Every now and then, I find myself wondering about my Slavic roots. That is, how Slavic am I? All I can go by with certainty are the family names of my grandparents, for I am not sure about the family names of all my great-grandparents. On my father’s side, I am Širola from his maternal side. As I have just found out, this family name comes from Friuli in Italy. On my mother’s side, I am Flego from her paternal side and Gržinić from her maternal side. The former family name comes from either Greece or Albania, whence they were brought to Istria by the Venetians in the Sixteenth or Seventeenth Century, and the latter family name is Slavic beyond any doubt. The first Slavs came to Istria in the Eighth Century. I also know that my father’s paternal grandmother was Massalin from Istria, as well as that my mother’s father was Flego from both his paternal and maternal side, but I do not know the family name of my great-grandmother from my father’s maternal side. Massalin is a Venetian family name. Of course, Bon is a Venetian family name going back to the Ninth Century at least. So, looking from my grandparents’ side, I am only a quarter Slavic. Looking from my great-grandparents’ side, the same seems to be true. So, my roots are a quarter Slavic. Alas, no-one is perfect!