Snow in the village!

On December 9th I woke up to a surprise: snow! This was the first time I was seeing the village under a blanket of the white stuff. So I grabbed my camera and headed out to capture a few shots. I'm glad I did because it soon melted. This is what it looked like:

Old postcards of Svetvinčenat

Svetvinčenat, also known as Savičenta in local dialect (or in Italian: Sanvincenti), is one of the many highlights of interior Istria. If you visit this charming town's square you'll see that it hasn't changed much from how it looked in this postcard from 1901.

Dominating the square is the Renaissance-style church and Morosini-Grimani castle, both built in the 13th century (the castle's towers were added later in the 16th century). There's also an enclosed well taking up a section of the square and in the south-western corner, a loggia.

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This atmospheric Renaissance piazza and the castle provide the backdrops for the annual medieval festival held here in the summer, and a contemporary dance festival every July.

On a summer evening, Svetvinčenat is a great place to have a drink at one of the little cafes lining the road leading to the square, or a pizza on the terrace right on the square itself.

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The arched windows of its houses, crumbling facades and antique-style lanterns also add a touch of old world charm that make this little town one of my favourites in Istria.

Animal friends

Squeaky incognito on the bookshelf

It's been a while since I posted about Squeaky, the South Indian cat and our other animal friends in the village. Squeaky is doing great, but unfortunately we and other friends and neighbours lost quite a few animal friends this year...

This spring our friend M was heartbroken when she lost her cat Luna, a few months after her kitten MiMoon succumbed to organ failure. She suspects she was attacked by another animal: a stray dog or erring fox? It's hard to know. Around the same time, our friends A and V lost both their doggie friends Biba and Miki, possibly to poisoning. And not long after that, their cat MjuMju went missing one night and was found the next morning in the woods nearby. Unfortunately in a rural area like this one there are a lot of potential hazards out there.

Rest in peace Točka 

In August we lost our sweet little Točka. Točka's love for food ensured that she would never stay away from home for very long so when she didn't show up one morning we knew something was very wrong. After a thorough search of all her favourite hang-outs, we found her where we least expected: by the side of the main road. Of course we didn't imagine she ventured that far.

All of these animals are sorely missed!

In more positive news, M has a new kitty called Nube, and A and V have adopted a cat called Mitzy. We were all holding our breath when Nube disappeared for a few days in October, but M was sure she would show up. And sure enough, she did... about a week later. Had she wandered off somewhere? Or was she locked in a garage or barn during that time? Only Nube knows but the fact she did indeed come home was great news.

Ive snoozing in his favourite corner

I can't believe I haven't written here about Ive, who's probably the village's best known cat. If you've visited the tavern Konoba Marino, then you've definitely met Ive. He likes to nap on one of the window sills of the Salamon Palace just opposite or you'll find him wandering around the square or near the main church. Ive has become such a feature in the village that he was even featured in the local paper!

As for Squeaky, it's obvious she's enjoying being the only cat in the house again. Though she seemed to put up with Točka's antics and tolerated her presence, it's now clear that she didn't like the new co-habitation arrangement at all. Now that she's the one and only, she's gone back to being cuddly and affectionate and no longer fixes us with those cat looks that could kill.

These days she spends most of her time in front of the fireplace keeping warm (she is from South India after all), spying on our neighbours from the bedroom window, sitting in sunny spots, and making occasional forays into the village to check on things.

To see what she's up to day-to-day, check out her Instagram account!

Me, see from a certain perspective with some projected shadows and all the stuff needed to make an impression. #cat #catsofinstagram #cats #gato #katzen #gatto #meow #catstagram #pets #petstagram #instacat #paws #catoftheday #feline #petsofinstagram

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Gračišće landmarks: Kašća

Another important historical landmark here in the village located right next to the Salamon Palace and opposite St. Mary's Church is a building called kašća. This was the granary and many towns and villages dating back to medieval times had one. 

