A place to return to: Antwerp

We visited Antwerp twice during the course of the last year. We loved it so much that we started picturing ourselves living there: morning runs in the Middleheim park, weekly dinners at our favorite restaurant, bike rides to work- stuff like that. We wanted to spend more time there, to feel the vibe of the city, hence our twice-in-a-year score. Our first visit to Antwerp in October last year was kind of improvised- we wanted to get away for a couple of days, found a flight from Pula to Brussels and decided to make a little road trip out of it, which included Brussels, Antwerp, Utrecht and Waterloo.

We did have some trouble finding the apartment in Antwerp, as everything nice and affordable was apparently booked, but we decided to stretch our budget a bit on behalf of comfort. We ended up in amazing town house, so beautifully decorated that it would fit perfecly the pages of some interior design magazine, with luxurious room and a view of the neighbouring forest park. Our hosts were a source of usefull information about the city and served the tastiest breakfast in their classy dining room (think arguably the best croissants in Antwerp, a selection of tasty jams and juices and inevitable pot of tea). 

The house was close enough to the city center that we parked our car in front of the house and didn't use it again till the day of our departure. With Antwerp city bikes (called Velo bikes), the car was unnecessary. There are bike stations literally on every corner of the city, and for 3.80 Euros a day, you got your transportation in Antwerp covered. There is an organized network of bike lanes and cyclists definitely have a priviledged status in the city transport system. From the area we covered with bikes, it seemed that you can be anywhere in the city within 20 minutes ride. 

Our hosts offered suggestions on what to visit, and the crown jewel of their recommendations (and Antwerp as a whole) was the Middleheim park. Situated on the outskirts of the central Antwerp, it functions both as a park and one of the oldest open air museums in the world. We were taken there by our host on a foggy October morning, which made the first impression to be even more enchanting than it might have been on a sunny day. As we walked trough the park, unexpected views kept opening in front of us: there were Rodin's Honore Balsac, Juan Munoz's figures trapped on the trees, Giacomo Manzu's Cardinal, just to name a few. Then there were contemporary instalations and sculptures which left us in awe: Honore d'O's Shouting is breathing (a giant network of wires and motors that makes the tree braches vibrate), Antony Gormley's Firmament III (a three dimensional net of stainless steel), Erwin Wurm's Misconceivable (a bended sailingboat which deviates subtly from the reality)... All in all, a morning spent there was not enough. So we went another day with our Velo bikes, and enjoyed art while cycling (sounds familiar?). If you find yourself in or around Antwerp, take some time to visit this park. It will pay off, and not just because the entrance is free of charge. :)

Juan Munoz's figure

Giacomo Manu's Cardinal

Anthony Gormley's Firmament III

Antwerp is loaded with museums, and we got to see a couple of them the first time we visited. The Plantin-Moretus museum ranked as one of the most important Antwerp museums, so we decided to pay it a visit. Once the first industrial printing house in the world (founded in 1555), now it hosts a collection of oldest printing presses in the world, typographic material, art, books, and also period rooms with Rubens's artwork. It was protected by Unesco in 2005, and completely renovated in 2016. 

Except for the museums, strolling around the city and admiring its architecture is worth a day of sightseeing. Grote Markt (the main square) reminiscents medieval times, with its medieval guildhalls and a town hall which is one of the first examples of Renaissance architecture in the Low Countries. A couple of minutes walk from the Grote Markt is a hidden 16th century alley called Vlaeykensgang- once a place where shoemakers and the poorest city dwellers lived, now a hip secluded street with restaurants and shops in a medieval atmosphere.

One of the unmissable stops in Antwerp is its Central Train Station, built in 1905 in eclectic turn-of-the-century style. Our first glimpse of it was by night, which made it even more magical- we marvelled at the lighting on the red steel construction, and the recently built levels below the ground where trains kept coming and going. We visited it by day as well, just to see what daily light brings to its glass and steel construction.

