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...
First official blog entry for ‘My Life’ covering my expat life in Istria. Website gets a name and moves closer to reality. Publishing deadline set and first real interview conducted. House-hunting guests arrive in the Little House and our own house-hunting project takes a new direction. Week ends with a great paella! Monday, 18...
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A live concert is usually fun. Outdoor concerts are even better. A great outdoor concert, on a warm evening by the sea, is best of all. The 2nd Valamar Jazz Festival in Porec at the beginning of July was four nights of exactly that – relaxed, musical, outdoor fun. Not surprisingly, it was a...
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Before attempting this recipe, if you haven’t seen it I suggest looking at the (short) article wrestling with risottos, which has some general advice and tips on making a perfect baked risotto. This is a rather fiddly dish (although well worth the effort), so do also look at the notes at the end on...
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Before attempting this recipe, if you haven’t seen it, I suggest looking at the (short) article wrestling with risottos, which has some general advice and tips on making a perfect baked risotto. Serves 2 Ingredients 2 tblsps olive oil 1 large salmon steak, skinned & cut into chunks 150 g cooked prawns 1...
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This drive takes in some of Istria’s most stunning scenery, and its largest medieval hill towns: Motovun and Grožnjan. In their day, all these hill-top villages were bustling towns; one even had a huge castle. It basically involves visiting Istria’s two main and best known inland attractions, with a magnificent scenic drive between them and...
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This short drive near the River Draga meets the sea at the Limski Draga, a flooded limestone gorge. It’s a trip through time: where some towns (Dvigrad) died, others flourished (Svetvincenat) and some even rose to great importance (Sveti Lovrec). Everywhere on this route is an unspoilt slice of history. Only 28 km long,...
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Much of this drive twists along Istria’s dramatic East coast, where the cliffs plunge directly to the sea, but it also takes you up into the mountains behind for panoramic views along the coast. Starting with atmospheric medieval towns, it finishes with two magnificent Austro-Hungarian resort towns. With no stops, it takes about forty-five...
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This short drive through the heart of Istria takes in several wonderful hill-top villages, with some of the best Istrian frescoes. You’ll also see a castle, impressive valleys and a wealth of old stone houses. It’s only 26 km and, while you could drive it straight in about half an hour, if you take...
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Authentic, rural Istria. This beautiful drive into the heart of Glagolitic Istria takes in woods, pastures, mountains and perfect stone villages. Sleepy and unspoilt, it’s a land the modern world has overlooked. You can cover this 30 km route in about 45 minutes, but I’d recommend taking a bit longer to stop off and...
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AM Color is the company for all your property’s interior and exterior needs. Established by Ante Miloš more than 20 years ago, it has a strong, proven record – with a long list of happy customers – and covers everything from full renovation to a final coat of paint, including: interior reconstruction constructing interior...
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If you’re looking for a builder, I highly recommend Miro and Toni Cabraja, otherwise known as AMT. They are the builders we use, and they’ve never let us down – so far! As well as handling the restoration work at Kovaci, they also built the Little House at the bottom of our garden, installed...
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Based in Pula, Aspectus offers a wide range of properties throughout Istria. It was founded in 2008 by Laci Debeljak, who says the secret of his success is simple: doing the best job possible for his clients. “Much of our business comes from referrals,” said Laci. “People come to us because we provide a...
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Based in Novigrad, Beatum offers all types of property in Istria, as well as a wide range of related services. What makes Beatum special is its owner, Zdravko Kneševic, who’s a real long-term property specialist. He established one of the first real estate agencies in Istria in 1991 – and has had happy customers...
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Based in Porec, Europartner offers all types of property. They focus mainly on Istria, but also have local representatives along the whole Croatian coast. A fully-qualified estate agent, Mara Miloš established Europartner in 2006 and today leads a team of three. She worked for many years in Austria and, with a background in banking...
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Based in Porec, Habitare covers Porec, north and central Istria. They offer a full range of properties, many on exclusive offer. Having worked in real estate for many years, Višnja Simonetti established Habitare in 2006 and has a lot of experience helping foreigners find their ideal Istrian property – and more. Višnja says, “We...
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