There is simply something about Šibenik.
No matter if it is the historic charm still preserved in the old part of the town…

Historic Dolac

… omnipresent images of easy living…

Relaxing by the sea

…childhood memories…

Nice playground

… or that romance in the air…

By the sea

…Šibenik is full of wonderful images. Beautiful views and historic details at every turn: typical Mediterranean city but with very unique soul and heritage. Despite the population being nearly wiped out of plague in late 17th century, the city recovered and prospered again with it’s heyday being the late 19th century and early 20th century. Trade, shipping, wine, crafts, factories… All that, and much more, one was able to find in Šibenik and it’s busy harbor.

Merchant ships lined along the old Šibenik riva

Stores long gone

And that is one more reason to feel sad now, in the 21st century, to see all or Dalmatian cities – not only Šibenik – looking abandoned and deserted. Hundred years ago, there were people hanging out…

Hanging out. Old school.

Working on their boats…

Building boats in Dolac

Redefining their city by tearing down medieval walls and towers…

The Teodosevic tower next to the Cathedral

… and enjoying their city being city in the true sense of the word!

The city of Šibenik back in early 1900s

…with people from the nearby islands and villages coming to trade their produce to wealthy families of local merchants and industrialists…

Coming from the islands

…and ships coming from far away to bring the finest materials and necessities to the locals.

Ups! Galatea sunk at the main pier back on April 27th of 1907 (original photo from my private collection)

Hopefully, the Dalmatian cities will rebound.
Soon.
And the streets of our towns and cities will be filled with happy folks proud of their heritage and with clear idea where we are going and what we are doing. Šibenik lacks a lot of infrastructure for serious, quality tourism but recent developments are bringing fresh ideas and I want to believe that, in my time, we will change the things around…

"Šopot" restaurant

This restaurant has been in business since 1904! So, they must be doing something right if they have been opened this long and still VERY busy despite everything.

What do I come here for? PEKA! Veal peka to be precise. Even  though I am not a “veal person”, what these guys serve here is just out of this world good! Succulent, soft, tender, melting-in-your-mouth extravaganza of tastes. I have been there several times and it was always superb! Lamb, you can go wrong with if coming in the season when the fresh lamb is not available but in the right season…just another superb culinary experience. And that is it! You can go there for meat on the grill, soups, lamb on a spit is fabulous…as they have a full menu but their peka simply cannot be beat (and I have tired some really spectacular pekas!) and that is something you should go here for.

Over a century in business

The restaurant itself is spacious and often caters for smaller events and weddings but it is not anything fancy. I usually go there with clients if we are exploring the region as this is a perfect ending for any type of program or tour )

Continuing the tradition - young owner bringing food to the table

Recently Badel winery in Benkovac started producing some really serious wines and “Šopot” is proud to offer them. My client and I – Mrs. Kasic Helen – were enjoying a lovely Couvee although I prefer some other wines like Benkovac merlot.

mmm and home baked bread )

The restaurant also has a fabulous selection of home made brandies. Treasure in glasses!
And, for dessert, what better than fritule?

Fritule

Well, actually there is… Prisnac is a local dessert unique to this region. It is very simple as it is done with only water, flour, cottage cheese and some other stuff ( I am the worst culinary blogger there is…) and I promised to go to Sopot to make a movie on how it’s done.

Before I come back with video materials, visit “Šopot” – it is bellow a scenic little place on a hilltop and just across the street from an ancient spring that is known to be the place where even old Croatian dukes used to come and drink water from. My recommendation is peka, in case you haven’t read what I wrote, but lamb on a spit as equally popular! Also, instead of having lunch on gas stations and other restaurants that are no match for “Šopot”, take a small culinary detour (it is less than 5 minutes off the highway) and enjoy some real food!

Contact:
Phone: +385 23 681 033
E-mail: sopot.99@gmail.com
Web: www.restaurant-sopot.com

More on Taste of Croatia or contact for culinary travel in Croatia

So, how can we not go and visit the lake when it is dry and we can walk on the bottom? I packed my family and wife’s cousins from split and off we went. We also planned to meet our friend Domagoj and his family and that was just a very nice bonus to our trip.

We started our descent at Topana fortress led by Domagoj’s two sons: Filip and Roko.

