Thursday, May 25th, Opatija, Croatia

Greetings!

We crossed the border from the seaport town of Piran in Slovenia into Croatia this morning, adding another stamped seal to our passports.  The peninsula out here on the coast is called Istria (shortened long ago from "Histria"), and traded one beautiful coast for another.  For three and a half thousand years, it has been the home of the Ilyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Ottomans, and Slavs.

Dean, our local guide extraordinaire, showed us the Baroque, Roman, and Byzantine architectural styles in surviving buildings in Porec and Pula.  We loved the Roman Temple of Augustus and the Euphrasian Basilica, especially the mosaics on display there.

We were clearly unprepared for the Amphitheater in Pula, and for its nearly complete outer walls. Built at the time of the Roman Colosseum (72-80 AD), it seated 23,000 on four levels.  Afterwards, we walked around the old city walls, and saw three remaining gates and towers.



To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, May 25th, Opatija, Croatia.