After a french toast breakfast, Ellen and I drove to Draguc, a small village that has been the backdrop for several films.
There are two tiny Romanesque chapels here but both were locked and Ellen's efforts to find the person with the keys was ultimately unsuccessful. While she was asking one of the locals about the keys, another was checking out the Belgrade designation on her license plate. It was a bit tense for a moment but when he realized we were not Serbian, there were smiles all around.
While we couldn't get into the chapels, I did manage to shoot pictures of the frescoes in one of them the through the window in the door.
From Draguc, we went to Porec, a larger seaside town that is home to several large resorts and mostly overrun with tourists at the height of the season. At this time of year, the crowds are still manageable.
We met Allen and Mihaela in nearby Tar and followed them to a dockside, seafood restaurant. The sardines grilled in olive oil and garlic were excellent.
Allen and Mihaela brought two of their dogs, Oreo and Buddy. Their third dog, Sprite, is a 16-year-old elder statesman and didn't make the trip.
Buddy is an exuberant 2-year-old black lab who will chase anything thrown. He braved the cold water several times to retrieve his frisbee but finally lost sight of it. Fortunately, it washed up on its own. On the way back, we stopped in Tar for ice cream. The eating for the day finished with Allen's delicious frittata.
The next morning, Ellen and I headed home, stopping at the truffle king's to load up on all things tartufi. In case you hadn't noticed, I am enthusiastic about Istria, particularly the inland part. I am looking forward to going back at the end of the month for open cellars day.
The Istria Photo Album
There are two tiny Romanesque chapels here but both were locked and Ellen's efforts to find the person with the keys was ultimately unsuccessful. While she was asking one of the locals about the keys, another was checking out the Belgrade designation on her license plate. It was a bit tense for a moment but when he realized we were not Serbian, there were smiles all around.
While we couldn't get into the chapels, I did manage to shoot pictures of the frescoes in one of them the through the window in the door.
From Draguc, we went to Porec, a larger seaside town that is home to several large resorts and mostly overrun with tourists at the height of the season. At this time of year, the crowds are still manageable.
Porec is known for a remarkable church, the Basilica of Euphrasis and its 6th C mosaics. In the 13th C, an altar was placed in front of and underneath the mosaics. Despite that, the overall impression is quite harmonious. There is also a museum which contains some very interesting decorative pieces taken from
churches all over Croatia. While I am not big on churches, this one impressed me.
Allen and Mihaela brought two of their dogs, Oreo and Buddy. Their third dog, Sprite, is a 16-year-old elder statesman and didn't make the trip.
Buddy is an exuberant 2-year-old black lab who will chase anything thrown. He braved the cold water several times to retrieve his frisbee but finally lost sight of it. Fortunately, it washed up on its own. On the way back, we stopped in Tar for ice cream. The eating for the day finished with Allen's delicious frittata.
The next morning, Ellen and I headed home, stopping at the truffle king's to load up on all things tartufi. In case you hadn't noticed, I am enthusiastic about Istria, particularly the inland part. I am looking forward to going back at the end of the month for open cellars day.
The Istria Photo Album
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| Istria 1 |
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