Topana fortress

The descent is fairly easy but quite long… The path to the bottom of the lake is down a nice trail built in 1907. Still in good shape, it is a very busy place during summer months as Blue lake is the favorite swimming spot for people of Imotski. Basically, their beach.

And the views…

Starting our descent

Half way there

The easy trail ends at one point as bellow that part is usually water. Not this time… It was a bit demanding as we had to go down slowly as I had a very precious, nine months old, blue-eyed cargo on me

First time at the bottom of the lake for me and my baby girl Ella

The bottom of the lake is fascinating with spectacular views wherever you turn! The cliffs on one side, several caves in the slopes….the place is so unique and well worth the hike!

The amazing, dry lake

Unfortunately, the fish that lived in the lake, did not share our excitement. As they could not  survive such a long drought without a drop of water, dead fish was everywhere to be sen. Looking quite dramatic and a bit cataclysmic.

The fish apocalypse

There was only one small puddle of water and that will dry soon. With no serious rain in the forecast, I guess the traditional Imotski football game between the “Elves” and the “Werewolves” can be played again this winter. Before the snow on the mountains melts in the Spring and the local underground springs become alive again.

The bottom of the lake is truly a unique place and definitely worth the hike! And then it was time to go back… and that did not look fun at all!

Nothing short of spectacular!

We made it while stopping several times to admire the views and the grandeur of this natural phenomena that is not nearly as visited as it should be and especially being so close to Split. We decided to have more of that conversation at our friend’s place. Domagoj, being a true offspring of the area, is a great host. Everything from home made brandy to a stellar, traditional lunch was ready by the time we got to his place.

Winter sun casting shadows on Domagoj's house

We started strong: homemade myrtle and walnut brandy served with homemade cheese pastry.

Welcome! (this was before we went hiking)

And then it got serious. Frog legs brodetto, Imotski style on mashed potatoes followed by a traditionally prepared wild game with local herbs. Served with home made gnocchi.

Frog legs brodetto

Game over for wild game

All this was enjoyed with several glasses of Domagoj’s own great kujunđuša (2006 and the young one) and, I am sure nearly 99% of you reading this never even heard of it, rudežuša rose. Not native Croatian speakers, please don’t try to pronounce these names out loud as that can damage your tongues.
Rudežuša is one of 8 native grape varietals to Imotski region that are nearly gone. It is red grape and is nearly extinct in the area. Domagoj is very dedicated to preserving as much as he can of all these treasures. Domagoj and Sanja are just great people (and dear friends) and with their great, encyclopedic knowledge on so many subjects, they are very interesting people to hang out with.

The end of our lunch was royal!

Imotska torta cake and traditional apple stroudel

Imotska torta is a true queen of all Croatian sweets. And this comes from a “chocolate person”. But this blows every single chocolate cake away! Nothing comes close to the fullness of tastes of Imotska torta. However, the recipe is not easy to get. Yes, you can find recipes online but it is always some sort of a mutation and not the original recipe. This was the cake done to Domagoj’s grandmother’s recipe and his family was famous for her Imotska torta for generations. This was a very special honor. Sanja continues this tradition masterfully!

And, as the sun already set behind Biokovo, we left our dear friends and thanked them for their hospitality. Baby was already a sleep in her chair and home was only 2 hours north in this cold winter night. But our hearts are still warm from this great trip…

Traveling from Italy to Croatia can be quite a challenge unless you are familiar with all of your traveling options. Even though Italy shares a sea border with Croatia, because of its shape and the variety of destinations in both countries, it takes a bit of planning to organize the most convenient route. However, Croatia and Italy are very well connected by diverse modes of transportation and the choice depends entirely on your time available and the level of comfort you wish to travel in.

Italy to Croatia by ferry
Taking a ferry to Croatia from Italy is your best option if you are traveling from the eastern coast of Italy. The departure points from Italy are Venice, Ancona, Pescara, and Bari, and each port offers at least a couple of choices as far as destinations in Croatia and ferry lines go. Make sure though to check the frequency of the Italy-Croatia ferries as they vary depending on the season. There are far more crossings during summer than there are during the spring and fall, and not all ferries run year-round. The following are your ferry route options for the Italy-Croatia crossings along with a link to check the current schedule and prices:

Ferry from Venice to Croatia
http://www.venezialines.com
Available Croatian destinations are: Mali Losinj, Pula, Rovinj, Porec, Rabac. Passenger ferries only, no cars allowed.

