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...
Serves 2 (or more depending on the size of the courgette) There’s a lot of courgettes in my Istrian garden. Unfortunately, Phil’s none too fond of them, so I developed this courgette dish to go with BBQs and grills. Ingredients 1 large courgette 1 red pepper, chopped 200 ml passata 1 onion, chopped...
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With soaring temperatures in Istria, it’s hard work in the garden and at the typeface. Live Istria’s launch date, 29th August, is just around the corner. With so much on – and technology conspiring against me, will I make it? Monday, 22 August Only a week to design and build a site, and do...
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Thinking about buying a property abroad? Follow our recent house hunt for a holiday rental property in Istria for some real-life experience of what it takes. The hunt begins… “Why don’t we buy another house?” This wasn’t quite the completely mad, extravagant statement to make out of the blue that it may seem....
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Juha od šparoga Serves 4-6 This is a very economical asparagus recipe, as nothing is wasted – ideal for hand-picked wild Istrian asparagus. The goodness from any woody stems goes into the stock, the middle makes the soup and the tips form the garnish. Ingredients Handful of asparagus 50 g butter 250 g...
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Thinking of buying a property abroad? Why not try Istria? With Croatia due to join the EU in July 2013, after three dead years life is beginning to flow back into the Istrian property market. In many ways, buying a house in Istria is all too easy. There are loads of attractive properties at fantastic...
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Here are just a few of my favourite Istrian garden photos. To see full-size photos, click on a photo and then scroll from picture to picture. It will take you through the displayed thumbnails. To see the rest, click onto the other page and repeat the process. To go back to normal view, click ‘escape’...
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Yes, you’ve caught me out. I haven’t managed to write anything yet, but come back soonish and I will. First up I’m planning an overview of Istrian marinas, then we’ll go behind the scenes at Vrsar marina and I’ll find out how to rent a boat. Then, well wait and see. But for now,...
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Šparoge s umakom od špinata Serves 4 Ingredients Handful of asparagus (tips and softest part) 2 tbsp milk 1 tsp lemon juice 250 g spinach 2 tbsp parsley, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped 1 hard-boiled egg, finely sliced 250 ml mayonnaise 1 tbsp sour...
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Gusta juha od šparoga Serves 4-6 Ingredients Handful of asparagus 2 small potatoes (diced) 2 medium onions (chopped) 50 g butter 1 l chicken stock Salt & freshly ground black pepper 200 ml cream Method Trim the asparagus, cutting off and discarding the tough stalk-ends. Reserve a few asparagus tips to garnish the...
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Fritaja sa šparogama This is just the spring version of Istrian fritaja. At other times of the year fritaja may be made with smoked or dried sausage, or wild mushrooms – for another day. Serves 4 Ingredients 2 handfuls of asparagus 100 g onion (thinly sliced) 50 ml olive oil 8 eggs Salt &...
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Juha od šparoga I šampinjona Serves 4 Ingredients 1 handful asparagus 750 ml water 200g button mushrooms 20g butter 20g flour Salt & pepper 1 tbsp parsley, chopped Method Wash the asparagus. Separate the soft from the hard part, by bending it over a finger so the stem snaps. Cut the soft asparagus tops...
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Short entry this time , as most of the week spent in the UK. Monday, 8 August No time for anything today except getting ready for UK trip tomorrow. Mammoth ironing session and then packing. Absolutely shattered by the end of the day. Luckily for us the guests have offered to look after the...
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A week where nothing seems to go smoothly, but in fact I get a lot done. Web design proves time consuming, but I get there in the end, and there’s progress in the garden despite some very hot weather. But house hunting slows to a crawl. Monday, 1 August Bitter-sweet day. On the up-side,...
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WATER RATIONING Dear Barbel and Michael, Sorry to have missed you – I wanted to ask this in person. I have a small request (sorry to impose on you while you are on holiday :). As you know, Istria is experiencing a water crisis and water usage is being severely restricted, so please...
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Interesting week: I sell a house, but get no closer to buying one of my own. Rain stops play in the garden, but means I make great progress with Live Istria. Monday, 25 July Tony and Ruth want to see the Losari house with Damir. They went up on their own yesterday and loved...
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