Croatia has done an excellent job of marketing itself. It is on all kinds of travel recommendation lists. So, we thought it was time to visit.

I chose 2 towns not too far from where we live in Italy, within reasonable driving distance (about 7 hours). Pula is on several lists as one of the best places to visit in Croatia. It is at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsular. Several writers waxed lyrical about Pula’s charms. It is best known for its well preserved Roman amphitheatre.

It looks great from the air…not my photo.

Pula with Roman time arena in Pula, Croatia. UNESCO world heritage site.

We were very disappointed when our Sat Nav lady told us we had reached our destination. It was a very ugly street. We pressed on a little further and came to a slightly better location, right in front of our booked accommodation. The studio apartment was great. D&A Center Apartments.

We set off to explore the town, beginning with the amphitheatre…very impressive indeed.

Things went a bit downhill after that. There are a few other ruins scattered around the town, but they weren’t all that interesting and some were not well looked after.

The arch at the entrance of the old town was excellent.

There was a well preserved Roman tiled floor from an ancient house, but to get there we had to work our way through a ratty car park at the back of a group of houses.

There was a pretty park.

It was facing the container ship port.

Here is the best of what I found in the town.

On our second morning we found the outdoor market in the centre of the newer part of town. The produce looked good, especially the wild asparagus, peonies and local honey and olive oil.

As we left Pula we drove to the nearby coast where there were some pretty beaches and parks. The rocky beaches were clean and the water clear and sparkling blue.

I was particularly interested in an old bathing resort, probably from the 1920s. It would look amazing if it was restored.

I don’t usually write negative posts, but we drove a fair distance on the strength of several reviews which gave Pula an excellent rating. It wasn’t all bad. The apartment was great and quite inexpensive, we had a very good meal at Kantina, and everyone we met was friendly and helpful and spoke good English. (which was great because we speak no Croatian) Other people must be impressed, the car park was full of tourist buses, but I was not.

My recommendation for Pula would be to fly over it and admire it from above, then go somewhere else.

The square in front of the arch looked lovely at night.

 

Our weeping cherry has finished flowering and is now growing leaves. I wish the blossoms lasted more than a couple of weeks.

Our cherry tree is covered in blossoms. It was a huge old tree with branches too high to reach so Filippo pruned it a couple of years ago. Last year it was still recovering and we got no cherries. I think we will this year. I will be up there fighting the birds for some fruit.

We also have rhododendron flowers.

The ginestra is starting to bloom.

Wisteria flowers are coming.

All but one of my peonies have appeared and some of the plants have buds already.

 

Some of the lavender is in fine form.

…and a plant the locals call ricotta is about to flower.

It is all going to look amazing soon.

Saturnia, in southern Tuscany, takes its name from the Roman god Saturn. Legend has it that he grew tired of constant human wars and sent a thunderbolt to earth that created a magic spring of warm sulphurous water to pacify mankind. (I think we need a few more in various parts of the world)

The town was first occupied by the Pelasgi then the Etruscans. A Roman colony arrived in 183BC. Old walls and some gateways remain.

In 1300 Saturnia became the hideout of outlaws and was razed to the ground by Sienese.  It was forgotten for centuries until it was rediscovered in the late 19th century. The land around the spring was drained and a spa built. Now the Spa is extremely popular and attracts many visitors.

The town sits on a rise above the spring.

The town was very quiet on the afternoon of our visit after our time in Saturn’s pacifying water. It seems only a few hundred people live there full time.

It has a lovely piazza in the centre of the town.

In the piazza are several excavated stones.

There are some pretty houses incorporated into the old walls.

The church has a fine campanile.

You can always count on finding a lovely doorway or 2 in Tuscany towns.

There are a few shops where we bought some very good local cheese and wine. We found an excellent restaurant, Bacco & Cerere, which had been recommended by Le Cascatelle, where we stayed.

The setting was elegant.

The lighting was subdued, so my photos are not all that clear, but you will get the idea. Bread made on the premises was excellent.

The delicious treat that came before entree was pecorino in a crust on a pea purée.

Jim had pheasant pate.

My entree was stunning. Pecorino with pear and walnut in filo.

Jim’s main course was tagliata di manzo. He ordered medium, but the very helpful waiter also brought to the table a hot plate where it was possible to cook the meat more if necessary.

I ordered maialino, suckling pig. It was wonderful.

We will definitely return to Saturnia…to the spring, Le Cascatelle and Bacco & Cerere.

See the previous post to see the amazing Saturnia spring.

 

 

I visited Saturnia a few years ago on a hot Sunday. The springs were crowded with people and I vowed to return on a weekday before the busy season. We returned this week to find it much less crowded.

Water gushes out from the spring at 37degrees at 800 litres per second. Pools have formed down the slope offering wonderful places to soak in the sulfurous water.

Facilities are basic, so we were prepared. We had our swimwear on, had towels with us and plastic sea slippers on our feet. The pools look slippery, but they are not. The surface is quite rough and there are lots of tiny pebbles on the bottom of the pools.

The water is clear.

Jim took the opportunity to show off.

There were several people enjoying the gorgeous cool spring day.

At the top,where the water gushes out, the pressure is very strong and the water is warmer. It makes for a great massage. Some brave souls stood on the rock at the top, but the water really belts down with force, so we took the less adventurous option.

Lower down the massage is more gentle.

It is great to get your own little pool and let the water run over you.