katamaran_venezialines_big

Ferry from Ancona to Croatia
Jadrolinija ferries: Zadar, Split
Blue Line Ferries: Split, Vis, Stari Grad/Hvar Island
SNAV Ferries: Split

Ferry from Pescara to Croatia:
SNAV Ferries: Split, Stari Grad/Hvar Island
Jadrolinija Ferries: Split, Stari Grad/Hvar Island

Ferry from Bari to Croatia:
Jadrolinija Ferries: Dubrovnik

JadrolinijaZadarAncona

Italy to Croatia by train
The main cities reachable by train from Italy to Croatia are Zagreb, Pula, Rijeka, and Split (but you have to go through Zagreb to get to Split as there is no direct rout from Italy to Split). Here are some estimates of how long it will take you from your destination in Italy to your Croatian destination:
Venice to Zagreb  from 7.5-10 hours with 1-2 train changes
Venice to Split  from 15-20 hours with up to 3 train changes
Rome to Zagreb  from 11.5-15.5 hours with 1-2 train changes
Milan to Zagreb  from 10-12 hours with 1-2 train changes

nagibni vlak

Flying from Italy to Croatia
If you are short on time or do not want to spend 8+ hours on an overnight ferry, flying from Italy to Croatia is your way to travel. In some cases it may actually be as cheap of an option as taking a bus or a ferry since there are more and more budget airlines offering direct flights to Croatia.
Here is a list of flights we found, but the list is constantly changing so be sure to check the airline websites closer to your trip:

Rome to Croatia
Croatia Airlines  Rome to Zagreb (year-round)
Croatia Airlines  Rome to Split (year-round)
Croatia Airlines  Rome to Dubrovnik (year-round)
Easyjet  Rome Fiumicino to Split (July & August)
Easyjet  Rome Fiumicino to Dubrovnik (July & August)

From Milan to Croatia
Easyjet  Milan Malpensa to Split (July & August)
Easyjet  Milan Malpensa to Dubrovnik (July & August)

From Venice to Croatia
Croatia Airlines Venice to Dubrovnik

From Bologna to Croatia
Croatia Airlines Bologna to Zagreb (year-round)

croatia_airlines

Italy to Croatia by bus
Traveling by bus within Italy is the best way to get around next to renting a car or buying a train ticket. However, the only cities with direct bus connections to Croatia are Venice and Trieste. From Venice you can only reach Pula and Pazin destinations in Istria via Eurolines bus company. In order to visit the capital of Croatia as well as the coastal cities in the south, you will have to make Trieste your departure point.
SAF buses run from Trieste to Rijeka, Rovinj, Pula, Split, Medugorje, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, and other Croatian cities. For additional information visit the Trieste bus station site.
Here are some sample travel times:
2.5 hours to Rijeka
3 hours to Pula,
5 hours to Zagreb,
10.5 hours to Split and
15 hours to Dubrovnik

Italy to Croatia by car
Driving from Italy to Croatia became a lot easier since the opening of a modern highway connecting the north and the south in 2005. The Croatian highway is said to be the most scenic one in Europe making it a worth while option.
Some distance calculations are as follows:
driving from Venice to Split takes about 7.5 hours,
Venice to Rijeka takes only 3.5 hours,
Venice to Zagreb is a little less than 4 hours and Venice to Dubrovnik is a 10.5 hour trip because the highway becomes a regular road once you get close to Metković
If you choose to take the old roads you should know that some of them are in a pretty shabby state, however the views on the road along the sea coast are incredible and you will not mind the extra time.
A couple of great websites to check for calculating the distance to your destination in Croatia are Via Michelin and Tom Tom.
It is also possible to rent a car in Italy and drive it into Croatia, however not all rental companies will allow this because of the higher insurance costs of taking a rental car across the border. Your best option is to rent a car in Trieste at te Trieste Airport, being the nearest large Italian town to the border of Croatia. For most accurate information it is always better to contact the Italian regional offices directly instead of your home country offices. Here is a list of car rental companies in Italy which allow you to take the car into Croatia (please also check with them):
Avis
Europcar
Maggiore
Sixt

Italy to Croatia by private boat charter
Also one of the possibilities that often goes overlooked as it is not the easiest option due to necessary paperwork. Also, not all companies have permits to cross borders with their boats so please inquiry before making such a booking. It is best to charter a boat with a Croatian company and arrange a pick up in an Italian port of your choice. Extra fees apply.

