Pula, Istria Peninsula

Pula is located on the southern tip of the triangular Istria Peninsula, which is located in the northeast “corner” of the Adriatic Sea. The city of Trieste, Italy, is at the northwest “corner” of the triangle, Opatija, Yugoslavia, at the northeast, and Pula is at the southern tip of the Peninsula.

As we drove south through Koper, and on to Pula, the road twisted and turned along the mountainside, with attractive views and interesting towns and villages, many with very pleasant homes. The road was neither too good, nor too bad.

We stopped to explore a church in Vodnjon, and the sign noted four masses were scheduled on Sunday. We saw dozens of basketball nets in outdoor parks, which explains why there are so many professional basketball players from Yugoslavia.

In Pula (in BC times, and early centuries AD), the Romans built temples, a Triumphal Arch, and a most intriguing Roman Amphitheater, the 6th largest, seating 23,000. The setting is splendid, high enough to have had an excellent view over the water from the original seats. The most enchanting placement of any of the dozen or so amphitheaters we have visited in several countries. Much of the outer wall remains, several stories high. Inside, not much of the original remains, but they have built seats and a stage for use in the summer. Millennia later, the Arena provides an extraordinary setting for summer film and opera festivals. A very nice restaurant is built right under part of the Amphitheater’s original seating area.

At the outdoor market Emmy found Jonathan apples. She “talked” to the man at one booth, and when he found how much she liked Jonathan’s, he sent her to his brother’s stand, and indicated the apples would be better. We decided the first brother was selling for the government, and the other brother had saved the best apples to sell as private enterprise.

There were six ships being built in the harbor of Pula, and as we watched, they hoisted a huge prefabricated ship’s bridge into place above the hull. There were many high-rise apartments, with laundry hanging from lines on the balconies. Palm trees and yuccas were growing in the city, and adjacent countryside.

As we drove up the eastern side of the Peninsula we visited the fascinating village of Plomin a hill town built of stone, with walking paths only, no vehicle streets.