Istrian image
I visited a few of the towns along the Istria Peninsula, in both Slovenia and Croatia. I enjoyed spending time in them all, but I found them all quite similar. Piran, Poreĉ, Rovinj and Pula — all Roman towns filled with winding streets made of stone polished by millions of footsteps over the centuries. They are all pretty coastal towns with a marina and a small island close to shore, each slightly larger than the last. They all have red tile roofs, small plazas and plenty of restaurants serving fantastic seafood.
Pula, the largest of them all, also has the most impressive Roman remains. I went to the amphitheatre expecting the usual stroll around ancient piles of stones and imagining the ancient performances held there. Instead, I was treated to a choir singing their scales ready for the evening’s show. Although it was only a soundcheck, there’s something magical about hearing live music in a venue, using it for the same purpose as it was built 2,000 years ago.
As I was close to the southernmost tip of the peninsula, I couldn’t resist going to Premantura and the Kamenjak reserve. There are a few popular beaches in the many coves, but the walk (scramble) along the coastline to the final cape was empty. It felt a suitable place to finish my time in Istria before moving inland to the capital.