So, traveling from Italy to Croatia is not as difficult as it may appear at first.  Some of our clients also ordered private transfers from Venice to Split and from Venice to Zagreb which are the most comfortable options of traveling but come at highest cost. You can explore these options or simply contact us to plan your travel to Croatia as we do these combinations quite often.

Komornink island in front of us

The sea was calm and I let my son take the control of the outboard engine. It is about time that he learns how to handle our small, 15 ft, wooden boat that we inherited from our late grandfather. That is, of course a first step as we have two other boats that he will be taking care of in few years. Or so.

Roko

We were late going out as it is best to go before the very sunset but we could not make it on time. Besides, it was not about tomorrow’s lunch. It was about the sea and the sport itself.

Tools of the trade

Squid fishing is easy: find the seabed with lots of sea grass, stop your boat and let the sea current take you slowly where it wants. Drop the bait (fish looking thingies) all the way to the bottom and pull it up quite often making it look as the “fish” is jumping out of sea grass. The squid is most active in the dusk as then is when it starts hunting for food.

There were very few other boats in Pasman channel by that time and the night was falling fast.

The lone fisherman

And, as it was getting quite cold, we packed our stuff and left  home. To get that cold sea air from our backs and hands.
The stars (well, Venus that is) were already appearing on the clear skies.

Cool December night

Did we catch anything? Just a few pieces for Christmas Eve lunch

All that we need!

Christmas is a very special part of the year and our lives. It is about family, love and respect for all the good and nice things in our lives. Happy holiday season!

So, this beautiful morning, I called my friends and went hiking and checking some places. My friend Čepo, from Biograd museum is an archaeologist and he was the guide. Please note that any excavation and digging on archaeological sites in Croatia is strictly forbidden! Thus, we went to the places listed bellow just to see if we can learn more now when the grass is low and most of the ruins are nicely visible.

Bosana

First stop was a stone throw away: Bosana beach near Biograd. A very well known site never excavated – this was a huge Roman villa rustica (or estate) and parts of the structures coming out of ground on numerous spots. The sea was about one to two meters lower when the location was at it’s heyday but even now, through small remains, one can get the sense of the grandeur.

Parts of the structure

Here, one can see parts of the floor with hollow sections in between that served for floor heating. Lovely Roman high end living back in the day! The location was active from the Roman times probably all the way to the Medieval days when Biograd was a crowning city of Croatian kings. It was that important with superb position on the most traveled part of the Adriatic back in those day – the Pasman channel and with enormous fertile planes in the hinterland.

Ancient coin

And we also found a coin just walking by the sea. Probably Roman.
We know of people who found gold ear rings, there is a gentleman that keeps a small Roam statue at home but found here and I also know of some folks taking a big column from the sea back in late 80s… and many, many more details but the site is just to big to be excavated.
Not only that, there are ruins of a medieval village nearby and probably ruins of an old church mentioned in 1936. campaign.

Devatsated pine trees

Unfortunately, this lovely stretch of land is falling to various greedy investors and many of them have grand plans of building resorts, apartment buildings and all sorts of crap just by the sea giving us “progress” and “money”. What about quality of life? What about protecting our heritage and not selling it for a new Audi?
Especially sad was the site of about 10 big pine trees that were cut down by a local hotel company “Ilirija” who owns this land. They cannot build anything here but that was not reason good enough for them to keep those beautiful pine trees just for what they were: beautiful, old trees. Guess I will never send them a client again and would strongly suggest none of my readers goes there as this company is obviously not interested in sustainable operations.

So, then we were off to the hinterland. First stop, the lost village of Vitalići just outside Tinj village.

The abandoned houses of Pedišić family

The original village of Vitalići was just there in the middle ages but was abandoned because of the Turks who were coming here on their campaigns for over 150 years before capturing good part of this area. Tinj village was a very well known possession of Croatian kings and, apparently they had some sort of a fortress there as well. Tinj – in old Croatian – means fence and was probably surrounded by the walls or had a fence around the vineyards that are known to have been here for a while. After the Turks left, Pedišić family from Biograd, moved in and built a nice complex of several houses surrounded by a great wall. The stones for both houses and the wall were “recycled” from an abandoned village just in the backyard. Eventually, the houses got their “modern” look but were abandoned probably in the early 20th century or after the WW2. Lovely architecture – although damaged – on a site of a lost village.

