Istria County has an area of 2.820 squere kilometers and a population of 195.237 inhabitants (2011): Istria is called the Tuscany of Croatia: about 17.000 inhabitants speak Italian : we meet Armida Lonardelli who is member of the folkloric group of Galizana (they sing iItalian songs: the boatman Doriano Quarantotto drives a typical Istrian boat called "batana" and Alvisse Benussi is a of last shipwrights making this type of boat.
The Adriatic coast is a place of fishing: there are 9 Croatian lighthouses: the oldest lighthouse is the Savudrija lighthouse near the Slovenian border: we meet Mario Milin-Ungar and his mother Danica Milin-Ungar at Savudrija and they tel their lives in this island:the fishermen Franka Makovac and Diego Makovac tell they have moodern instruments for the navigation, neverthless the lighthouses are always useful. Zeljko Ivancic is guardian of the lighthouse of Porec and a German family has come to live for some days in the guesthouse of this island.
Now some words about Istrian cooking: the chef Goran Zgrablic uses terracotta dishes for his cooking: the visitors can see how he pepares lamb meat with potatoes, zucchini, onions , salt, pepper and olive oil and puts the terracotta dish on a fire.
The cattle breeder Milorad Kukic shows his Boskarin cows whose meat is very good. At the seaside the chef Stiven Vunic of the restaurant "La vita" prepares fishes and sea food.
In Istria there are still many stone houses: the architect Branko Orbanic is repairing old shepherd shelters and restored the the church of Sveta Foska. Besides the sculptor Ljubo de Karina is famous for his sculpted limestone blocks. And about stones there is a traditional game, the "Plockanie" like a petanque game but originally with stones that shepherds wre recovering in the fields.
Then we go to the island of Pag: there many young people from all Europe are coming and enjoy the sea, the sun and the music (techno): but on the same island Neda Oros has maintained the making laces and teaches to young girls the art. Besides Kresimir Fabijanic and his wife Antica Fabijanic breed sheep and produce an excellent sheep cheese.
Finally some words about the inhabitants of Pula who have their secret island: Fratarski Otok , a camping where they can rest and enjoy the sea.
I enjoyed very much the encounters of Tiga with Tatiana Rokvic in Rovinj, with Mirta and Carlo (Dolphin Watching), with Emir Sosic (the oyster farmer), with Marko Fakin , and Nicola Tarandek in Motovun, with Anna Colquhoun and her husband Matthew Purver in Bolara 60, with the veterinarian and guide Edouard Kolic in Pula and on Brijuni island, with Emir Asani , Franjo Toic and Vesna Jakicin the island of Cres: very nice encounters with kind Istrian men and women.