How To Get A Sea View In Europe For $175,000
The European 
| Opatija's promenade and coastline on the Kvarner Riviera, Croatia-read on to learn where to find affordable properties in the area. Photo courtesy of the Croatian Tourist Board © Josip Madra?evi?. |
Vol.1. Issue no. 44
October 9, 2007
Paris, France
If you feel that your vacation-and investment opportunities-are shrinking with the dollar, don't just write Europe off. If you're dreaming of a skiing trip to Bad Gastein or lazing on the Riviera, try Bansko or the Kvarner coast for better value. Instead of the architectural treasures of Florence, why not visit Prague, or swap the pleasures of Capri for the distant isle of Lesbos where the dollar will stretch much further? These are destinations that aren't on the mainstream big bucks tours-affordable places with charm. To explore the Other Europe that's not Paris or Tuscany, read on and discover where to go in Bulgaria and Croatia, and where to find a rival to champagne that costs the same as good table wine.
Bests, Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European
The Kvarner Riviera:
sea views for $175,000-and the smallest town in the world by Steenie Harvey 
| Not far from the old world charm of Opatija is the island of Krk where you can find apartments by sea for less than $170,000. Photo courtesy of the Croatian Tourist Board © Ivo Pervan. |
Between the Istrian Peninsula and the busy port city of Rijeka lies the so-called "Kvarner Riviera." At its heart is Opatija, a fin-de-siècle beauty that was the Austro-Hungarian Empire's most fashionable seaside resort (you can read about it again in Issue 36 of The European, Aug.14.). It remains a sophisticated retreat-properties here are among the most expensive in coastal Croatia.
But back in the hills of the Tuscany-like hinterland, 20 minutes' drive away, the walled town of Hum gets lots of curious visitors. That's because it claims the title of "the smallest town in the world" in the Guinness Book of Records-it only has 20 inhabitants. Maybe it was a town once, but don't expect the usual urban lifestyle from a place you can stroll around in less than five minutes! Girdled by a medieval wall, it has a church, two narrow cobbled streets-and looks exactly like a movie set. New sea view apartments for $175,000
You can find an apartment in the countryside close to Opatija-about half a mile from the sea with two bedrooms and a living area of 840 square feet for less than $250,000. One has a 235-square-foot covered terrace with a view of green hills and the sea in the distance for $233,000 from Croatian Sun. The nearest airport is 37 miles away. Website: www.croatiansun.com A new development under construction is just minutes from the small marina in Cizici village on nearby Krk Island-only 20 minutes' drive from the international airport. Prices start from $168,000 from Croatian Sun. Website: www.croatiansun.com A two-bedroom apartment in a newly built house close to the shore on Krk island offers a sea view from its 130-square-foot loggia. The apartment is 700 square feet, is completely furnished, and comes with shaded parking space. Price: $175,000 with Vantage Croatia, e-mail: info@vantagecroatia.com. Opatija is easy enough to get t It's only around an hour from airports in Trieste in
Italy, Pula on the Istrian Peninsula, or Rijeka. Once you arrive, there's plenty here to fall in love with. EasyJet runs direct flights to the island of Krk from London and Bristol.
Champagne or cava? by Rachel Webb Every fall, the largest cava-producing town in Catalonia-Sant Sadurní d'Anoia-celebrates its produce with feasting, concerts, bike rides, art shows, and an evening of pétanque or bowls. The event begins with the crowning of the Cava Queen, who arrives escorted by the mounted brigade of the Barcelona police (this year the event takes place from October 9 - 12). And at the end of the festival, on Oct. 12, people from Barcelona board the special cava train to Sant Sadurní d'Anoia where they are greeted at the station by carnival characters and escorted to the town hall and cava houses for a tour of the cellars and lunch before returning to the Catalan capital.
This fiesta began in 1982 to promote cava-wine from more than 30 different wineries is up for tasting. Cava has been produced for 140 years and is no poor The Cost of Cava Cheapest:
Dubois semi-sekt: 1.69 euro
Rondell: 2.30 euro
Freixenet Cordon Negro 4.95 euro
(matured for 15 months) fine, intense and fruity,
pale yellow in color.
Cabre & Sabre: 1.69 euro
Crisp and pale.
Codorniu Reserva Extra: 5.99 euro
fine persistant bubbles, golden yellow.
Anna de Codorniu: 8.45 euro
a touch of chardonnay, nicely balanced Most expensive:
Codorniu non plus ultra: 10.99 euro
Compared with 15 euro minimum for champagne… Note: The term reserva is used rather than vintage for cava. |
relative of champagne, but is produced with its own grape varieties.
Cava karma Originally cava was known as Spanish champagne, a sparkling wine that had been launched to rival the French version, but made from local grapes grown on Spanish soil. In the 1970s, however, the EU ruled that only wine produced in that specific area of France could go by the name. This move helped the Spanish growers by making them label their wines under their own name-and restrictions as to what could be labeled "cava" meant an improvement in quality.
With cava enjoying greater popularity, the larger bodegas-wine cellars such as Freixenet and Cordorniu-have ploughed their profits back into cava production to ensure a world-wide presence of this clear effervescent wine. The greater supply of cava (85%) comes from the village of Sant Sadurni D'Anoia in the Penedes region of Catalonia. A mild climate, average temperatures of 12°C - 14°C, limited rainfall, and hardly any wind here make ideal growing conditions for the Macabeu, Xarel-lo, and Parellada grape. For guided tours and wine tasting sessions, try the bodegas of both these large cava producers: www.freixenet.com and www.codorniu.com. Barcelona is the nearest airport.
