Croatia | Sea | Kayaking | Tours | Lifejacket Adventures - Adriatic Expeditions

Summer is definitely the ‘festive’ season in Croatia. To attract as many tourists as possible an almost infinite number of events are now organized. Below are the ones we have bumped into over the last 2 weeks.

Motovun Film Festival

Celebrating its 10th birthday is the Motovun Film Festival. What started as 5 guys with 5 films has grown into Croatia’s most interesting festival.

From its press release:

“For its jubilee-edition, Motovun Film Festival has prepared the most ambitious program so far. From 28 July to 1 August, the tenth anniversary of the festival and the 100th anniversary of Russian film will be celebrated in this small Istrian town on top of a hill. Screening of more than 100 films will heat projectors up until they turn red. Numerous guests will have a chance to have fun on concerts and on the opening of the new cinema and make a toast with vodka for at least this many birthdays more!

In gratitude to the audience who has been coming to Motovun from all over the world for ten years, we made sure this year’s program would break a number of records. We will show more than 100 films, 28 of which in the main program. We will open another day cinema, dedicated to the grand jubilee of a great cinematography – the 100th anniversary of Russian film.

With 16 screenings on 5 screens every day, the Motovun theaters will be working non-stop from 10 a.m. almost to the daybreak of the next day. The night from Thursday to Friday, they will be working absolutely non-stop: film reels will keep turning for 40 hours.”

Grožnjan Jazz Festival

Since 19th July and with plans to finish on 3rd August, at 9pm each night, the Istrian town of Grožnjan has been hosting jazz music performances.

Grožnjan became known in the 1970s as an artists’ and musicians’ colony. In those days none wanted to live in the towns from which the Italians had been removed at the end of WW2.

Today, during the summer months concerts and music events are held almost every day - everything from classical to jazz. Walking through the town during the day, youngsters can be heard practicing in many rooms as Grožnjan also houses an International Cultural Centre of Young Musicians.

Diocletian’s Days

Over last weekend, numerous Splicani ventured out into the streets in their bedsheets. They were celebrating the life of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, whose retirement palace stands at the centre of their town. Music was played at various sites around the town and then a large banquet, featuring accurate period meals, was held in the palace’s basements. This year’s attendance was down, as instead of the meal being free, a ticket cost 650 kuna.

A new pizzeria just opened in Motovun - Propeler, for which they had a party last weekend. It means Motovun now has 3 places to eat year around - Pod Voltom, Propeler, Mondo (as it is now named - it was Barbacan).

Pod Voltom is standard Istrian konoba fare - thick soup, steaks and pastas. In the summer they have tables with the best view in town underneath the town’s loggia. Mondo is slightly more experimental, with dishes such as steak with banana sauce.

We had an excellent meal with some fellow expatriates-and-now-Istrian-home-owners, Michael and Marijana, at Rino’s in Momjan. Rino’s has a simple menu of soups, pastas and meats - no complaints at all.

Other favorite Istrian restaurants of ours are Plavi Podrum and Le Mandrać in Volosko near Opatija or Valsabbion near Pula (try their tasting menu).

Michael and Marijana wrote down their tips for dining in Istria. They included Pietropelosa and Tonćić in Zrenj, Dolina near Livade, Toklarija in Sovinjsko Polje, Astarea in Brtonigla, Maslinova Grana in the castle above Buje, Nono in Petrovija and Agrotourisme in Završje. It is good to hear about others happy dining experiences in Istria. We had become a little concerned that Istrian restaurants weren’t performing to their reputations, after we had bad meals at Zigante, Ponte Porton and Konoba Oprtalj. We will have a bit of research to do next time we are in the area.

This week we returned to Motovun and Istria; it has been a long time since we were there in the summer.

Our house renovation continues under Gino’s supervision in Motovun. The exterior rendering has been completed and the floor structure is in. They have added the interior plasterboard walls and ‘roughed-out’ the electrical and plumbing work.

Ranko Bon, the town’s dilettante, held one of his famous Terrace Sundowner Parties. The terrace in front of his house has a unmatched view across the Mirna Valley below Motovun. For a small town, Motovun has a real international community during the summer months - Americans, Australians, Germans, Italians, Danes and even Iranians.

