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Pula, Croatia: The Serious Cafe Terrace Scene

Croatians I noticed are avid cafe terracing people. They really take this to heart that it is very rare you will find café terraces serving food, not even snacks. They just serve drinks—coffee, tea, beer, wine, alcohol, and well, more coffee really. I was in for a surprise in Pula while looking for lunch.

I wanted to sit outside while having lunch to enjoy a bit of sunshine, the lively atmosphere and some people watching but not a single café terrace I checked out was serving food. As I look around me, people were only drinking and smoking. Mostly coffee. Latte, macchiato, cappuccino. That’s all. I am already getting hungry but after half an hour of surveying the café terrace scene I gave up.

I did saw a restaurant with an outdoor terrace selling food but it was located in  a nook and not in the core centre where the action is.

Taking a table at the square in front of the Pula Central Market I ordered a glass of chilled chardonnay and engaged in a short discussion with the young waiter.

‘Why is no one serving food?’ I asked.

The young waiter look at me with a big surprise smile, he did not know what to answer so he gave me a wide eye and a sheepish friendly grin.

‘It seems that not a single café restaurant is serving food here in Pula.’ I told him again.

‘Yeah.’ He replied. ‘We only sell drinks, no food.’

‘Don’t people eat lunch?’ I further asked. ‘It’s lunch time.’

‘We buy food at the bakery or supermarket.’ He said. (or I guess bring food from home or eat there)

‘AHHH ha…’

When I finished my chardonnay, I walked straight away to the market in front of me. I am burning with hunger. You know that when your your stomach is tossing and churning? I saw a bakery earlier while checking out the place, and indeed on the corner there was one. I then ordered the Croatian donut—Krafne with chocolate filling. This is my lunch.

Nevertheless, my stomach is pleased. Not hungry anymore in Pula =)

The cafe terrace scene.

The Pula market square.

No eating, no snacking, just coffee drinking mostly.

 One of the remaining gates of Pula.

Beautiful facades of old historical buildings.

I don’t know the background of these three girls on the wall of a building but they are surely a sight to behold.

This dog is waiting patiently for his owner who was having errands at an office across.

Laundry in the city.

This restaurant with an outdoor terrace was the only one I saw serving food but its location did not tempt me as it is a bit far from the core centre. I want some ambiance and I want to people watch.

Children having a lunch break at the doorstep of their school and perhaps waiting to be picked up by their parents.

My chilled glass of chardonnay. Most people order coffee here. A warm cup of coffee, latte or cappuccino. 

Pula Central Market.

Church and a nun cleaning the church square grounds. Many Croatians are religous.

Ah, time to taste the Croatian donut =)

My lunch: The Krafne donut with chocolate inside.

Travel Period: March 2014
Destination: Pula (Istria), Croatia

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Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)

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