Bolara 60 Kućica: stone country cottage

Great place and a wonderful idyllic house with fantastic and friendly landlords.

Ok, so I'm in two minds about telling other people about this place, as frankly we'd love to keep it all to ourselves. From the moment we arrived at this statuesque Istrian valley homestead, nothing was too much trouble for our hosts - Anna and Matt. The fact that they speak Croatian and seem to know everyone for miles around gives this place a more rooted feel than we maybe expected (it's also useful if you need a hand translating / making a phone call etc). Our (resolutely urban) kids were so taken by the adventures at hand - waterfall, forests, animals - we were even able to engage in some grown-up conversation with our hosts, other guests and indeed each other. A rare pleasure. Food is a big deal here - local, fresh, eaten communally and clearly prepared by people who know and care: our favourites were newly-laid breakfast eggs with wild asparagus, homemade granola and yoghurt with next door's strawberries, and the wild garlic lazanje. Dunno what 'terroir' is in Croatian, but I think this is what it tastes like. A&M also made some useful suggestions for places to eat out, walks to take (the choice to take the muddy, steep route was entirely ours), places to find, taste and procure the must-haves - oil, truffle, wine - direct from local producers. For the former, you need look no further than Osvaldo next door. We stayed in the 'Kucica', the 'little cottage' abutting the main house. The attention to detail is impressive: they have obviously spent time and effort creating a place which is informed by - and sympathetic to - its surroundings (it turns out that old stone buildings with thick shutters really don't need air-con) while having a character of its own - bold industrial touches, a sprinkling of Victoriana. The washing machine was also a useful foil to the kids forays into the forest. While we were there, the terraced kitchen garden apparently featured in the national newspaper. Again, galling for those of us who want to keep it schtum, but understandable. It's the sort of place that makes you want to get stuck into the weeding yourself (though lord knows that Istrian clay soil can't make it easy.) School half-term holidays dictated an earlier departure than any of us wanted. We'll be back - to cycle along the valley tops, take in the Groznjan jazz festival (ok so there definitely aren't any school holidays in early July - so maybe a solo visit), to go truffling. A sensation worth sharing; just not too widely.