Travel Time:
September 2008

Peripheral Information:
This was an unusually cool couple of weeks, generally the last week of Sept/first of Oct are ideal.



I was able to travel to Croatia three times this year and finally added a few days in Istria to the end of my September Dalmatia itinerary.
Exploring Istria this fall was a perfect end to my two weeks in Croatia. Yes, I'd heard Istria might be the new Tuscany but needed to see it to believe it.

Much of the peninsula is caught between mass tourism, holiday homes and horrid communist era buildings. That might be enough to keep you away...it shouldn't be.

Move into the interior of the region and you'll find the walled hill villages, Romanesque churches, family-run oil, cheese and wine producers, eclectic galleries, affordable "konoba's" (small restaurants serving local dishes), clean/comfortable family run hotels or "sobe" (rooms) and apartments for rent.

Along the coast there remain a sampling of wonderful towns, like Rovinj, which reminds me of the towns along the Ligurian Coast including those of the Cinque Terre.

Typical of Croatia, local are friendly, engaging and interested in sharing their country with you. They are likely to invite you into their home, wine cellar or shop with a smile....something difficult to find these days in Tuscany or Provence.

Motovun and Rovinj are great basis for 2-3 nights, one on the coast and one in the interior. You'll find good biking and walking routes, a variety of "wellness" centers, and all sorts of events involving local food such as the wild asparagus (spring), grape, olive and truffle (fall) as well as culture festivals throughout the year.

Access is easy from Pula or Zagreb (Croatia), Lubiana (Slovenia) and Triest or Venice (Italy). You'll want a car if you aren't with a tour group. Most folks speak some english and many of the menus are in English.


May/June, September/OctoberThe Dragon's Path

Istria Photos I'm really hoping to return next year and explore more of this region as well as into the Slovonia

A bit more about the truffle!
"FRESH WHITE TRUFFLE
White truffle (Tuber Magnatum Pico) is the biggest and the most respected sort of truffles, its price on the market varies from hour to hour. It is a truffle of yellow-brown, green or grey-green colour. Its aroma is more intensive and stronger than aroma of the other sorts of truffles and depends on the plant with which it is living in symbiosis.

It is taken out in the period from October till the end of December (the white truffle season) and then it can be bought fresh. The most famous sites of white truffles are in Istria near the village Livade, more exactly in Motovun woods and in the valley of the river Mirna. This truffle needs special climate, quality of soil and certain plants with which it lives in symbiosis. It grows under the ground and there is no visible stalk on the surface. It is excavated from the depth of 10-15 cm, and searched for by the specially trained dogs. The size of the white truffle varies from the size of a cherry to the size of an apple.

The biggest truffle ever found weighed 1,310 kg. Mr. Giancarlo Zigante found it on November 2nd, 1999 near Buje and it has entered into the Guinness book of records."
From the Lonely Planet Croatia:

Despite the hype, Croatia’s pleasures are more timeless than trendy. Along its 1778km coastline, a glistening sea winds around rocky coves, lapping at pine-fringed beaches. Istrian ports bustle with fishermen while children dive into the sparkling water. In Dalmatia, cities throb with nightlife amid ancient Roman ruins.

Yachts glide up the coast, movie stars discreetly arrange to buy one of Croatia’s 1185 islands and no Mediterranean cruise is complete without a stop in Dubrovnik. The interior landscape is as beguiling, even though less visited. Soak in a thermal spa at Istarske Toplice in Istria. Hike through pristine forests watered by mountain streams in the west. Let the waterfalls of Plitvice moisten your face. And then there's the culture. The country that endured Roman, Venetian, Italian and Austro-Hungarian rule has a unique and slightly schizoid identity. You’ll find a strong central European flavour in the baroque architecture of Zagreb, and Italian devotion to the good life percolates up from the coast, permeating Croatian food and style. During holidays and festivals the country’s Slavic soul emerges, as colorfully costumed dancers whirl about to traditional folk melodies.

	Reviewed by Kathy Dragon Read all reviews by Kathy Dragon
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