We spent the last 2 weeks of October in Pula, Croatia. It’s starting to get cooler and rainy, but it was nice to have more space. Pula is a great walking town. Lots to see.
What was the most surprising thing about Pula?
Eva: While people are very friendly, they don’t eat out at all.
Ehren: I let Eva do all of the research, so while I knew there was an Amphitheatre (what you might call a Coliseum), this one was in great, nearly complete condition and it was amazing.
What would you change about this trip?
Eva: I think I would’ve spent more time researching the best place to shop for food/groceries or local restaurants.
Ehren: I would’ve gotten an Uber to/from the ferry. It was only a 13 minute hike, but my backpack is killer heavy.
Scale of 1-10, how easy is it for a US Citizen visiting for the first time to communicate and find the things you need?
Eva: 6, cuz we could communicate quite well, but when we were grocery shopping or looking for restaurants, there was always one thing not available. We had to go to multiple stores to get everything.
Ehren: 6. It was easy enough to communicate. But trying to find open restaurants was often difficult, trying find affordable ones was nearly impossible. As Evalynn alluded, we didn’t find a large market and the mini-marts had a couple things each, but nothing consistently.
How long would you optimally stay there (+/- how long we stayed)?
Eva: Even… we stayed just the right amount of time.
Ehren: I’d have like to stay here 2 more weeks (4 total). We were just getting into our groove and starting to find better restaurants. We only had one full weekend with which to explore without scheduled obligations.
Could you move/live here?
Eva: I could. I would research the surrounding communities more. The people are easy to get along with and the landscape is beautiful. I don’t know why Pula doesn’t sit with me as well as Split did.
Ehren: Possibly, but not preferably. It’s a beautiful town on the Agean Sea. When COVID isn’t going on, they have concerts at a 1st century Amphitheatre. BUT… almost NOTHING is open on Sundays. The restaurants serve mostly the same uninteresting stuff: chicken, hamburger & pasta. Everything is expensive. It doesn’t have much going on culturally, just lotsa chain-smoking at cafes.
What did you learn about travel?
Eva: The different trash methods, recycling in different colored bags and using a key to track who’s disposing of what. It was a confusing process, but each city will define that process, so that’s a learning curve in every location.
Ehren: Always check to ensure you received your tickets when you purchase them. I bought ferry tickets and got a receipt, but not a ticket. And the ticket office wasn’t open when we were trying to catch our ferry.
Also, Croatia is a largely Catholic country and I’ve heard it’s similar in a lot of Europe, but a LOT of stuff shuts down on Sundays, presumably because everybody eats and spends time with their families.
Anything else you want to add?
Eva: No.
Ehren: I really enjoyed Pula. It was beautiful. We keep booking in the Old Town neighborhoods which are generally more expensive and touristy. At nights, this area was largely deserted. During the days, there were lot of amazing churches and plazas with cafes. The drivers were very respectful of pedestrian traffic. The markets were lively and the people were very fashionable. This town isn’t huge, so it’s easy to walk. There are some super pubs. I just wish I could’ve seen some music at the Jazz Café.
Quick Fire Favorites:
Restaurant:
Eva: Old City Grill & Pizza
Ehren: Alighieri (expensive!)
Hang out Joint:
Eva: Mlinar Caffe (in the market, ul. 6, Flanatička)
Ehren: Old City Bar
Best Shopping:
Eva: Trezor(gift shop)
Ehren: Nove Istarske knjižare (toy/book store)
Point of Interest:
Eva: Amfiteatar u Puli (Pula Arena Amphitheatre)
Ehren: Amfiteatar u Puli (Pula Arena Amphitheatre)