Helping Hand – stress-free Istria!
The Helping Hand team
Money down the drain? Upgrading Istria’s sewerage system
Do you live in Istria or have a holiday home here? Need some help...
We are Helping Hand – Nicky, Elbina and Phil. We all work closely together...
Helping Hand handles a wide range of projects of varying sizes, with our approach...
An update on the changing sewerage situation in Istria and its impact on home...
It’s a YouTube sensation! The 2Cellos latest music video – their take on AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ – has gone viral, with over 12 million views to date. Watch it and you’ll never view the cello – or Thunderstruck – the same way again! It’s certainly an amazing performance; but even more amazing to me is...
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Imagine, for a moment, an ideal seaside-holiday town. First, it needs to be the right size: big enough to have things to see and do; yet small enough to be easily explored on foot. Obviously, it should be centred around a picturesque harbour, with fishermen working from small boats. Attractive old streets with colourful...
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In April, Vrt-Express is opening a garden centre in Istria, on the Porec–Pazin road in Žbandaj. But why am I telling you this? Why should you care? Because this isn’t simply the latest in a big company’s chain, it is a far more personal affair: the realisation of a dream by local nurseryman, Srdjan...
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Teran is the red wine of Istria and they don’t come much better than Franc Arman. A pioneer of high-quality Istrian wine, you’ll find bottles of Franc Arman in many of Istria’s leading restaurants. I loved their Teran when I tasted it and so I set off to the winery to discover more, only...
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‘Do I need a car?’ It’s a question I’ve been asked many times by guests looking to visit Istria. Of course it depends on where you’re staying and how much you want to explore: for my places, which are in villages, the answer is probably ‘yes’. But is this always the case? Does every...
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Of all the towns along the Istrian coast, Vrsar is probably my favourite. Set on a steep hillside, over-looking its harbour, it is a beautiful sight. With its old buildings and narrow streets, this small town is a wonderful place for an afternoon stroll, soaking up the atmosphere and admiring the glorious views. I’ve...
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An expat life in the sun was long our dream: achieving it was no easy task. When we bought our property in Istria in 2004, the garden was a huge mud patch. Turning it into the beautiful garden we have today, has been a seven-year labour of love – and lots of hard work!...
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Have you dreamed of quitting the big smoke and escaping abroad to the sun – but wonder what it’s really like? Well we did, and I started the ‘Living Istria’ section of Live Istria to show the realities of living and working in a sunnier climate – and a surprisingly different Mediterranean culture. ...
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A sort of pork and beans, this quintessential Istrian soup, is a meal in itself. Made in every Istrian restaurant and home, everyone has their own family recipe which varies according to what’s in season. Any restaurant’s recipes are a well-guarded secret. This isn’t quite Katica’s maneštra recipe but it’s very close. She says you...
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As a small peninsula, the sea’s a vital part of Istria. We come on holiday to sit by it, swim in it and take boat trips across it: but how much do we know about the watery world, hidden beneath? Opened in 2002, Aquarium Pula is a fascinating place, where education is as important...
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Looking for good wine in the Porec area? Why not follow my footsteps and visit the Damjanic winery in Fuškulin, where Ivan Damjanic is producing six award-winning wines: four white and two red. Professionally-trained and with a passion for wine, Ivan is a classic example of why Istria is beginning to make a name...
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One of the more unusual things you can do in Istria is visit Višnjan Observatory, near Porec. For the scientifically-minded, it’s a chance to look behind the scenes in some hot topics in astronomy, while for the rest of us, it is an unusual and entertainingly educational experience – even the building itself is...
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Top of my list of things to do in Istria is explore its beautiful inland villages, with their old stone houses. Most are still unspoilt by tourism: you’ll often have them almost to yourselves, and visiting is like stepping back in time to a sleepier world and a slower pace of life. There are...
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Situated on the seafront in Porec, facing its island namesake, Sv. Nikola is a wonderful restaurant, my favourite place for a treat. It’s where we go to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries (and when we need a touch of luxury), so it was one of the restaurants I was most looking forward to reviewing for...
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Trip Adviser’s top Istrian attraction is Glavani Park. Opened in 2011, it is listed ahead of standard tourist attractions like Rovinj old town and Pula amphitheatre. We wanted to see what all the excitement was about and if it lived up to its billing, so went for a day of high-wires and zip-lines. ...
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