Along the Railroad Trail
We started this morning’s walk in Završje, once a bustling town along the narrow-gauge railway running from Poreč to Trieste and now home to only about 40 souls. The railway, built during the Austro-Hungarian Empire period of Croatia’s history, stopped running in 1935, the tracks were pulled up and a walking trail, called the Parenzana, was created. The trail runs along a ridge, affording expansive views of olive groves and vineyards below and hilltop villages in the distance.
A 2 ½ hour walk led us to Grožnjan, once a Venetian fortress and now an important art colony. After lunch we browsed through the tiny shops perched on crooked cobblestone streets, appreciating both the 14th century architecture and the views from hidden corners.
Leaving Grožnjan, we made our way to Livio’s friend Nicola, a truffle hunter in a nearby town. Meeting and loving up on his three truffle-hunting dogs, Nero, Donna and Hruna, we trekked into the forest to see what they might find.
Back in Rovinja, we returned to the port in time for the sunset, and twisted our way through the streets of Old Town to a wonderful restaurant perched on the cliffside overlooking the sea, Puntulina.