In the small village of San Mauro near Momjan is the Sinković Winery. In the valley near Momjan are the 2 local wine producers that we like the best - Kozlović and Kabola. Now we can add a third. The Sinković Zlato just received the Champion’s Medal at the recent Zagreb Fair - making it apparently the best wine in Croatia. Zlato is made from the local white grape - malvazija. While there Aklie made a new friend, Jack the 12-year-old truffle-sniffing pig - though it took them some time to warm to each other. Truffles are usually unearthed by dogs in Istria, but the Sinković’s use Jack.

Hidden down below Motovun, on the road to Brkač, is the Motovun Ranch. It is run by our friend’s ex-husband. The ranch is over 10 hectares set in an undeveloped valley. They organize lessons, single-day and multi-day tours.

Stephan and Verena, two vagabond German artists, held an opening party for their latest work in a previously dis-used space in Motovun. Each year they arrive in a different town and rummage through its history, rubbish bins and closets looking for usable information, ready-mades and skeletons. Their Motovun-inspired artwork (collages, oils and sculptures) can be seen on their website. The summer-swelled population of Motovun all turned in support.

We went to visit the Hotel San Rocco in Brtonigla, Istria. It won the award for the best small hotel in Croatia for 2007. They renovated several buildings into one new complex including a restaurant, wellness centre (every hotel in Croatia now seems to have one of these) and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. They have finished everything to a top level and the restaurant has some interesting dishes using local produce.

Istarske Toplice uses the water from the Saint Stephan Spring - apparently the Romans even enjoyed bathing in it. We always visit it for a swim whilst we are in Motovun - its just down the road. The hotel complex is still very Communist in the level of quality and service it provides - but the spa was recently renovated and makes for a warm dip in the middle of winter.

Things are progressing at our house in Motovun. The structure for the floors has been put in, the roof replaced and the rendering of the facade has begun. We hope it can be ready for use in October.

In March, a commission setup by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Culture set a limit on the number of beds for the Jupiter Group-proposed golf course/development below Motovun. This followed a previous Enviromental Impact Report which came to a similar conclusion. Yet are developers continuing to lobby behind the scenes with direct talks with the Ministers to have these recommendations overturned. And the current indication is that they appear to be succeeding. So, this development has failed government-organized tests twice and yet Jupiter still tries to ‘back-door’ this project using ‘old fashioned’ methods used to influence officials prevalent in a country such as Croatia. There has already been a previous incident regarding this project that the courts deemed illegal. We will have to wait and see.

As can be seen from the last posts we have been catching up on our newspaper reading. Old lefties who read The Guardian in the UK may have seen a recent article about the best places to take your loved one. Under the title Glamorous Romantic Getaways, our friend Goran and his restaurant Vila Kaliopa are given an excellent review, “Hidden behind the 16th-century Garibaldi Palace walls on the island of Vis, Villa Kaliopa is a secret garden of palms, sculpture and candlelit tables each out of earshot so you don’t have to whisper your sweet nothings where smiley waiters present the days catch.” (And Jules says I never take her anywhere special!)

Sounds like the perfect end to a day of arguing with that special person in a double kayak!

Felix Oppenheim, an excellent outdoor photographer, snapped us eating at a less salubrious (yet just as charming) eatery. Several photographs on our website were taken by him.

The Guardian also recently put Istria in its 100 Underated Foodie Breaks, and even mentions Motovun, “A cone-shaped peninsula, Istria is where the Balkans meet the Adriatic. Lushly forested and decidedly hilly, Istria is also where some of the world’s best (and biggest) truffles are dug. A lengthy meander around the inland walled hill-towns of Trst, Hum (the world’s smallest, so it boasts), Lupoglav, Buzet, Motovun - and many more - rewards you with enchanting eagle’s eye views, sleepy villages, and delightfully affordable restaurants with truffle-centred menus. Add fresh, young Croatian wines and a mere scattering of tourists and you’re in gourmet heaven.”

During a drive around Istria this weekend we stumbled upon Draguć. Its just another small, picturesque, hill-top Istrian town, with a main street, square, water fountain, dirt streets and church - a dime-a-dozen around the region.

But after speaking to the owner of Buffet Zora (shown above), we discovered the town has even more to offer.

