For better pictures and information, please visit an earlier blog entry about Pula at http://www.donacalcote.com/2012/10/pula.html. This entry is just about a day shared with our company.
First, the amphitheater. Interesting note: All the chairs and staging were there in preparation for the canonization of a saint later in the month. We haven't been able to find any information regarding the new saint, but I can't imagine a more unlikely setting for the ceremonies than a pagan Roman facility.
A trip downstairs to the museum featuring ancient wine and olive oil industries.
We opted for a Pula Hop On/Hop Off tour.
Looks like everyone is studying.
We start our tour at the front door of the amphitheater.
Drive along the harbor.
On the edges of Old Town.
Out to the old church by the sea.
And past one beautiful beach after another.
Almost every home, traditional or modern, humble or grand, has flowers either in the garden or in balcony boxes.
A fun archery range. Run little lambs. Run!
Pula even has a sky line.
First person we see when we get off the bus is this character.
He was with an Austrian dance troupe that we saw a few minutes later in front of the market.
Another look at the ancient arch of triumph.
My annual chat with James Joyce. He certainly is the silent type.
Temple of Apollo, the last remaining building in the Forum, and this a reconstruction. War is a terrible thing in so many ways!
There were several new things in the temple museum
including this great display of ancient language development. It fit right in with my fascination with Linear A and B.
Another ancient temple once stood in this place.
After World War II, the back wall was the only remaining piece of the structure so the good people of Pula built the new building onto the old wall.
Just walking and looking
The Roman mosaic.
You never know who might be watching . . .
And up to the castle we climb. What's an ancient seaside town worth if it doesn't have a castle? Like most others this one has a history as long as human presence in the area. Here is a sample of the photos I took:
And some of the views from the top:
Down the hill and by the market. It was closed! Disappointment, I guess! How dare they close on a Saturday afternoon?!? Oh, well, that would give us more time to visit the Roman theater. Would you believe? Closed for renovation.
I did score some sweet little herb plants for my tiny kitchen garden at the apartment. Two kinds of basil, rosemary, parsley and mint. If I can find a chili pepper plant, I'll be set!
We did get to see the old gates in front of the theater. I've got to speak to someone about moving those cars. They are a nuisance.
Back to the Pula bus station in time for a glass of wine before boarding. Most of us fell asleep on the bus back to Rovinj. Can you spell t-i-r-e-d?????
We opted for a Pula Hop On/Hop Off tour.
And up to the castle we climb. What's an ancient seaside town worth if it doesn't have a castle? Like most others this one has a history as long as human presence in the area. Here is a sample of the photos I took:
And some of the views from the top:
Back to the Pula bus station in time for a glass of wine before boarding. Most of us fell asleep on the bus back to Rovinj. Can you spell t-i-r-e-d?????
