As I arrived to the amphitheatre after a nice talk with a local waitress in a café, it started raining heavily. Already full of food and bijela kava, I had to find shelter in yet another café. Another bijela kava was waiting for me and when the rain stopped I could hardly walk. I took a tour at the harbour and a gaze at the forum, for as surely as Pula is an old Roman city there must be a forum. Finally, I went down and took the bus to my tourist hostel/camping resort and read a little before going to bed.

That was my day in Pula! All I can say is that I hope this wasn't my last visit here or my last chat with locals from Pula!

Anna

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Photos

In Croatia
Croatian flag at the cytadel in Pula

Amphitheater in Pula
in Pula in the rain