Of artistic value are the frescoes within the town’s small churches - Sveti Elizej and Sveti Rok. Sveti Elizej dates from the 12th Century, being Romanesque in style. During the 13th Century the church interior was decorated with frescoes depicting the life of Jesus.

Sveti Rok, a votive chapel, is of later origin, belonging to the Late Gothic Period (the first half of the 16th century). During that period the plague had killed many in Istria. The vaulted interior was painted by Master Anton of Padua.

But for us of the television generation more interesting is that Draguć is known by the locals as the Istrian Hollywood. Several films have been made there; whenever a small medieval village exterior is required by a studio the cameras and crew arrive in town. Look at La Femme Musketeer with Michael York and Nastassja Kinski, or Twilight Time with Karl Malden (whose real name was Mladen Sekulovich - his father was Serbian).

Credit has to be given Igor Popović for the picture at the top of the post.

Ranko introduced us to a local Motovan resident, Igor; a small olive oil producer. Igor told us many things - olive trees are best planted on the sunny-side of hill, between 150 - 350m above sea-level and in white soil with a neutral pH (not red soil, which has too much bauxite). On 5 hectares about 1 500 trees can be grown; in 10 years each tree will yield 20 - 30kg of olives which in turn will produce 2 - 3kg of oil. Oil sells for more than 10€ per liter. When Croatia joins the EU it is probable that no further trees will be allowed to be planted - so a rush is on at the moment to put more in. Igor said that Klaudio Ipša from Ipši is the best man around Motovun to ask further advice. The Istrian Tourism Board provides a map of olive producers.

Spring is wild asparagus season in Istria. Wild Asparagus looks like the cultivated variety but much longer and thinner. Julie found this recipe for using it:

Frittata with Wild Asparagus
500g wild asparagus
150g onions
8 eggs
50ml oil
10g salt
1g pepper

Rinse the wild asparagus and break their soft part into small pieces (about 3cm long) by hand. Fry with finely chopped onion until asparagus soften. Then add egg mixture, stirring lightly. When eggs stiffen, remove pan from heat and serve hot.

We were back up in Motovun again this weekend as our builder, Gino, prepared for demolition in the house we are renovating.

From a gastronomic POV, Motovun is known for its truffles. In fact the world’s largest was found in 1999 in the nearby forests - it weighed 1.30 kgs. Given Black truffle sells for about 700€/kg and the white variety about 2 000€/kg - thats not bad reward for an afternoon stroll. They were first found in the area in 1929.

Four weeks ago David and Vanda’s dog, Bonnie, had 8 puppies. Bonnie is a failed truffle hunting dog that they saved. David and Vanda are responsible for Timeout Croatia magazines and guidebooks. Dogs are used to sniff out the underground fungi - but if the dog is found not to make the grade it is usually put to sleep.

The best place in town for a truffle-sprinkled dinner is the Barbacan Restaurant. Its owner, Ronald Geul, is Dutch. As the older generation in Motovun moves on, the town is becoming popular for interesting people from all over the world in which to live. The town’s new resident grumpy old man is Ranko Bon - architect, economist, painter and poet.

Risotto with Leek, Mushrooms and Truffle

Ingredients
Leeks:
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup whipping cream

Mushrooms:
500g Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 7mm thick slices
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Risotto:
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups (or more) hot vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons shaved or chopped black truffle
Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
For Leeks:
Bring leeks and cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are tender and cream is thick, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

For Mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Toss all ingredients on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until mushrooms are tender and light brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For Risotto:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in leek mixture, mushroom mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cheese, and truffle. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Malvasia
Istria has two wines of note - a red, teran, and a white, malvasia. For malvasia we choose to drink that from the Kozlović Family.

Wine Maker – Kozlović Vina
Colour – Golden yellow colour with a slight green tinge.
Bouquet – Aroma of fruit and berries
Palate – Fresh, medium-bodied, and balanced, with an almond aftertaste.

The other day we decided to take a drive from Motovun to Venice just to see how far it is (according to Yahoo Maps it is 240kms) and to see if a day trip was possible.

Our route took us across the border into Slovenia, into Italy near Trieste and, after some difficulty with the typically spaghetti-esque Italian autostradas, onto the E70. We didn’t change any money before leaving, assuming that any service station that we stopped at in Italy would have one. But of course there were no ATMs in any of the stations on the E70 - and then we suddenly hit a unmanned tollbooth! Luckily it accepted one of our debit cards.