One morning before breakfast, our host offered to take us to see the Cogels-Osylei street, famous for its grand turn-of-the-century houses. He drove us around, showed us the street, and while he went to grab those delicious croissants for breakfast, we had some time to admire and photograph the houses. Photos don't do them justice, especially not on a cloudy day like we had, but there were some seriously interesting (and romantic!) round windows, golden sunflowers, representations of seasons of the year, mosaics and entire flow of refined ornaments for which the peirod is known for.

Cogels-Osylei street

It wouldn't be a complete post about Antwerp if I hadn't mention how amazing the food is there. I've heard before opinions on Belgian food to be boring and tasteless, which was so off according to our experience. We got hooked on waffles, stews, beer (that's food as well, right?), mussels, frites, all traditional Belgian, but also on falafel, burgers, fish and chips... A place called Falafel Tof got us excited about vegetarian dishes- tasty and colorful vegetable sides, crispy potatoes with sauces and falafel of course. A place called Brutal got us excited about Thai Boulabaise, burgers, stew and the best yoghurt, clementines, crumble and mint desert. And a place called Bia Mara got us excited about proper British fish and chips with tasty dips (think truffles with mayonaisse). We loved the diversity of diferent cuisines, reflecting diversity among Belgians, a thing not that common back at home.

In those three days we got to know the city pretty well, thanks to the fact that we cycled to almost all of the places we wanted to see. We decided we'll be back, and so we were, about half a year later. In one of my next posts, I'll write about our second visit to Antwerp.

Have you ever been to Antwerp? Or plan to visit? I would really love to read some thoughts or tips on this amazing city.

Beautiful landscapes: De Hoge Veluwe National Park

I heard about De Hoge Veluwe National Park from a Belgian couple we met here in Premantura. We were talking about Cape Kamenjak, a protected landscape just next to the village; and how cool it would be if the area was closed for cars, and if there were free bikes offered to visitors instead. It sounded so efficient, so sustainable, so northern: they talked about a national park in The Netherlands that had white bikes included in the entrance price and scattered all over the park for visitors to take them or drop them off whenever they want.

I forgot about that story until we ended up roadtripping trough Belgium and The Netherlands last October (I already wrote about sailing the canals of Utrecht in my previous post). After a quick research, I found out that the park is situated just about an hour drive from Utrecht, or more specifically, Zeist, were we stayed in a wonderful AirBnb. Lucky coincidence for us was that (as we found out from our lovely hosts), the park was home to the Kroller-Muller museum, which hosts the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world, some well known masterpieces from modern masters such as Monet or Picasso, and has one of the biggest sculpture gardens in the world. And that was a great alternative to Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam which was vaguely in our plans, but in the end we decided to leave Amsterdam for next time. 

The morning of our daytrip didn't start promising- it was grey and foggy; heavy rain kept following us during the entire drive to the park. And then, as we approached the park, the sun showed up and stayed for a while, perfectly enough for us to take an exiciting bike ride trough the park and enjoy this peculiar landscape covered with everchanging skies. The moment we got off the bikes in front of the museum, the first raindrops fell, but we didn't mind. We had the entire afternoon to marvel at Van Gogh's Potato eaters and Country road in Provence by night, quite a nice collections of Paul Signac (one of Luka's favorite painters) and Odilon Redon (one of my favorite painters); even some Croatian artists, such as Dusan Dzamonja are represented. It is a good place to get to know some of the (not as well known as Van Gogh, but still amazing) Dutch and Belgian artists such as Theo van Rysselberghe, and all in all, it is an impressive collection ranging from modern to contemporary art.

The boundaries between nature and exhibition space are kind of blurred here, with tall glass walls that allow you to enjoy the greenery of the park from the inside and the sculptures that found their place in the sun in the park surrounding the museum. Approaching that museum in the middle of the wood seemed like a treasure hunt to us. 

Visiting De Hoge Veluwe is a combination of spending an active day out in the nature and soaking up the culture in beatiful, natural setting. The cycling roads are paved and used by bikers and walkers only, crisscrossing a diverse and mostly flat (Yay! for a relaxing bike ride) landscape, ranging from yellowish grassland to pine tree woods with rich earthy scent and a lot of mushrooms (we even saw a couple of agarics, which looked exactly like Christmas decorations). Amazing alternative to a day in the city, and you still get that essential Dutch experience!

