After many crisp but bright days, which were brought by the bora, the last few days turned a bit warmer but hazier. The wall of reddish-brown smog coming up the Mirna valley got higher and higher the last few days, and it finally reached Motovun earlier today. To my amazement, few people recognize it as such to this day (“Smog in Istria,” January 14, 2005). The main pollutant coming across the Adriatic is nitrogen dioxide, which is generated by vehicles, waste disposal systems, and power plants (“From the Top of Istria,” September 2, 2006). Both Veneto and Lombardy across the sea are quite rich in all of the above. Satellites of the European Space Agency keep mapping the distribution of this important pollutant, which washes over much of western Istria, as well, but this remains a secret on the peninsula. All sorts of respiratory problems, such as asthma, come from nowhere, as it were. One possible reason for keeping the smog a secret is that it may negatively affect tourism, the only surviving sector of the economy. The other reason is good old stupidity. And Istria is pretty rich in it, no doubt.