Page 29 - Explore Magazine Winter 2016

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It was now time to depart to Croatia and our choice of Airlines flight and flew south on my own to Dubrovnik
transport was high-speed catamaran. Travelling from in southern Dalmatia. Having conquered my fear of
Venice across the Adriatic Sea we arrived in less than heights in Capri, here I enjoyed the cable car ride up to
three hours at the popular summer resort of Poreč on Srđ Mountain. The mountaintop offers the best view of
Croatia’s “clean and green” Istrian Peninsula. After Dubrovnik’s famous Old Town with the stunning Elaphiti
spending two weeks in the hustle and bustle of Italy, islands right ahead and the Pelješac Peninsula and
arriving at Poreč was like a breath of fresh air: the locals Mljet Island to the right. The mountain top also has
are friendly and the pace of tourism is far more leisurely, a war museum and an outdoor restaurant with
but the natural surroundings and history still astound panoramic views.
you. One of the landmarks in the historic Old Town is the
sixth-century Euphrasian Basilica, famous for its gem- For the two hundred-kilometre journey north up the
coast to Split I chose to go by catamaran again. It’s a
studded Byzantine mosaics. It is one of Croatia’s seven
UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is a must-see. very scenic trip that allows you to see the islands of
Mljet, Korčula, Hvar and Brač on the way.
The Istria region of Croatia is also famous for its Meeting up again over a journey’s-end dinner with
magnificent truffles. The biggest one in the world was
discovered in the oak forests below the hilltop village Joanna in Split we pondered the many influences of
the Byzantine, Greek, Roman and Ottoman empires on
of Motovun and it was fitting that our first meal in Istria
was a memorable lunch of traditional Istrian Fuži pasta Croatia and agreed that it offers travellers a marvellous
blend of history and natural heritage. With a country of
paired with Malvazija, the signature white wine of the
region. They say that truffles have an aphrodisiacal effect more than 1,200 islands, we left with still much to see
and explore. So, Doviđenja (goodbye for now) till we
but I believe it’s the local wine that’s magical.
meet again.
With time moving quickly we travelled inland to Croatia’s
capital city of Zagreb, which is rich in beautiful parks
and the best markets in Croatia. It is a fantastic place to
buy original artefacts. From Zagreb I boarded my Croatia

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