Poreč is another one of Europe's thousands of little hidden secrets. The town itself sounds like 'porridge'. It has less than 17,000 people, and dwarfs in comparison to its cousin coastal towns, Dubrovnik, Split, or even Pula. And yet, I am fairly certain all of North America has no town like it.
The first thing I realize about Poreč other than its convenient location along the coast is the fact that the Germans own it. I am guessing that 50% of all people in the old town might be German. People don't even wait for your question, they will beat you to the punch and greet you in German.
Poreč (also called Parenzo, courtesy of their Italian neighbors to the west, no doubt) itself has been around since before Christ, which shouldn't be too surprising, being that it was at the Roman Empire's doorstep. Our first stop would be at the Byzantine Basilica, featuring dozens of unique mosaics. We climb up the bell tower, and the kids are in a hurry, since they are fairly convinced that the bell will ring in our ears before we can make our getaway. Even the kids are interested in the church's architecture, its mosaics, and the images of Christ and the apostles.
The center of Poreč is what you would expect from a small Italian piazza, including the churches, the cobblestone, and the Italian restaurants! Heck, there's even a high speed ferry connecting Poreč to Venice. It's a small Croatian town with all of the Mediterranean charms, but without the high price tag like its Italian counterparts across the Adriatic Sea.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch in Visnjan, we are struggling to find things for the kids to do. We've already done a few hikes, but too many of the tourist attractions, like a water park is closed, since the tourist season has passed, save for the odd German bus or two that has made its way down here before school starts back in the old country.
We decide on a visit to the nearby Jama Baredine caves, which pique the kids' interest, but not before they pay a visit to the nearby farm animals, featuring a donkey, some goats, and even a few cows. Miffed at our apparent interest in such a banal, non-tourist item, the owners quickly shut the gate, thus denying access to Old McDonald's farm to any other potential visitors.
We descend up to 400 feet into the depths of the earth and admire its underground sculptures crafted by water and time itself. Of course there is a Virgin Mary sighting at a small lake at the bottom of the caves. I suppose if you blur your eyes enough, you could recognize a Virgin Mary there somewhere among the icicle like rock formations. Alternately, I suppose it could be a halo, a sun, or a giant squash.
A funny addendum on our way home after we leave Croatia. We marvel at Slovenia, its gorgeous landscapes, and its clean, toll free roads. Spoiler alert: they aren't toll free. In fact, this is brought to our attention once we find out we needed to purchase a sticker way back, like at the Croatian border. Oops. Lesson learned. We don't make the same mistake in Austria.
There is one last-minute treat awaiting us once we cross back into Germany, one we hadn't planned but begged to be included. Stay tuned.
We decide on a visit to the nearby Jama Baredine caves, which pique the kids' interest, but not before they pay a visit to the nearby farm animals, featuring a donkey, some goats, and even a few cows. Miffed at our apparent interest in such a banal, non-tourist item, the owners quickly shut the gate, thus denying access to Old McDonald's farm to any other potential visitors.
We descend up to 400 feet into the depths of the earth and admire its underground sculptures crafted by water and time itself. Of course there is a Virgin Mary sighting at a small lake at the bottom of the caves. I suppose if you blur your eyes enough, you could recognize a Virgin Mary there somewhere among the icicle like rock formations. Alternately, I suppose it could be a halo, a sun, or a giant squash.
A funny addendum on our way home after we leave Croatia. We marvel at Slovenia, its gorgeous landscapes, and its clean, toll free roads. Spoiler alert: they aren't toll free. In fact, this is brought to our attention once we find out we needed to purchase a sticker way back, like at the Croatian border. Oops. Lesson learned. We don't make the same mistake in Austria.
There is one last-minute treat awaiting us once we cross back into Germany, one we hadn't planned but begged to be included. Stay tuned.
