Saturday (Around Rovinj)…

We awoke from a deep, restful sleep and enjoyed a fresh breakfast on the pool terrace. The air was crisp…fresh from the overnight rain. The sun shined down and warmed us as we sipped coffee and planned the day.


We drove south to Pula, a working port-town with a rich Roman and Venetian history (not to mention it’s Iron Age and modern histories!!). We parked near the impressive Roman amphitheater, built around the same time as the Colosseum in Rome…the resemblance is striking…with those classic levels of arched walls. We learned that this is the sixth largest Roman amphitheater still standing. I’d like to see all the others haven’t already seen…this sucker was big.


The cozy old part of Pula is small and walkable. The town shows off it’s landmarks well: a Roman arch, an impressive Roman temple in the towns ancient Forum, an in-tact Roman mosaic floor, a Franciscan monastery and church. A small church had been converted into a very nice, compact museum of the Istrian Peninsula. The water front of Pula is mostly industrial port activity (a towering floating oil rig bound for the Adriatic or beyond dominated the skyline). So the town looks inward…and upward…to the Venetian fortress in the hilltop at the center of the old town. The fortress offered a fascinating exhibit sampling the museum’s 14,000 historic postcards of the Istrian towns. Steep cobblestone alleys connect cozy pedestrian streets.


Returned to Rovinj in the late afternoon to wander the town while the shops are still open and people are still out. Local artists fill every nook. We stopped by one store with a lovely artist who’s dog Boogey greeted us with a waggy tail. As bells tolled around 7, we stopped outdoors along the harbor to have a beer and recap. No sooner had we gotten our beers, then all of the wait staff began to scurry around, picking up seat cushions and lowering umbrellas. It was quite impressive to watch, until they lowered the umbrella we were sitting under. A flash of lightening and a low clap of thunder and we understood their urgency.


So, rather than fight Mother Nature, we sat the storm out and ate an early dinner at SCUBA, which had also been recommended by our hotel. SCUBA was perfect. We sampled local truffles over a creamy tagliatelle. Chicken and beef dishes followed with wonderful flair for flavor. A light, layered desert and some complimentary brandy topped off the night.


At this point, the rain and wind were picking up, and the temperature had dropped noticeably. We hurried back to the hotel to warm up…and have a glass of wine 🙂