Croatia

(The section of Croatia that is presented on this page belonged to Italy before the consequences of World War II.)

If you travel about 80kms south of the Italy/Croatia border you will come upon the 2000 year old Adriatic sea port of Pula. It has many Roman ruins, one of which is the Arena.

My dad

outside his

Arena

The Arena in Pula, Croatia was built from 30 BC to 14 AD during the time of Caesar Augustus' empire. It was an open theatre for gladiators and could hold 23000 spectators. In the 12th or 13th centuries the Venetians wanted to pull down the whole of the Arena but the people protested, so only the old stone steps from the inside were removed. These were used to build the foundations of the palaces on the Grand Canal in Venice.

Another view

Inside the Arena

My father believes that the Arena in Pula is far better than the Coliseum in Rome. You see, he was born and raised in Pola, Italy as it was called then. I must admit that the Arena certainly does appear to be impressive wherever it is. Don't you agree? (The Arena has survived time in much better condition than the Coliseum.)

The island of Brioni in the Adriatic Sea is accessible from Pula and much accommodation for holidayers can be found on this island. It is also known because Marshall Tito (a former leader of Yugoslavia) once resided there.

Approximately 50 kms northeast of Pula is the town of Brestova from where a car ferry crosses to Porozina on the island of Cres. By travelling to the very south of this island you will come upon Punta Kriza, a place that looks even too small to be a village. With just a handful of unusually small, old houses, a few boats, one closed shop and a road so narrow that cars cannot pass each other, it appears to be strangely isolated.

Punta Kriza

Cunski

Retrace your tracks slightly and cross to the island of Losinj. A church on a hill identifies the village of Cunski which is passed through on the drive south just before entering Mali Losinj. The church of St Nicholas was originally built in the 16th century and stands now as it has since 1908. (This pretty village was my grandmother's home town.)

Losinj has two main holiday destinations - Veli Losinj and Mali Losinj. Veli Losinj is smaller and more quiet than Mali Losinj but very beautiful just the same. Mali Losinj is a very popular holiday and beautiful seaside resort. In these areas it is possible to see 40 or 50 metres down into the crystal clear water. It is so clear due to the fact that there are no sandy beaches - they are all very pebbly. These waters resemble those of the Aegean Sea around Greece.

Mali Losinj