Pula

The Roman amphitheater

Pula is the largest town on the Istrian peninsula but its real claim to fame is a Roman amphitheater that is almost completely preserved.  Even the underground area where the gladiators trained and waited to fight is still complete.  We visited these gladiator areas with our guide Nadja (Hope in Croatian).  She explained the construction and the use of different areas of the amphitheatre so well I could almost see what it had been in Roman days.  In particular, walking up out of the dark training area into the sunlight of the arena was dazzling and a little eerie.  I could feel that I was walking in the footstep of the gladiators of 2,000 years ago.

Additionally, Pula has arches, Venetian style buildings, and best of all, it was Saturday so there was a farmers’ market.  I love walking around looking (and photographing) local produce and the town’s citizens out shopping for flowers and groceries.