Abandoned houses of Pedišić family near Tinj - view from the south

And then we decided to visit on of the most important sites in the region: Vrcevo hill near Sikovo.
Being so high and mighty, it was inhabited from the Illyrian times and served as a fortress, village and observation point.

Megalithic blocks by the road to the top of Vrcevo hill

The role of an observation point was kept all the way to 1995 when our forces finally could go home after the Croatian war for independence was over. Some bunkers from those days can still be seen!
More interesting were the parts of a small fortress still standing from the Venetian times. Hidden in the woods, this was quite a surprise!

The fortress in the woods

Obviously, the forest that grew around the fortress is now preventing us to see what was the view from the top of the building, but we know that this was part of the communication with Zadar and other Venetian held areas. It eventually fell to Turks but was re-captured and well preserved nearly to this day. One of the very unusual curiosities was the 10 commandments plaque on the side of the wall. Not sure when it was brought but looks much younger than this 16th-17th century structure.

10 commandments

The views from this place are stunning and it played a very important role in the history of the area. It was also considered to be the hill of witches and there is also a mysterious structure on one of the nearby hills that I wrote about earlier this year when I discovered it: http://secretdalmatia.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/secrets-mysteries-megalithes/

Mysterious structure

On the other side, views extend to snow covered tops of Velebit through fertile Ravni Kotari . Region that was called Hrvati (Croats) – all the way till the Turkish occupation in the 16th century. Of course, part of the area was cowered by an ancient oak tree forest that was cut down by the Turks, Venetians and later ourselves.

Ravni kotari and Velebit mountain in the background

Views from Vrcevo to Vransko jezero lake and all the way to Dinara mountain near Bosnia!

On the other end of Vrčevo hill, a small chapel was erected with a statue of the Virgin Mary that was brought -on foot – from Medjugorje. Not sure why they had to do it “the medieval way” but it is an interesting addition to all the stories of this unique place.

Our Lady brought from Medjugorje

As you can see, one can never get bored traveling in our beautiful Dalmatia

Shellfish in Croatia is divided to sea shells (školjke)  and crabs and lobsters and they don’t go under the same name as in English. Of course, being such a diverse little country, almost each region has their own names for most of the shellfish but, in general, there are names more common than the others so I will be using the ones we use in my region.

My favorite of all is Noah’s arc shellfish, Arca noae or kunjka in Croatian. Probably has to do with the fact that I am used to it since my childhood and the waters around my home town and the entire Pasman channel are filled with these very delicious shellfish.

Noah's arc shellfish

Very chewy and tasty, this is a very delicious treat! You can dive for it as it lives in shallow waters or buy it from 40 Kn at local fish markets. It seems that it is mostly popular in Zadar – Šibenik area as I rarely sea it on the menus of the restaurants south of Split but I can be mistaken.

And then there are Warty venus sea-shells (that’s an ugly name!). Known as brbavica or šarga where I come from, this is one of the most popular shellfish in Croatia. Delicious! This is a popular shellfish you can find in almost all restaurants

Warty venus clams

For 80 Kn for a 1kg, this is one of the more expensive shellfish you can get at the fish markets around the country. It lives in the sand and it should be properly cleaned before cooking as you may end up eating more sand than shellfish.

Very popular are scallops.

Scallops served at Pelegrini

This shellfish is known as St Jacob’s shell in Croatian or Jakovska kapica and it is considered to be one of the best shellfish available on the market. We usually eat this only at the restaurants and it is rare at the fish markets. Very tasty shellfish and still remember the most amazing recipe served at Pelegrini for us last New Years: Scallops wrapped in bacon (and fried). Unbelievable! But then again, everything with bacon is just delicious.

And now to something completely rare and “exotic” that very few of the readers ever heard of and let alone tasted: Noble pen shell or periska, lostura in Croatian. Rare and endangered, it should be off the menu for all just like date shells (prstaci) but it can be occasionally available when trawlers pick them up from sand bottoms by accident.

Periska or lostura

Although it is quite pretty on the outside, the insides are not so appealing. But the taste is excellent! It is usually prepared like the octopus salad.