How about you? Have you ever visited this or some other interesting place where art and nature meet?

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Sailing the canals of Utrecht

About this time last year we did a little road trip around Belgium and the Netherlands. It was perfectly fit for October, filled with hearty food, lovely encounters, autumn colors and murky days. I can imagine Low Countries being nice and sunny in the summertime or flowery in the springtime, but somehow when the weather gets colder, I long for the north, be it that I find medieval streets looking at its best when gloomy and foggy, or that I find stews, waffles, chocolate and beer being especially fit for cozying up after a walk in the rain. 

We enjoyed every bit of our trip, but fondest memories are mostly made of spending time with people that are dear to you. So, for a couple of days we ended up in Utrecht, where our wedding photographers-turned-friends Hanneke and Robert live with their son Loek. They organized a perfect day trip for us, which included the ultimate sightseeing of Utrecht, and that is, sailing the canals of course. 

Since they moved to their new neighbourhood, they got themselves a small boat, which they frequently used before, only not with two more adults. That turned out to be a lot of fun and only a little bit frightening at the beggining, when I was positive that the boat was going to sink under our weight and subtly asked Hanneke what would happened to us if we fell into the water of the canal. Her answer was soothing enough: The swim in the canals wasn't recommendable but we wouldn't die either. That was when I started enjoying the experience. 

After the motor almost bailed on us once, we got to the city center where we had to turn it off and continue on rowing, a task very well performed by Robert and Luka, and also very suitable for enjoying the views and taking many photos. We were visiting Utrecht for the first time, and seeing it from the canals on a gloomy day, with leaves on the trees showing off their autumn colors, and the midweek absence of other merry sailors, was indeed an unforgettable experience. We had some good laughs (mostly teasing the guys and their ability to row), some good talks (catching up while being introduced to the city), and some good cakes and coffee (we bought chocolate cakes in a shop on the canal and had them in a boat accompanied with a few jealous looks of the passers by). 

On our private tour we got to know that all of those bicycles tied to the railings of the canal weren't tied because of stealing but because of possibility of being thrown in the canal at night by drunk youngsters. We also got to know that the Mayor takes a swim once a year in the canals of Utrecht to point out that the water is good enough (I'll never be able to become a Mayor of Utrecht). And that the best netherlandish chocolate is called Tony Chocolonely, peculiar both in flavor combinations and Willy Wonk-ish design (We bought a lot of those later that day). You don't get stories like that on a guided tour. So thank you, Hanneke and Robert.

We ended that day in a best possible way, having dinner that Robert prepaired at their place (it was perfectly baked whole chicken), talking, laughing and getting to know Loek (a very cool little guy who left to bed early without being slightly bothered by us chatting downstairs). With October rolling out to November, I'm not only reflecting these lovely memories, but also daydreaming of going back, while it's still cold.  

What are yours favorite autumn / wintery escapes?

* If you're interested in Hanneke's work (which is pretty amazing, trust me on that), you can check out her website here, even just for lighting up your day with all the brightness she manages to capture.

A week in Istria: day by day itinerary

When I travel, plan my travels or just read about traveling, I like to browse trough the itineraries- usually, I don't stick to them blindly, but they are a nice well of inspiration and information. Given that I couldn't find many itineraries for travelers eager to explore our beautiful Istria, I made a little list myself, hoping that it could be useful to someone. At least to my friend Brandon, who is visiting this year and I can't wait to show him around. 