Hearty food for chilly days by Leigh Fergus
The compact city of Luxembourg has restaurants for all, from the humble café serving the dish of the day to the multi-staffed starched linen of high-class Speltz. But for good, down-to-earth food served more than generously, it's hard to beat the Maison des Brasseurs.
This unpretentious address is close to the Duchy Palace, in the heart of the city, on the shopping street Grand Rue between smart shoe shops and men's outfitters. In a similar way, it fits snugly between various populations-the clientele ranges from bankers and office workers to shop staff. But they all have one thing in common: they like a substantial meal at midday. Judging from the portions on the plates at neighboring tables, the diners have an appetite to match. Don't come here for a light salad on a hot day. Rather, come during the fall or winter, when a gale is howling outside, for a good warm-up feast of sauerkraut and huge knuckles of pork and wurst, an ample steak, or a local specialty-whatever you choose should leave you unable to move afterward but smiling benevolently at all and sundry. Be sure to try the local specialties, especially the Judd mat Gaardeboun: thick slabs of smoked pork on a local variety of broad beans in a thick, rich gravy with a side dish of floury boiled potatoes sprinkled with diced melting bacon. And wash it down with a fresh white wine, such as the Auxerrois, or one of the many beers on offer-this is The Brewers' House after all. Count roughly 20 euro for a more than generously served lunch with wine.
The manager is a walking recommendation for the food, judging by his girth, and the waitresses are brisk, friendly, and helpful.
48 Grand Rue, tel: +352 471-371
The Charms of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second city by Leah Larkin
| A typical street in the Old Town of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city. Photo courtesy of Nazareen Heazle. |
"That building was owned by my grandparents," our guide Ghergana Toleva told us, pointing out a five-story house on a major pedestrian street. We were walking down the Alexander Battenberg drag in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city. During the Communist era (1944-1989) this former hotel had been seized by the authorities and then, more recently, leased to a clothing shop owner. Toleva's family is now trying to regain full possession.
Few signs of those bleak Communist days remain in this pleasant town of 320,000 on the banks of the Maritsa River, southeast of Sofia. McDonald's and Versace, fur shops and Salamander shoes, as well as outdoor souvenir stands selling Byzantine paintings and icons, all beckon buyers in the lively commercial hub. The city's real charm lies a few blocks away in the Old Town. Old houses, owned by Plovdiv's upper-crust merchants in the 18th and 19th century, line cobblestone streets. Some house museums, galleries, and restaurants. The richly decorated large frame homes are examples of Revival Period architecture, also known as Bulgarian baroque, with bay windows, balconies, and verandas with wooden pillars. Inside, baroque paintings adorn the walls and traditional woodcarvings embellish the ceilings and doors. Mountain backdrop
The neighborhood, once home to a large population of Armenians, is even more popular in summer when tourists come to admire the houses and enjoy the outdoor cafés. Armenians still live in the city, along with Bulgarians, Jews, Turks, and Greeks.
"The people in Plovdiv are very tolerant, calm, and friendly because of these different ethnic societies who live peacefully together," said Toleva. Near the Old Town are the remains of Plovdiv's Roman theater, dating back to the 2nd century. The Rhodope Mountains form a backdrop for the ancient site with stunning views of the city below. The theater's 7,000 seats are often fully occupied for the summer concerts. (Performances are from May through September, with a Verdi festival in May and June, and a film festival in July.) Long before the Romans even, Plovdiv was settled by Thracian tribes, and then Greeks. The Roman era came to an end in the 6th century when Slav tribes invaded, followed by the Bulgars who formed a military elite ruling over the Slav majority. A well-organized state evolved and eventually a Slavic, Christian nation was formed. The town of Plovdiv changed hands between Bulgarians and Byzantines many times until it was absorbed by the Ottoman empire in the late 14th century. Centuries ago, numerous churches could be seen in the town, but many were burned during the 500 years of Ottoman occupation. One jewel that survived is the Saints Constantine and Helena Church, built in 1832 on the site of a 4th-century church. The interior is lavish in gold décor with icons, wooden columns, chandeliers, and baroque carvings. A fresco on the wooden porch shows Constantine's dream: The emperor, regally attired, lies asleep while Christ, holding a cross, emerges in radiant light above his head. The Jumaya Mosque, on the other hand, is in great need of repair-a testament that Plovdiv's Muslim population is dwindling. Sultan Murat II had the town cathedral torn down and built this mosque in its place (1421-1451). It's one of the oldest Muslim temples in the Balkans, and one of the largest in Bulgaria. Toleva moved from her hometown of Plovdiv to a job in Sofia, but admits she much prefers Plovdiv. "Different cultures, monuments, and buildings are interwoven in Plovdiv to create a unique atmosphere," she says. "I visit at least twice a month and, the moment I enter town, I feel at home." The path to Plovdiv
The city is 80 miles from Sofia, about a two-hour bus ride. A regular bus service runs between the two cities every hour between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Bansko is about 155 miles away, three to four hours' drive from Plovdiv, but with just one bus a day between the two cities. Plovdiv pillows
The modern Maritza Hotel, a 10-minute walk from downtown, has double rooms from 70 euros, breakfast included. Website: www.victoria-group.net.
Bulgaria is one of Eastern Europe's cheapest destinations, with good three-course meals for two easily less than $40. IL |