Uncle cleaning noble pen shells

And then there is Amigdala decussata or vongola or kućica in Croatian. We know it as kunjčica and there were never a sweeter and more tastier shellfish but the ones my aunt just to dig out in the rocky shores of Babac island where my family is from. She used a normal fork and pretty soon, as she was skilled and experienced, she would fill a small pot. A true treat for us kids back in the day… Since there was no power on the island (luckily, still isn’t) we would eat them by the light of an old petroleum lamp.

Amigdala decussata or vongola or kućica

Usually, we buy all the shellfish at the fish markets in Zadar or Split when we visit. The selection usually varies from mussels, oysters, Noah’s arc… but occasionally, some rare species can be found as well. Since I am one of those people who visits all churches and fish market in every place I go to, I am always on the look out for different and unusual species. Unfortunately, Croatians don’t eat as much seafood as they should so the offers on fish markets are shrinking only to the basic species grown on the farms. Especially now when all major supermarkets are selling frozen fish from all over the world – something I would ban instantly.

The selection

Besides shellfish with shells, there are also different species of crabs – if I am using this term correctly. Lobsters, shrimp, scampi… all delicious and highly valued seafood!

The ultimate selection

Adriatic lobster is in high demand and this past summer it was hard to get a hold of it in high season. The measures towards protecting this delicacy have been taken a while back but we still don’t know what will happen. Particularly popular is the lobster caught around the island of Vis but true connoisseurs know that nearly extinct Kornati lobster was the real deal. It is the same species, of course, but the micro environment of Kornati made this lobster very special! Only one or two families have permissions to catch in the waters of National Park Kornati and the catch is getting smaller and smaller… The scampi of Kvarner bay and Velebit channel are also a known delicacy and something that you should enjoy when in Croatia.

Grilled scampi

There are numerous other more or less known species of shellfish we enjoy in Croatia but this small overview is just to make you curious  (or nostalgic) about the riches of the Adriatic. We do have best seafood in the World, after all (I am never modest about it ). It is even worth traveling to Croatia for! But, many restaurants are still very basic about preparing the shellfish while very few are taking extra steps and making more than a meal focusing on experience.

Porec - the historic peninsula

Porec is a small town located on the western shore of Istria. It is a very popular tourist destination with numerous camps, hotels and other tourist facilities but it has also a very charming historic core still quite well preserved. The parts of the ancient fortifications are also visible but Porec is mostly known for the Euphrasian basilica. The entrance is tucked in a side street and does not give any indication of the grandeur hidden behind the walls.

The entrance to Euphrasian Basilica

The Euphrasian basilica is mostly known for the amazing mosaics dating from the 6th century and are considered to be some of the finest Byzantine mosaics in the World. They are not only celebrating Christ but also the bishop Euphrasius who erected the basilica. It is best shown on the mosaic with Mother Mary and Child depicting, second from left,  St. Euphrasius with model of church.

Mosaic with Virgin and Child. And St. Euphrasius

The basilica is filled with superb pieces of art throughout! From mosaics to architecture and ornamental pieces.

Ancient columns

Wonderful mosaics

The today basilica, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was built in the sixth century during the period of Bishop Euphrasius. It was built from 553 on the site of the older basilica. And, as it is always the case,  for the construction, parts of the former church were used. According to the research, the wall mosaics were executed by Byzantian masters and the floor mosaics by local experts. The construction took about ten years.

The ancient columns

The basilica is part of a complex composed of a 6th-century octagonal baptistry. Built in the 5th century together with the pre-Euphrasian basilica, and underwent considerable alterations. There are several other buildings within the complex which are today housing several museums like the Bishop’s Palace.

The Bishop's Palace museum

But I particularly liked the bell tower. The light wind was bringing the scents of Istrian fields and mixing it with salty air of the Adriatic… Unique experience!

Wonderful spring day

And views of Porec are quite lovely from this ancient, 16th century bell tower.

Porec town

From here, one can also get a good view of the basilica itself.

Euphrasian basilica from the bell tower

Also, don’t forget to see the amazing collection of ancient, Roman and Byzantine mosaics! Some of the most beautiful mosaics found in Croatia (and this part of the World in general) can bee seen in Porec.

Fish mosaic

Overall, this is one spectacular monument definitely not to be missed while in the area! I also try to include it with each tour of Istria we run, but Istria has so many great and unique monuments that many people skip Porec going straight to Motovun and other hilltop towns. Well, Istria deserves at least a 3-4 day stay anyway.