We stayed for more than an hour before dragging ourselves away.

We returned early the next morning to be almost the first to arrive for the day. The pools looked stunning in the morning light.

We stayed  just around the corner from the spa at a lovely agriturismo Le Cascatelle. It is set in an olive grove.

Best of all was the breakfast. We knew it would be good, we could smell delicious things being baked when we arrived the afternoon before. All produce was from the property. I particularly liked the fresh ricotta with honey from their own bees. They also make wayward winning wine.

As we drove away we got some great views of the Spa from above.

We will definitely return. It would be fun to try the water in winter, perhaps with snow.

If you go, be as early as you can in the off season to avoid crowds. The spring is very popular with good reason. Saturnia is in southern Tuscany in the province of Grosseto.

 

Yesterday evening we could see the rain coming across the mountains to Casa Debbio.

This morning we woke up to a glorious spring morning. The trees are turning green before our eyes.

The garden is growing.

Now it is time to get to work planting the new things we bought at the nursery yesterday.

I hope they all grow quickly.

 

I usually park my car near the station in Lucca. It is inexpensive, €1 per hour, and there are plenty of spaces.

Today must have been a busy day in Lucca as I had to drive right to the end of the car park to find a space. As I walked back I noticed some special parking.

Part of me finds it hilarious but part of me (the part that thinks these drivers are lazy and selfish) is cheesed off. There were at least a dozen wasted car parks where drivers couldn’t be bothered parking within the lines.

Worst of all, these 2 cars parked outside the allotted spaces, partially blocking the entrance and exit…well done!

On a brighter note, this was on the top of the walls of Lucca a few weeks ago.

This is today, spring is making its presence felt.

 

 

Spring is almost here in Italy. There are lots of early signs at Casa Debbio. The weather has been gorgeous, warm sunny days and cold nights. There has been a little rain, which makes for some lovely misty views. Vergemoli disappears and slowly comes back.

I like to be up early sometimes to catch the sunrise.

On fine days I am prowling around in the garden looking for signs of growth.

Daffodils are the first signs that spring is near. They are coming up all over the place. It is good that I have forgotten where I planted them, it is a lovely surprise to see them pop up.

Almost all of my peonies are making an appearance.

Some of the tree peonies are already showing flower buds.

There is some early lavender.

The weeping cherry will be in full bloom in a few days.

I have planted pansies.

Wild goats have been eating the rhododendrons. Some still have buds. They have also eaten the camellias and azaleas and they may not survive.

Our driveway has been prepared by Filippo and Rocco. We are planting a row of lavender on each side. There will also be pomegranate trees behind the lavender on the outside of the road. We won’t see a lot if growth this year, but it should look good by next summer.

Best of all, my lovely friend Moe (Maureen) has added to my green walls beside the house.

The chairs I painted last year now have wisteria and birds to keep them company.

The other side looks great too. Real wisteria will hang down over the walls in the next few weeks.

Everything will be turning green soon…there will be photos.

I don’t think there were as many floats in Carnevale Viareggio this year, but the quality was excellent.

After the Trump float, my favourite was the Walking Dead. At first it just looked like a group of zombies, but a closer look revealed something else.

From under the rubble under the huge fractured face came hands and arms then bodies…people emerging from destruction.

They then tried to climb over a wall into Europe, but the barrier moved upwards to prevent them doing so.

The meaning of some of the others was more obscure, for me anyway. I loved the jungle with books as tree trunks, but I am unsure of the message…any thoughts?

The ensemble in front did a great job and their costumes were fabulous.

There were 2 floats commenting on the state of arctic regions.

Poor Renzi got picked on a couple of times.

The next one was impressive. I love the green aliens.

This one was quite small. I don’t know who are the characters playing Romulus and Remus.

The next one is an American bison being followed closely by China. Make of it what you will.

 

I don’t know the characters represented in this float.

This one takes from the Venice Carnevale.

Here is the big, bad wolf.

A colourful tree with a message?

A lady in green and pink.

A walking garden.

There is always room for a semi naked woman.

I will leave with these 2 characters as they make their way off.

No doubt the floats are already being dismantled to make way for next year’s designs. I hope to be back to see them.

I know I promised to show you the other floats at the Viareggio Carnevale, but it is taking me forever to sort and select the photos.

In the meantime, here are some of the fabulous faces and costumes of the people at the Carnevale. Some are participants in the float teams and others are part of the audience. There were far fewer in the audience than I usually see. The weather had been horrible and it was uncertain that the parade would go ahead.

The detail and time taken to dress is astounding.

Next time you will see the other floats.

I love to go to Viareggio to see the fabulous floats that take to the street at Carnevale time.

They are often a satirical take on politics. Donald Trump is an obvious target and his float was my favourite this year. The artists did a great job on his likeness.

 

I particularly liked his eyes…very lizard like.

Donald’s hair was spectacular. It pushed forward from his head like a wave. In fact the Statue of Liberty brandishing a gun surfed on a board from the end of his hair.

 

The float was led by a team dressed in red, white and blue.

Men on horseback were there too…with a native American in a cage.

A Mexican trio provided music.

At the top of the float 4 targets rotated in front of a gun toting cowboy.

Guns and violence were a theme.

The support team looked great.

Donald, please note the lack of an audience for you in the grandstand.

The float was, in fact, a huge success. (You pay extra to sit in the stand)

I will show you the other floats in the next post.