Intentional traveler: Love Opatija and Crazy for Istria!

Or maybe it should be the other way around!

Opatija is on the Croatian Riviera. Not that far from Italy. Istria is just to the North and has gone back and forth in history from one to the other. Croatia proudly claims her now but brags on the Italian influence. You remember that the stop in the Plitvice Lakes was while we were on the way to this lovely hotel in the seaside resort.

Today both Elva and I opted to join some of the others for a tour of Istria and a lunch at an Agritourism farm. I hesitated to take the very expensive side trip because it was focusing on food and wine...not my thing, so to speak. I am very glad I went. I wanted to see the countryside and we sure did. We visited the Hill Town of Motovun. but it was so interesting to see towns perched on nearly every hill top. The reason is simple. In days of old that was the strategic defensive place to be. But living there is not easy.

I have lots of photos so I think I will go with my new system which is to add the photos and basically comment on them as needed. No one has let me know if they prefer the old 'tell the story, add a photo, format better. So please do let me have an idea of what you want to see here from me.

One of the many walled cities of Istria.

Truffle oil. Olive oil and truffles is what you are here for along with history and plenty of exercise.

The ancient wall was of a double thickness with space between which made it very difficult to penetrate.

Istria comes in three colors and it is easy to see here. Red near Italy and great for agriculture. Grey in the middle with the karstic mountains. White by the shore.

Local Guide explaining truffles.

And of course what is a tour without samples!

The owner comparing a normal black truffle with a rare totally black one. These are usually only found in Provence.

Now we try meats and cheeses with truffles added.

Hey, Karen. Are there enough choices! It can go home with us if it is in a bottle.

It has been quite a cobblestoned hike up to this point but we will go inside the wall now. At the gate we can see a couple of important things. Venice, see the winged lion?,took over this part of the peninsula and dominated the landscape here. A defense mechanism is also noticeable here but was done in a different way. Through the tower opening the defenders could make use of something they have in abundance -limestone rock. They would grind or break it in to crushed stone. Put it in a bucket with water and dump it on intruders. The rocks would get inside the armor, especially of the helmets and face guards of the attacking knights. The water helped it to move through the heavy metal and the tiny rocks would cut and chafe and cut and get infected. The aggressors would leave and decide not to come back again.

This is to give you a slight idea of the slope of the climb.

Motovun coat of arms.

A river runs along the road side but it is now just a canal. It was a navigable rive and the line of the forest edge gives you and idea of the original river bed. This is a clue to why Venice wanted this particular spot. They could bring boats in from the sea and get all the timber and stone they needed to build the city that is so beloved by so many for so many years.

Mario Andretti was born just around the corner but since it was down hill, meaning I would have to come back up hill I declined to visit. He, however, visited just a few weeks ago.

Finally the very top. And the church crowns the hill. Behind the person in black is a cistern. Too high up on a hill for a well the peole depended on rain water for survival.

Wall #3 for this trip. A delightful and easy walk with beautiful views.

More evidence of the double wall construction.

Someone's back yard because people do live here. You can only brings a car in if you live here or have hotel. If you do want to drive you better be sure it is small and powerful. accommodations.

I wasn't fast enough to show a completely full trunk. At least enough for the week or maybe the month. Her child was in the front seat and waiting, I guess, she puts the groceries in the house and then drives to the small parking area up the hill. Notice the other car has to wait. Then somebady is backing up for sure!

Decorative samples from various buildings. Notice the stylized Venetian lion on the right.

Back down in the parking lot we got a photo of our Tour Leader, Tina, and our excellent driver, Mickey. They work well together. I did hear on one or two occasions a driver call out to Tina. She would run and hug them with a big smile. They had worked together on past trips. She is very organized and solicitous and I imagine she is well like by the drivers.

We had parked at the foot of the mountain as the bus could never make it up there, especially since more than one bus would be involved most of the time. It is a big tourism draw. We took a shuttle and avoided the 1, 052 rocky steps to the top where the uphill cobbled street begins for you to struggle up! Tina has done it four times with school groups when she was a beginning guide but she says 'never again!'

Now we are truffle hunting with Nene and her dog Nana. He is a lab German pointer mix. Nene explained the whole truffle hunting process and Nana demonstrated with a couple of secreted truffles. The trick is to stay right with the off leash dog becaue they like to eat the truffles so immediately their reward must be given. It was the same Meaty Bones that our dogs like but on the bigger size.

Everyone is very interested. Elva was a little unsteady after the hill climb so Tom had graciusly helped to steady her. He has been very kind.

Nene is holding the tool used to dig the truffle and get it loose from the tree roots where it is growing. Hopefully with out damaging it. Black truffles grow six to eight inches underground while white can be a foot or more and the same dog can smell them out!

Good Girl!

A view down from our lunch stop.

Carmen greets us with red wine brandy or mistletoe brandy. Everything served here must be grown or raised on site If there is something they don't have and need it must be simply bartered for with another agritourism owner. Nothing purchased.

Minestrone soup, then fresh salad followed by homemade linguine with white truffle sauce, homemade gnocchi with cheese, more pasta, and chicken. Red and white wine that they make and which several people bought to take to the hotel. The food was good and the experience was nice. I enjoyed the Agritourism host and site more outside of Dubrovnik. Carmen did not interact with us at all and the gentleman at the other place, together with his wife, were much more friendly, entertaining, and enthusiastic. Also their home was like a museum and we had a tour of the facilities and demonstrations as well as described tastings before ur delicious meal. Oh and we had music. This was more like going to Grandma's, eating and rushing out.

Apples stewed in red wine brandy and served with delicious Panna Cotta!

You can also rent a room and even help out on the farm if that is your idea of a vacation!

We stopped for one last look at Motovun on our way down the very winding and narrow road with many switchbacks.

Next stop is this brandy distillery in case we had not already had enough to drink this morning. Remember on Croatian time we haven't even reached afternoon yet!

Giant lemons on a stick of a shrub.

Neat Vespa. Very Italian in Istria.

Olive oils and wine and jam are all made here.

Unfortunatly they can not ship to the USA.

150 year old barrel made of local oak.

It was a short tour before the tasting of the 22 options of brandy!

Pretty bottles and not bad prices but can't bring these home, now can I!

filling orders and corking them.


Tasting menu.

After the brandy distillery where I tasted three more on top of what I had for lunch I enjoyed the collies and jam! We had a sleepy ride back to our hotel. Elva and I each plugged in our phones for about a half hour and then went out for a walk. I needed a battery for my Misfit. Anna brought me one when we met for the Antarctic tour and I diidn't bring a spare along on this trip thinking that should still have been fine. Anyway, it was so nice to walk in the beautiful Spring twilight. We found one at the photo shop. Hope it does the trick.