Staranzano – Funtana

11th day

Today was the first time since we started the trip that I was aware of crossing a border because from Italy, on the route Thorqui and I took, we passed through Slovenia about ten minutes before entering Croatia, and there were checks on both sides without actually stopping you, but they were a bit noticeable 😉.

Up to now, we knew we were changing countries when you stopped seeing “Policía” and found “Police”… we realized we had arrived in Italy when a super small car 🚗 overtook us with a double solid line, at three times the speed limit, in addition to honking at us 🤣🤣🤣.
The Italians consider traffic signs as mere information and usually drive ignoring them in most cases 🤦‍♀️.
IMG-20260423-WA0025.jpg (file attached) The road was much better than yesterday and very calm, and our first accommodation in Croatian lands was exceptional. The camping site is wonderful, it’s not by the sea, but it has everything in small measure. We are happy with the choice, especially because we are going to stay two days and do excursions with Beast in the area.
Croatia is shaped like a croissant, although there are many different opinions about it. We are going to travel the Adriatic coast from north to south and will leave the interior for another occasion. Today we ventured into the Istrian Peninsula, which is the largest in the entire Adriatic and has a very interesting history. This area brings back many memories for Thorsten because as a child he used to spend summers sailing along these coasts with his family.

Since we arrived early at the camping site and T wasn't tired, we had a small snack and started the tour.
First stop Motovun, a village in the interior known as one of the “hanging” towns that historically was part of the Venetian Republic, and you can see its influence in the architecture as you walk through its streets.

We walked along its walls and enjoyed the wonderful views from almost three hundred meters high 🎢. In its cobblestone streets, there are many souvenir shops; besides typical local liquors, the star of all the shop windows is the truffle… The black truffle is the star product of the area and you can find it in all kinds of formats. We bought truffled cheese and oil. We will tell you how good they are.

Motovun is very touristy, but fortunately, we didn’t encounter any overcrowding. Its medieval old town and some buildings like the Municipal Palace were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. At the end of July, an international outdoor film festival is held with the starry sky as a witness.

The next stop was Porec, on the coast. It has almost 2000 years of history and like other cities in the Istrian Peninsula, it was founded by the Romans and throughout its history governed by Byzantines, Venetians, and Austro-Hungarians before becoming part of Croatia. It is known for the Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Its historic center is very well preserved and being on a small peninsula, it is almost entirely surrounded by water. Our walk took us to the Basilica. <This message was edited>

My first contact with the Adriatic Sea, which is indeed true, as Thorsten says, has a different color and its waters are really clean even inside the port. I didn't dare to take a dip in the water 🫠.
The streets of the city looked quite lively, it’s also true that it was a more normal hour 🤭.
In this part of Europe, they close from 12:00 to 15:00, and it’s like the siesta in Spain, you don’t see anyone on the street 🤓.
Today was a full day 😊. We returned tired and eager to go to bed early. Also, the temperatures have dropped, and it doesn’t feel great to stay outside.
Good night… I’ll keep you updated 😘