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Hay Fever Remedies (and Other Tips From Croatia)
Date: 07/08/2007
The finest aromas I never smelled are wafting out of this harbor town…
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Monday, July 9, 2007
Istria, Croatia
Rovinj is remarkably unsmelly for a medieval town. (Medieval drains can often be vile.) Instead it's the aroma of coffee and fresh bread--bakeries here stay open fairly late. Around the harbor, whiffs of grilled sea bass and squid waft from restaurant terraces. In the modern residential district where I'm staying, gardens are scent-laden with roses.
But thanks to hay-fever, I can't smell a thing…
Sometimes known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, hay-fever isn't pleasant. Common symptoms are streaming eyes, a blocked nose, and a choking cough. Whether the cause is grass pollen, or the drift of spent flower "clocks," I don't know. The Mediterranean cypress and olive trees can also cause problems.
Of course, hay fever doesn't only strike in Croatia. Throughout southern Europe, it's around this time of year when sufferers are mostly affected. With anti-histamine tablets, it's normally never problematic for me. Trouble is, I forgot to pack any. The local pharmacist says only one anti-histamine brand is available without a doctor's prescription. And it's useless.
While many things in Croatia are cheap, over-the-counter medications seem an exception. Along with seven alergija tablets, I've spent over $40 on cough syrup and sinus treatment. If you suffer hay fever problems, too, be sure to bring medication.
For $33 a night, I'm renting an apartment in Rovinj's modern quarter from Gennaro Fabrice. He's a plumber whose roots go back to Istria's pre-World War II days when this corner of Croatia was part of Italy. Over a few glasses of white wine (he buys it in plastic bottles), I learn he's deeply suspicious of Croatia's desire to join the EU, has a daughter at Rijeka university, Germans own the house across the road, and the local folk remedy for hay fever is eating honey.
It seems like every local has rooms and apartments to let. So, if you buy a place here, don't bank on being able to rent it out easily to vacationers--certainly not outside of July and August. I'd say the competition is already far too fierce.
Steenie Harvey
Roving Europe Editor, International Living
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P.S. The honey cure hasn't worked yet, but it tastes better than Croatian cough mixture. The local supermarket sells liter bottles of grappa (alcohol made from grape skins) flavored with honey for around $12. Maybe that will do the trick…
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