Humming along to Hum

Today was a beauty.Nice and warm,sunny skies but thunder storms predicted so soon after breakfast we set off to walk to Hum,the smallest town in the world.
We set off from Buzet about 8.30 and walked alongside the Mirna River for the greater part of the walk.When we began it was a reasonable size but by the time we last saw it it had  become a very small stream.
The walk was very enjoyable as the instructions today were much better and the markathons did not run out like yesterday.We even had signposts pointing to Hum in a couple of places.Very reassuring.
The walk was lovely.Quite long but lots of interest in the countryside.The fields are planted out in vegetables and grain crops and each house has a productive garden.Still a lot of vines and figs are prolific here too.A food basket place.We even saw a few walkers on the track today.
We crossed the Mirna River a number of times and avoided muddy sections with some elegant sidestepping. There has been a lot of rain in Croatia before we arrived so so parts of the track were quite tricky to navigate.
Each of the villages we passed had small chapels with statues of the Virgin Mary as a centerpiece, plus flowers and religious symbols.
The first village was Kotli where there was an old water wheel and mill and a couple of houses,no more.The name of the village relates to the water holes in the river where you could swim,play and enjoy on a sunny day.

Our next village was Bencici where we stopped for a break after a couple of hours walking.This was an example of an original stone Croatian village with most of the buildings boarded up and abandoned. They were solidly constructed with wooden shutters and very solid doors, some wood, some iron
We sat in the porch of one of them and caught our breath.Brad found an orange in her pack so that was a treat.We had promised ourselves lunch in Hum at a traditional Istrian Koanga.
The most concerning thing we saw was the hunters shelters which were elevated platforms with a roof and a ladder to access it.I was wondering what sort of animals were in the area and how dangerous were they if they needed to be so high up.I can say we did not see or hear anything to cause concern until I got chased by an aggressive mutt near Hum.He got a good poke with my sticks.
We eventually arrived at the foot of the track leading up to Hum.The notes made it look easy but it was an uphill slog in hot conditions.The track was an old riverbed and care was needed to keep your footing.I had memories of Poland.
Eventually we arrived at a track leading through forest and onwards to Hum itself.
Now this was an experience. We had the most delectable sandwiches at the kaonga plus a cold drink and a wonderful view over the hills.It was a relief to arrive without incident so we enjoyed a look around the old town before ringing our taxi to deliver us back to the hotel.Thunder rolled and the skies opened so our timing was great.
Back home we had a swim in the pool before exploring Buzet and enjoying a drink by the town walls overlooking the valley below us.
Later we dined in the restaurant where I tried the local soup again and a delicious poker and mushroom main.
It was the end of a successful day.Now we pack and get ready for the final day walking.It is the big challenge,climbing the highest peak in Istria so better get some sleep......