After 2¾ hours we crossed the causeway to the Tronchetto Parking Building. Its conveniently located next to a vaporetto stop.

We jumped off at Zattere and had lunch overlooking the Giudecca Canal at the Pizzeria Ae Oche. They have an interesting menu, including the ’shredded horse meat and lemon pizza’. For better quality pizza we paid less than what we would in Croatia - excellent value.

Its was amazing how crowded the city was even late in the season. The white-shoe and shiny track-suit clad groups were everywhere.

Aklie’s favorite shop, of course, was the Ferrari Store with its F2002 Michael Schumacher Formula One car in the window.

The above picture, taken from the top floor of our house in Motovun, will excite petrol-heads. Behind the little church is the childhood home of Mario Andretti. You can see a plaque on the wall mounted by the local car club.

For those who are not interested in car racing and have no idea who is Mario Andretti, he is the most successful driver in US history. He is the only driver to have won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and the Formula 1 World Championship. He won 4 IndyCar titles.

Mario and his twin brother Aldo were born on February 28 1940 in Motovun. In 1948 Mario’s family, along with a large portion of the ethnic Italian community, fled Istria. They spent 7 years in a refugee camp before settling in the USA.

Whilst exploring around Motovun, we stumbled across several railway tunnels and bridges, all without rails. Several locals told us the old constructions belonged to the Parenzana Railway.

Completed in 1902 on the route shown above, La Parenzana was the name of a railway that ran between Trieste, Italy, and Poreč, Croatia, until 1935. (Parenzo is the Italian name for Poreč - the Italians annexed Istria between the World Wars.)

After it started in Trieste, the railway passed Muggia and entered Slovenia at Škofije. It turned towards Koper, on the coast, and crossed the Dragonja River to enter Croatia. It then zig-zagged between Valica and Buje, climbed to Grožnjan, and soon after reached its highest point at 293 meters above sea level. It then descended until it reached Livade, where it forded the Mirna River. It started climbing again towards Motovun, Vižinada and Baldaši, and then gradually descended again, passed Višnjan, and finished in Poreč. At 123 kilometers in length, it was one of Europe’s longest narrow gauge railways.

Due to its sinuous route, the train’s average speed was only 25 kph. It took around 7 hours to complete the whole line. At slower sections passengers would jump off, pick fruit or go to the toilet and return back to the train. At the steepest sections the passengers often had to disembark and push the train.

The train was mainly used to transport agricultural products (fish and salt) to Trieste, and during World War I, it was used for military transport.

The railway couldn’t compete with new forms of transport, and with the Depression, the line was closed. The Italian fascists also thought its closure might be an opportunity to further persecute the Istrian population. In August, 1935, the last train ran. The legend is that the tracks were transported to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), then an Italian colony, but never reached Africa as the ship sunk somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea.

Sections have been converted into a recreation trail for pedestrians and cyclists.

For Croatian speakers, there is a website for a group which wants to rebuild the railway as a tourism project - Croatian Association for the Parenzana’s Reconstruction . It still would be able to reconstruct 94% of the line in its original location. It would be excellent for tourism!

We bought a house in the beautiful hill-top town of Motovun a year ago. The plan is to begin renovation in early-2008.

For us, the valleys around Motovun are one of the few areas that have not yet suffered from bad development in Croatia. That is why we were upset to hear that an English development company is seeking permission to build a golf resort just a stone’s throw from the town.

We are not against all golf courses - it’s their location and the inappropriate housing development around them that are the main issues.

A resort near Groznjan will begin construction soon - it will reuse abandoned houses for its accommodation - sounds like an excellent idea.

But, the proposed new Motovun resort will include a 600-bed large scale development just across the valley. Motovun has a permanent population of 300. What will be the visual impact?

And, Motovun has become famous for its truffles - what will happen to them when the chemicals used on the courses enter the ground water? Spain is now dealing with the problems of an over-supply of golf courses and their resorts taxing local water supplies.

Of course the developers have discovered that greasing the palms of local politicians helps when dealing with annoying issues such as environment studies.

Please go to Motovun Eco Town and sign up if interested.