Nicki Rose: October 2008 Archives

At a glance you may have clocked this as the Colosseum, but look more closely and you¹ll notice subtle differences.

This smaller look-a-like amphitheatre is actually in Pula, Croatia and was built in the 1st century AD when the city was the regional Roman HQ.

Although you can no longer hear the roar of wild animals and the cries of dying gladiators, this arena is still very much in use, as a theatre for plays, rock concerts and even the city¹s film festival.

I stopped off in Pula for the day on a cruise with Hebridean Spirit. The 'From Istria to Italy'programme gave us a real taste of some of the less obvious Balkan destinations, including Pula, Rab and Rovinj in Croatia and Koper in Slovenia before moving on to Venice and Trieste.

By Joanna Booth

With the major tourist resorts arranged around the coast it¹s easy to forget that there's a whole other side of Cyprus.

Inland, away from the hustle and bustle, you can find peace, quiet and an insight into a traditional way of life that has been going on for hundreds of years.

I stayed in a sensitively renovated old stone house in the tiny village of Tochni, twenty minutes outside Limassol, courtesy of Cyprus Villages.

A quick glance around confirms that this is a world away from the beachfront hotels you might associated with the island.

Old gents while away hours in the Kafenion, drinking coffee and putting the world to rights. Venerable women with failing eyes sit in the street, making intricately patterned lace ­ or in one case, knitting a shocking pink furry cardigan. The voices of children playing elaborate games echo around village squares.

I visited villages and monasteries, tasted the local wine and ambled through the winding hillsides on the back of Milly, a long-suffering and sure-footed pony.  

It was relaxing and refreshingly Cypriot ­ and if you miss the feeling of sand between your toes, a quiet beach is only five minutes away by car.

By Jo Booth