LITTLE ROCK — What's it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Here's someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit.
Shann Fountain Culo, 33, is a native of Lynchburg, S.C., who lives in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. She is the author of the just-published Croatia & Slovenia: Moon Handbook. Her husband, Tomislav, is Croatian.
Q. Why is Croatia paired with Slovenia?
A. Some people complained that guidebooks about one aren't dealing with the other: Croatia and Slovenia have a common border, and it makes sense that if you're visiting one, you'll visit the other.
Slovenia is very close to Croatia, but the language is completely different: Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian are like American and British English. Just a few words are different. But Slovenian is really different.
Still, Croatia and Slovenia get along well. They're the most similar ex-Yugoslavian countries when it comes to moving toward the West culturally. And for Western tourists, they're also the most accessible.
Q. How far is Zagreb, where you live, from the border?
A. The border with Slovenia is about a 30-minute drive, depending on traffic. We go there for lunch sometimes.
To the Adriatic coast? Depends on what part. If you're going to Rijeka, it's two hours. Down to Zadar is 2 1 /2. To Split, 3 1 /2 hours. Croatians are kind of like German drivers. Speed limits are high in Croatia, and Croatians definitely drive fast.
There's so much that's so close.
(The region of ) northern Dalmatia is very different from southern Dalmatia, and Dalmatia is different from Istria, which is on a different section of coast. Geography, cuisine, architecture, scenery .... It varies so much in such a small area.
Q. Your favorite stretches of the Adriatic Sea coast?
A. There are lots of beaches all along the coast, though the best ones are typically on the islands.
Dubrovnik is more well known, and it's grand. But Zadar and Sibenik aren't as slick or busy. It's more real Croatia, and the farther out to sea you go to reach an island, the less touristy things are.
Zadar and Sibenik also have gorgeous architecture. Zadar has Roman ruins; Sibenik has a medieval core. The cities are less than an hour from each other.
The (Roman emperor) Diocletian's ruins are in Split; it's his whole palace. The palace is cool because it's totally used: There are shops, hotels and apartments inside the palace, laundry hanging out of windows and everything. It's that huge. It's a living relic, not a museum. I love that.
I love Split for the same reason I love Zadar and Sibenik: It's not there for the tourists and doesn't cater to them.
Istria has a healthy Italian influence, especially the closer you get to the Italian-Slovenian border. Signs will be in Croatian and Italian. There's still an Italian minority there, and most summer tourists are from Italy.
Q. What about hiking and backpacking?
A. Slovenia is the best for sports. Slovenia has done a generally great job with tourism. The Julian Alps are really beautiful and have excellent hiking, rafting and more. Their town of Bled is one of those places where you don't believe it could look as beautiful as it does in photos, but it does. The water is turquoise blue; the trees are deep green. A 30-minute drive from Bled is a region called Bohinj. It's a lake area that's great.
Bled is more touristy. To get more off the beaten path, go to Bohinj.
Q. Skiing?
A. If you want double-blackdiamond slopes, you won't find them in Croatia. There are some more advanced runs in Slovenia that are excellent for recreational skiers, amateurs and kids.
Q. And local food?
A. It depends. From Zagreb east, you definitely get the influence of Serbian food - all the grilled meat - and that's part of Croatian cuisine, too. In Zagreb, you're looking at more German food: heavy meats, sauces, pota-toes, kraut and stuff like that. There are even Hungarianinfluenced dishes in Slavonia (eastern Croatia).
In Istria, food's more Italian. The most well-known dishes there are truffles and fui, which is almost like gnocchi.
Q. Truffles? The rare underground fungi the French hunt with trained pigs?
A. They use trained dogs here, and some pigs. The season for that is fall and winter, mainly in the Istrian interior. Istria is very proud of its truffles and uses them - or essence of truffles - in everything. They have the black and white truffles. Most other places have only one type or the other.
Q. What's the best season to visit?
A. Spring or fall. There aren't as many tourists, and you see Croatia more as it is.Also, I'm kind of a foodie, and spring is great for food festivals. In Istria, there are many that revolve around asparagus. And there are wine festivals during the fall harvest.
The best thing in fall or spring is discovering wine roads. There are some great wines that never make it out of Croatia: there's not enough stock to export. My favorite is a light white called malvazija (mall-vaze-E-ah). It goes with everything and is a specialty in Istria.
Travel, Pages 58, 59 on 09/20/2009