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Next to St. Mary's Church is a large piece of stone with five deep indentations (see photo above). This was used as a measure for taxes paid in the form of grain. After it was collected it would be stored in the granary and a share was distributed to poorer residents.

The building dates back to 1576 and like its next-door neighbour, is in a sad state of disrepair. More recently the roof has fallen in and like other abandoned buildings here in the village it's under long-standing litigation.

There are plans by the municipality to restore this handsome building and turn it into a wine museum though I would prefer to see it used as a cultural space instead. But I'm looking forward to the day when one of the village's important landmarks located on its main square is completely restored to its former glory. 

You know you grew up in an Istrian family when...

Have you come across those jokes and memes about growing up in a certain culture abroad that are light-hearted pokes at what it's like to grow up in, for example, an Italian or Indian immigrant family? I've even come across You Know You're Croatian When...

Well, I've come up with my own version of:

You know you grew up in an Istrian family (abroad) when...

1. You had to address your parents' friends as barba or teta.
2. 90% of your parents' friends were Istrian or Italian.
3. You couldn't understand the few Croatian friends your parents did have.
4. You didn't go to the Croatian church.
5. You didn't go to "Croatian school" on Saturday mornings either.
6. Your parents would watch Italian TV.
7. You had radić and blitva growing in the backyard.
8. And pršut hanging in the cellar.
9. Your parents would make wine and rakija in the basement.
10. Rakija was used as medicine.
11. You got in trouble for walking barefoot.
12. You went to Catholic school.
13. You had a souvenir of the Pula Arena somewhere in the house.
14. And old copies of Istarska Danica.
15. And Jugoton cassettes of Lidija Percan. 

What did I forget?

Old postcards of Pula

Among my collection of old postcards are a few of Pula, Istria's biggest and southernmost city. Two feature its most famous landmark, the 1st century arena, known as one of the world's best preserved Roman amphitheatres.

But I find the ones of Pula's market much more interesting. In the image below we see the iron and glass market building built in 1903 during the Austro-Hungarian empire. It was restored in 1997 and today it looks a lot like it did 115 years ago (see photo later in this post). The fish market is located on the ground floor while on the upper level reached via the wrought-iron staircases are a few shops and cafes.

I'm fascinated by the people we see in the foreground. In the centre of the photograph we see two elegantly dressed women carrying handbags who have probably come to shop at the market. And it looks like a woman to the far right is carrying a parasol. In contrast, a pair of women on the left look more like country folk and are wearing headscarves and carrying baskets. They've probably come to sell their goods at the market.

This photo is of the outdoor fruit and vegetable market which still takes place here daily under neat rows of chestnut trees and bright red umbrellas. The original stone tables are still here and the vendors are still mostly women who come from the countryside and sell their fresh produce to the city dwellers. But unlike 100 years ago, they're dressed a lot like their customers.

If you look closely you can spot two soldiers or military men strolling through the market. During the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Pula was the empire's naval base.

Here's what Pula market looks like today:

A woman and her olive grove

Maybe you've noticed that I'm a little obsessed with olive trees and olive oil. This obsession started here in Istria after I tried fresh new olive oil for the first time.

I can't go back to supermarket olive oil ever again – it's just nothing like the real thing. I look forward to the olive season every November when we help our neighbours pick their olives and head to a local producer to buy a year's supply of freshly-pressed olive oil.

I've been indulging my olive oil obsession not only by using it in the kitchen but also by writing news articles about all things related to it for Olive Oil Times. Sometimes I have the chance to write about the local olive oil scene here in Istria. I'm sharing two articles here I especially enjoyed researching and writing.

One profiles a woman producer (and fellow Canadian) who tends to her olive grove of 1500 trees on her own, producing an award-winning extra virgin olive oil. Hers is an interesting story of loss and resilience. You can read it here: Oliva Lucia: A Tale of Love, Loss and Leccino in Istria

The other article is about a Croatian celebrity chef who loves using olive oil in sometimes truly surprising ways: Chef Deniz Zembo’s Olive Oil Explorations