Istria abecedary: I is for Istra

Continuing with this A to Z of Istria, today's post is short and sweet.

I is for Istra

Istra is simply Istria in Croatian (and Istrian). 

I is also for Istrijanski

And Istrijanski is the name for the Istrian language.

Istria abecedary: H is for Harmonika

Harmonika is the Croatian word for accordion, a popular instrument in Istria. Every celebration includes the lively and joyful sounds of the accordion – which is often accompanied by singing. When I hear an accordion being played in the village, I know something's up: a wedding, a birth, or another cause for celebration. 

You may be wondering... if harmonika is the word for accordion, then what's a harmonica (or mouth organ) called? In Istrian dialect, it's organić, while the Croatian word is usna harmonika.

H is also for Histri

The Histri were Istria's first inhabitants – they were an Illyrian tribe who lived on the peninsula around 1000 BC. This is how Istria got its name.

Home sweet home

By the way... yes, I am back home in Istria after spending most of the winter in India, and I will be sharing the local sights and sounds of Istria again, and giving readers a break from the Istria abecedary! From now on, the abecedary posts will continue but will be interrupted with updates about life in Istria.

Also, this month my article on seaside Istria was published in the in-flight magazine of Aer Lingus. The Irish national airline offers flights from Dublin to Pula during the spring and summer tourist season. You can read the article here.