Istria abecedary: Ć is for Ćićarija

Ćićarija is the name of the (45-km-long) mountainous plateau in northern and north-eastern Istria.

The letter Ć is pronounced like the 'ch' sound in English, but softer, with the tongue placed behind the teeth.

(Photo credit: Istria Tourist Board)

Istria abecedary: Č is for Čakavski

Čakavski is the name of the dialect of Croatian spoken in Istria (not exclusively). The Croatian language has three main dialects (and many sub-dialects) named after the word for 'what' or ča, hence 'Čakavski'.

The letter Č is pronounced like the 'ch' sound in English – like the 'ch' in church.

Istria abecedary: C is for Cukerančići

Cukerančići are a traditional type of cookie or biscuit, always prepared for special occasions. Cuker means sugar in Istrian dialect (pronounced 'tsuker' and similar to Zucker in German... and different to šećer in Croatian), which is sprinkled on top (hence the name!). Very often they're dipped in white wine (after they're baked) before being sprinkled with sugar.

The Croatian letter C is pronounced like the 'ts' sound in the word 'cats'.

Istria abecedary: B is for Balun

Balun is a traditional Istrian dance performed in pairs to music played by traditional instruments. You can see a video here.

B is also for Bukaleta

This is a pitcher made of earthenware that was traditionally used to serve wine at special occasions. Today this is a popular decorative souvenir that's often often personalized with someone's name.

B is also for Bura, a strong, cold wind that blows in the Adriatic.

B is also for Bazga (elderflower).

And B is also for Boškarin, a type of Istrian ox.

(Image Source: Istria Tourist Office)

Istria abecedary: A is for Arena

While I'm away in India for the next three months, I've planned to start a abecedary on Istria, to keep content flowing on this blog while I'm away. 

So for each letter of the Croatian alphabet (there are 30!) I'll be writing a short post about one aspect of Istria, related to its culture, geography, society, architecture, or cuisine.

It's taking me a while to compile the abecedary (which is still work in progress) and I've discovered that for some letters it's more challenging to come up with something than for others. I've also been pouring through my image library looking for suitable photos to illustrate each post, or trying to source the ones I don't have.

So the natural place to start is at A:

A is for Arena

This is the name of the Roman amphitheatre located in Pula, built between 27 BC and 68 AD. Pula's amphitheatre is considered to be one of the best preserved of the remaining Roman amphitheatres in the world because most of its outer walls are intact and it has all four side towers. Today it's a popular tourist attraction and is used as a venue for concerts and other cultural events. 

(Photo credit: Istria Tourist Board)

Christmas wheat -- and holiday greetings!

The tradition of božićna pšenica (Christmas wheat) was not one I was familiar with before moving to Croatia.

But every year around mid-December I notice these curious plants for sale in supermarkets and on display at neighbours' homes – that look to me a lot like cat nip!

I did a bit of research and found out that the wheat grains are planted on December 13th, the feast of St. Lucy. According to the tradition, if by Christmas Day the shoots of wheat have grown tall, abundant and green, then its owner will have a prosperous New Year!

Now what I'm confused about is the fact that fully grown Christmas wheat plants are for sale everywhere. Wouldn't this be cheating, if you haven't planted it yourself? Does this mean that you're guaranteed to have a fantastic New Year if you buy a fully grown plant? I would love to know.

Here's wishing all my readers Happy Holidays and a prosperous 2016! May your wheat grow tall and lush!

How to send a package in Croatia

The Croatian Post is one option but not your best bet!

If you want to send a package in Croatia, you can go to the post office of course, but this is not the only option -- there are others. You can also head to your local kiosk... or to the bus station!

Unfortunately my experience of the Croatian postal service has not been very positive and it is not the most reliable or fastest way to send anything. So luckily, there are these other options.

A typical kiosk

First I'll tell you about the kiosk. Sending packages from a kiosk is a new service recently launched by Tisak Media. In case you're wondering what a kiosk is, these are the little enclosed stalls you see in Croatian towns and cities selling primarily newspapers and magazines, but also cigarettes, chocolates, chewing gum, fiscal stamps, and tram tickets, among other useful things. Thanks to the new Tisak Paket service, it costs only 10 HRK (1.30EUR / 2CAD / 95INR / 1.44USD) to send documents, and 15 HRK (1.95EUR / 3CAD / 142INR / 2.15USD) to send packages from and to any kiosk in Croatia. They also have an international service for packages sent to a foreign address. Their website even has a 'kiosk locator' where you can find out which of the over 1000 Tisak Media kiosks across Croatia is located closest to the person you want to send a package to. They claim to offer same day service within Zagreb (if you drop off your package before 12pm), and three to six days for other cities in Croatia. This option is quite cost effective for packages, costing less than the post office. Three to six days seems a bit long for national delivery, but compared to the time it takes Hrvatska Pošta to deliver mail, it is not bad at all.

Just ask the bus driver!

The other way to send a package is via the bus driver. This is definitely the fastest and most cost effective way to get a package to a friend or family member. I was reminded of this Croatian 'tradition' recently when I took the bus from Pazin to Zagreb. A lady got on with a package – something wrapped in a plastic bag. She asked the driver if he could hand it over to her niece who would be waiting at the bus station in Rijeka, where we would be stopping on our way. She also passed him some money, saying “This is for your marenda.” He took the package but refused the money, answering that he doesn't take payment from neighbours. One hour later, the package was handed over at Rijeka bus station. That's what you can call express delivery! Cost: free.

I remember seeing many similar transactions on bus trips when I used to visit as a child and we would travel all over Istria by bus visiting family. I also remember overhearing aunts saying that they would “send it with the bus driver”. At that time, there used to be many more buses travelling between cities and towns across Istria and beyond, and people used to use this cheap and very reliable way of sending things to family and friends in other cities. Drivers would also make a little bit of extra money this way, accepting 'tips' for the 'express delivery' service they were providing. It's nice to see that this tradition continues!

So, if like me, you're frustrated with the Croatian postal service, know that there are other, more reliable – and cheaper! – options.

While living in India I observed how long-distance bus drivers in India also make extra cash – much more than just tips – by transporting 'unofficial' shipments on bus routes. ...Like the time when I was travelling on a bus from Bangalore to Pondicherry and we made an unscheduled stop on the way. You can read about it here.

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