ISTRIA LIFE
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| Glavani
is a traditional Istrian farming village with a majority of stone built houses, situated 20 kms (a 20-25 minute drive) northeast of Pula – the historic ‘capital’ of Istria - and around 10 kms (a 10 min drive) from the sea. |
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This was our garden before we landscaped it for our guests use. This is to the side of Hiza Suzanna and looking over the wall is B&B Stjepan. |
| It is located in unspoilt countryside, with meadow and woodland, criss-crossed with paths ideal for walking or trekking. The families here keep a range of ‘livestock’ – pigs, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, chickens, turkeys and cattle – |  |
Our friend "Goat" Slavko, although he also keeps a calf, chickens, rabbits, and two Vietnamese pigs! Always happy to show your children his animals! |
| They also all grow their own produce (organically) – salad, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbages, onions, a whole variety of fruits – and of course they produce their own wine and rakia, a local brandy. |  |
In the spring months Glavani and all around, bursts with wildlife and colour. For us, and for our dog "Iskra" (can you spot her?) walks become even more beautiful! |
| You can therefore get all the fresh milk, eggs, cheese, fruit, meat, vegetables, and drink you might want. In addition, there is a small local shop where you can buy fresh bread, coffee, tea and other supplies. |  |
Showing you a photo of produce or the local shop didn't seem as inspiring as just a nice shot of a poppy field in spring! |
| Glavani boasts a herd of 30 Boskarin cattle, a rare breed, of which less than 800 remain in the world. Well worth seeing! They are very big but also very gentle! |  |
This is not the biggest example but the really big ones are camera shy! See if you can get a better photo! |
| Also Glavani boasts a number of the Istrian "Kažuns". These are stone built shelters for the farmers watching the sheep or working the land. Peculiar to the southern end of Istria. |  |
We sell little 'real stone' replicas of these in
our shop / office made by our neighbour's son.
Great gifts to remember your great holiday with us! |
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There are other larger markets within easy reach and larger shops and supermarkets in Pula. And when you want to eat out, there are 6 or 7 excellent restaurants within 10 minutes drive. The beer is excellent here and we have a big
fridge in the garage!
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| Krnica
is a charming Istrian village located around 15 kms northeast of Pula (a 15-20 minute drive) and less than 2 kms from a series of quiet beaches near to one of the prettiest fishing villages on the east coast - Krnicki Poret. |
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This is the entrance into the village of Krnica. Taken from outside the garden of Apartment Marina. Further up on the right is a great pizza restaurant! |
| There is a small market where you can buy fresh bread, milk, cheese, eggs and a variety of staple groceries; a post office; a bar and a restaurant. A fruit and vegetable van calls several times a week. And a small market regularly appears. |  |
But if you can't walk that far after a lazy day then there is also a cafe on the left hand side! |
| In Krnicka Poret the sea is clean and clear and is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. There are no signposts to the beach which means only the locals and us know about it! Let's keep it that way! |  |
The water is so clean that sea urchins, known here as sea hedgehogs, thrive. Please use sea shoes (on sale here) or sandals to avoid the "pain". |
| In addition, there is a good fish restaurant in Krnicki Poret and there are
6 other excellent restaurants within 10 minutes drive of the village. There are a number of other markets/shops within easy reach and larger shops and supermarkets in Pula. The nearest cash machine is in Barban just 6 km up the road. The petrol station is there too.
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| Barban
is a small medieval town located some 25kms northeast of Pula and around 10kms from the sea. Features include the 15th century church and two 15th century gates, one of which opens onto the main square where regular markets and music festivals are held. |
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There is a cafe/bar straight on from these gates where the locals go to drink. However, we know that if you eat in there the food is excellent! Especially the fish! |
| The town has recently revived the ancient festival of Prstinac (the Ring) where horse riding competitors, in traditional costume, attempt to spear metal rings with their lances. Running at full speed towards the ring makes this more difficult! |  |
This shows the rider after he has completed the run. It is just that from here you can see the great views towards Mount Ucka 60km from Barban. |
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Facilities in Barban include two
markets a butchers, a bakers, a post office, |
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