Day 1: Pula

Whether or not you decide to stay in Pula, it is the biggest Istrian city and an unmissable stop during your trip to Istria. Pula is mostly known for its Roman heritage: namely, one of the best preserved amphitheatres, called Arena, triumphal arch of the Sergi (the so-called "Golden Gate"), temple of Augusts etc. But it is also an industrial city, with a working shipyard, which can be quite a scene if you stroll the waterfront by night and the cranes light up (every hour on the hour). One of the highlights is the central Market (or Merkat as locals call it), which aside of the beautiful Austro-Hungarian building and a lovely chestnut allee in front of it, has an extraordinary abundance of fresh local produce. You can find lavender honey, tasty cheeses, wild mushrooms, asparagus, sweetest fruit (in the summer!), olive oil... And if you're feeling hungry after seeing all this, then I would strongly suggest you to have a lunch at Trattoria Vodnjanka. They serve simple Istrian dishes "nonna style" (as if they were cooked by Istrian grandma), with only local and high quality produce. In the evening, have a drink at the beautiful main square Forum in a bar called Cvajner, popular among locals and with a great selections of beer and schnaps. For tips how to make most of your stay in Pula, head here. 

Golden Gate in Pula during Visualia Festival

Day 2: Cape Kamenjak

Today is a day for relaxing, soaking up the fresh salty air, gaze at the sea, swim if the season is right, cycle or walk in the beatiful protected landscape of Cape Kamenjak. After all, you just travelled to Istria yesterday and already did a day of sightseeing in Pula, so why not give your self a little break? You can reach Cape Kamenjak in just a 15 minutes drive from Pula. If you choose to go within the borders of the park by car, you will have to pay the entrance fee (5 Euros) from May to October. If you choose to go by foot or by bycicle (which I recommend), then the entrance is free of charge. You can take the walking/cycling road that goes all around the peninsula, making breaks at whichever of the 30 bays you fancy. Stop for a drink in Safari Bar on the tip of the peninsula- it's a peculiar place that resembles a jungle with playground for kids and grownups (think human-size hamster wheel, giant swings, table tennis, steep wooden observatory...). After a day spent on the most beautiful coastline in Istria, endulge in a tasty dinner in Konoba Ancora in Premantura, a village that boarders the park. I usually enjoy pasta (try the raviolli!), fish dishes and desserts there, but they have some good meet meals as well, friendly staff and fair prices. And if you’re in the mood for gin tasting, you can do that too in Premantura! My husband and I are running here a small, sustainable Monachus Distillery, which produces gin inspired by the scents of the Istrian coast, and a couple of other distilled spirits that I have a hunch that gin enthusiast might appreciate. The products we use are mostly local, biological, foraged in Istria, or fair-trade sourced when coming abroad, and the packaging is plastic-free! To arrange a tasting, send us an email, and we’ll figure something out! :)

A photo diary from Cape Kamenjak, right this way. 

Cape Kamenjak in spring

Day 3: Rovinj

Rovinj is my favorite town in Istria, and not just because I used to spend my summer holidays there when I was a kid. It is a favorite tourist destination in Istria- narrow stone paved streets, laundry hanging between the houses, a bunch of chic restaurants, galleries and shops, colorful houses, lively fishing port, amazing view from the square in front of the cathedral on top of the city and the best Italian gelato in Istria, fairly defend its popularity. I usually take a walk on the waterfront, pass by the colorful port and head in the direction of main town beach (taking some photos along the way). When I reach the square in front of the St Euphemia cathedral, I usually spend some time there sitting on the wall, gazing at the sea and the islets of the Rovinj archipelago. If you feel adventureous, you can climbe the bell tower for a truly amazing view of the orange rooftops and the immense blue of the sea surrounding the peninsula of the old town. For a tasty dinner, I would suggest Restaurant Tipico and Konoba Veli Jože. Skip the dessert and take a walk to the Gelateria Italia, you won't regret it. A bit more on Rovinj, here. 

Sunset in Rovinj

Day 4: Fažana and Brijuni National park

Fažana is a charming little town near Pula (about 15 minutes drive), which also serves as a port for ships that take visitors to the Brijuni National Park. This National park is an archipelago of 14 islands and islets, known for its beauty but also as a residency of formal Yugoslav president- Tito, who introduced the exotic animals and subtropic plants to the largest, Veli Brijun island. You can definitely spend a day walking, cycling or driving little electric cars along its meadows and forests, or take an archaeological route exploring its Roman and Byzantine legacy. Finish the day with a walk along Fazana's waterfront and have a tasty burger in the beautiful garden of Arboretum Pub. 

