Italy (& Croatia) 3: Poreč to Zagreb

We Reach the Capital of Croatia

Thursday, May 9, 2019

We had a truly outstanding lunch, including salads and an unforgettable chocolate mousse with deep, rich espresso, at Ristorante Casa Tua on the waterfront in Opatija, 80 km from Poreč.

The rain continued to fall while we ate, but as we left the restaurant, the sun broke out briefly, making the streets turn gold, and afterwards, high above the town at a gas station, we were treated to a most magnificent view of the Adriatic Sea. Then we headed inland toward Zagreb.

Our drive was mainly through downpours and clouds that impended our views of… – well of what, I cannot tell you. But once in a while the veils lifted, and we were treated to spectacular scenes of the Adriatic Sea, low tree-covered mountains, and villages showing off their mediaeval buildings.

While we drove through the rain, I read an article aloud to Arnie about the Istrian Peninsula that I had found in Air Canada’s En Route Magazine. It was fun to be driving through the peninsula and reading about three of its most valuable and distinctive exports: olive oil, wine and truffles. These days, Croatia is busy pointing out to the world how its particular climate contributes to the unique taste of all three products. and that purchasing Croatian is not the same as purchasing Italian.

Ksenija, our host in Zagreb, later told us that Croatians are not used to marketing themselves – historically they are a country of mainly farmers – but with fabulous holiday areas, clear clear water, and wonderful indigenous cuisine, they are sure to be successful in their self-promotion efforts. Of course, lots of people already know about the wonders of Croatia, but it is well worth consideration by those who haven’t thought of it before. And we didn’t even see several of the best parts – including Split, on the the Dalmatian Coast, and the country’s national parks. Next time. (Sigh.)

Our friend Ksenija welcomed us to Croatia with a warm hug and a drink, and we were happy to be finished with trying to find our way around the streets with the dubitable assistance of Google Maps. (A friend has recommended we try another maps program which works well off line and when I have an hour to sit down and figure out how to use it, I will!)

We went out for a short stroll around the neighbourhood, which is in the picturesque old part of Zagreb, and then enjoyed a dinner of sea bass, fresh out of the water that morning, with watercress and potatoes. Falling asleep after all of that was easy.