For more information on Euphrasian basilica go to UNESCO site or Wikipeda or to offical site of Porec Tourst Board: http://www.to-porec.com/ The entrance to the basilica is 30 Kn per person.

Posters like this will be put up all over the city

Today we began our “Split’s10Best” campaign–the first promotion is for the “10BestRestaurants” here.  The idea is to help promote off season business for local area restaurants–most of whom suffer a huge drop in business after the tourist season ends in October.

Each page of the Member booklet features a different restaurant

The campaign features a handsome black box inside of which is a booklet featuring a page on each restaurant and how the program works.  It’s pretty simple–just order any main course at any of the 10 restaurants and get a second main course FREE!

The 10 participating restaurants are:  Apetit, Boban, Bota Sare, Duje, Kod Joze, Konoba Varos, LeMonde, Nevera, Nostromo and Zrno Soli.  All are considered among the city’s best.

Each was chosen because of their reputation–some are classic restaurants like Kod Joze and Konoba Varos that have been around for decades  as well Nostromo, Boban and Duje that serve delicious, traditional Croatian/Split cuisine.  Others are newer and more eclectic like Konoba Nevera, Apetit, LeMonde, Zrno Soli and Bota Sare (which has just opened a fresh sushi and oyster bar!).

The only place you can buy your membership is at each restaurant. Inside the box with the brochure is an individually-numbered member card which allows you to dine out at all 10 restaurants twice.

Not only can you enjoy some terrific cuisine, but you can save a bundle.  With an average main course costing $20-30 (and some of them go as high as $100!) you can save this much each time you dine out–$500 or more!   Since the purchase price is just $40 (200kn) we figure most diners will pay for their card after just a few meals.

Member cards look just like a credit card and are serially-numbered

We hope to expand the Split’s Best brand to other services, etc. in the future.  If you have suggestions, we’d love to hear them!

Here is the link to original article and Mr. Aronson’s great blog on living in Split: http://viewfromtheriva.wordpress.com

Cooking classes and culinary tours in Croatia

But today, this is a place with very interesting menu serving local specialties made of local ingredients. They were even awarded by the Ministry of Tourism for their effort in promoting local, authentic cuisine.

The exterior

Ok, the exterior does not look promising as people park cars in front of it and they don’t really have a view. But those are just minor details. We sat at the terrace as the day was quite pleasant. It was cool but not cold.
The terrace is small but quite nice with big, heavy wooden tables and chairs. We only peaked inside and the interior seems modern and stylish – something to explore this winter!

They are running special menu with mushrooms and that is definitely attractive but I opted for cuttle fish brodetto with broad beans and polenta and the rest of the group ordered pasticada and Orzo-tto with mushrooms. But what really got us was the bread! Home made by the chef, this is probably one of the best breads we had in any of the Croatian restaurants! Glass of house red wine and bread, and you don’t need anything else! (ok, maybe just a drop of olive oil).
The service was a bit slow but it was well worth the wait!

The cuttle fish brodetto...

Pasticada with home made gnocchi

Orzo-tto with mushrooms

All dishes were very good! Maybe only pasticada was not as good as expected but I am spoiled by my wife’s cooking, I guess. But we were enjoying our lunch very much! Finally something different from the regular risotto-pasta-steak menu! A place where I see myself coming often and a perfect place for Secret Dalmatia clients when in Zadar.
And kids had pizza. Also great!
But that was not it! THE desserts! Save room for them and especially if you like figs!

The fig cake - Sinjorina Smokva

The fig cake – called Sinjorina Smokva – as the owner is a brother of Sandra Babac a.k.a. Sinjorina Smokva – is THE BEST DESSERT in the country! Period! I have a very  sweet tooth and always eat desserts so I know. End of discussion. Rest of the desserts are also superb. Especially the carob cake and they also serve lemon cake and orange cake as well.

Carob cake

Finally a great restaurant focusing on food, ingredients, local tradition. And all that at great value – only 518 Kn for 4 main courses, 4 desserts, half liter house red wine, 2 bottles of water and one large pizza. So, there are no excuses NOT to eat out in Zadar any longer and we can’t wait for our next visit.

Address: Trg Pet bunara, Zadar
Phone: +385 23 224 010
E-mail: info@petbunara.hr
Web: www.petbunara.hr