Day 5: Grožnjan, Motovun and Buje

This would be one of my favorite days spent in Istria. Grožnjan, Motovun and Buje, all of them medieval hilltop towns, each of them charming in its own way. My personal favorite is Grožnjan, because of its cobbled streets filed with flowers, its greenery, its artsy vibe and beautiful vistas. It was brought back to life in the sixties, since the artists started gathering here and opening studios and galleries, and since the annual summer school for young musicians was established. As you hop from gallery to gallery, you can hear the music resonating through its narrow streets. Motovun is famous for its film festival (held in summer), and amazing views of the peaceful Mirna river valley. Buje may not be as romantic as Groznjan and Motovun, but it is still a charming hilltop town with beautiful main square and its peculiar church facade. For a better view of the Istrian countryside, climb the high bell tower, and then reward yourself with probably the most amazing meal of your Istrian trip. Konoba Malo Selo in Kaldanija near Buje serves the most amazing grilled steaks, truffle dishes and pies (you have to try the gibanica pie, made of walnuts, apples and fresh cheese!) in a cozy and relaxed atmoshpere. The owners (mother and daughter, the cook and the main waitress) are darlings. Enjoy!

I included these three towns in a post about the delights of Istrian countryside.

Streets of Grožnjan

Day 6: Poreč, Baredine cave and Lim fjord

Today is a day for savoring both culture and beautiful Istrian nature. Head to Poreč, a town located about 50 minutes drive from Pula. Poreč is home to one of the finest examples of early Byzantine art on the Mediterranean, the Euphrasian basilica. There you'll find golden mosaics adorning the apse and the triumphal arch, whose beauty can be compared to famous mosaics in the San Vitale church in Ravenna, Italy. The complex which consist of the basilica, a baptistery, a sacristy and a bell tower has made to the Unesco World Heritage list in 1997. 

After visiting the man made beauty of Euphrasiana, it's time to see some pure nature beauty near the city, the Baredine cave. It is well adapted to visitors who can take a tour down to its lowest chamber with a little underground lake, about 60 meters deep. The lake is home of the endemic species of aquatic salamander called olm or proteus, which can be found in the caves of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia. 

As the end of the day approaches, on your way back to Pula, stop at the Lim fjord, a 10 km long estuary of the river Pazinčica. Thanks to its combination of fresh and salty water, it is breeding ground for fish, as well as a grest spot to grow mussels. Most of the visitors come for fresh oysters and a swim in the clean waters of canal.

Some photos of Lim fjord (and another day trip tip), over here. 

Underground lake of Baredine cave near Poreč

Day 7: Medieval Bale, wine tasting in Višnjan, dinner at Banjole

As it can be observed, I am quite enthusiastic about picturesque Istrian medieval towns. So, pack your picnic bag and drive to the medieval town of Bale, situated between Pula and Rovinj. Get lost in its maze of cobbled streets and stone houses, wander at the Gothic-Renaissance palace of the Bembo family, and have a drink at the well-known artsy restaurant-bar called Kamene priče. In August, Last Minute Open Jazz Festival takes place on the romantic piazza in front of the Bembo palace, and is free of charge for all visitors. 

A trip to Istria wouldn't be complete without tasting some of the famous Istrian wines, namely Malvazija (white) and Teran (red). My suggestion would be to drive to Višnjan, a little hilltop town known for its Observatory, but also as a region of good wines. My favorite wine-maker is Poletti with its fragrant malvazija, but you can visit others as well, just be sure to announce your visit a day before.

Wine tasting at Poletti near Višnjan

After some seriously good wine tasting, and presumably loaded with a few bottles of wine, head to the Višnjan Observatory. It has become a favorite day trip (or evening-trip) spot of locals and tourists alike thanks to a couple of enthusiastic scientists who organize workshops for kids, nights under the skies and lectures on astronomy there. The building itself is beautiful, and so is a large meadow surrounding it. You can have a picnic there, or if the Observatory is open for visitors, engage in a communication with the astronomists, they always have something interesting to say!

Višnjan Observatory

As today is your last day in Istria, treat yourself with a dinner at the famous (well-deserved!) restaurant Batelina in Banjole, near Pula. You have to book in advance, as they only take reservations, and if you're visiting during summer season, call at least two weeks in advance to ensure a table. It will be well worth it. In any case, try everything of the starters they serve that day, as it will be the highlight of the dinner. Think fish pates, Istrian style sushi, crunchy fish chips, accommpanied with home made bread and excellent local wines. What you'll order after starters is up to you, just don't skip starters! 

Starters in Batelina

I hope you've had a lovely week in Istria and that by now, you have already decided to visit again. In the meantime, don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding good places to eat, secret gems or lovely local places to stay! Have you ever been to Istria? Please share your thoughts if you have!

*P.S.- I do most of my travel writing on Substack now. If you’d like to receive weekly slow travel and slow food dispatches, please subscribe to The Mint Story Substack!

Anja

A day trip to Kamakura

We decided to visit Kamakura as a day trip from Tokyo- our friend Denis talked us into it, as our JR Pass which we used to travel by train to Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka and Nara was still worth for a day, and as he had put it: "It would have been a shame not to use it". Our friend Daria joined us for that trip, as she was there before but haven't seen the Great Buddha statue.

Kamakura is a little town in Kanagawa prefecture south-west of Tokyo, about an hour train drive from the center of the city. Although it is just 50 kilometers away from Tokyo, when we hopped off the train we felt that laid back surfer vibe which towns by the sea tend to have. We were drawn by the sea, so as soon as we caught a glimpse of the beach we headed in that direction. It is a long sandy beach at that moment occupied only by few fishermen and their colorful boats and nets, surfers (and a bit more surfers out in the sea), and a couple of walkers. While Daria and I were writing in the sand, posing for photographs and wandering around, Luka managed to capture the atmosphere of that peaceful place perfectly.

After the beach, we headed in the direction of Kotoku-in temple, to see the famous bronze statue of Great Buddha. This monumental statue was probably built in 13th century, originally kept in a hall of the temple which was destroyed by storms a couple of times, and as of 15th century, the Great Buddha stands in the open air. It is the second tallest Buddha Statue in Japan, about 13 meters tall. When you enter the temple, the scene that opens up in front of you is truly remarkable: the imposing Buddha statue overshadowing buzzing tourists and worshipers, surrounded by cherry blossoms and tall trees in the background. And eventhough there was a lot of people moving around, the place was exuding peace and tranquility. Among the tourists, there was a group of Buddhist monks, also visiting the temple and taking pictures of the statue with their cameras and smartphones- it was a charming scene.

After the temple, we headed to the center, to stroll down the main shopping street in Kamakura called Komachi-dori. The street is not only appealing but also full of beautiful shops with quality items made in Japan. We bought some tasty and beautifully packed sweets for our grandparents, and discovered the most amazing towel shop- it's called Imabari towels, after a city in Ehime prefecture on Shikoku, the smallest of four main Japanese islands. The towels of high quality are being produced in that city since the end of the 19th century, and I can completely understand its popularity today. Besides beautiful prints and earthy colours, those are the fluffiest and softest towels I've ever layed my hands on. We bought a couple of towels and shawls as presents for our family, and I am only sorry that we didn't buy any towels for ourselves- but we had to leave something for our next visit to Japan. :) 

I read later that there is some seriously good icecream in that street, pea shop (!), and curry shop popular among Japanese. We're leaving that for the next time aswell. The night fell down, we bought some fishcakes on the street and headed back to Tokyo. It was a lovely day, and Kamakura, with its laid back atmoshpere, beautiful temple and amazing shops makes a perfect and relaxing day trip from Tokyo.