Tag / Rovinj

Departing Rovinj under dappled morning sun, we drove through the Istrian Peninsula with its fertile fields, rocky cliffs, and low mountains. A Sunday-morning calm kept road traffic light. Pigs rooted in the fresh mud. Fig trees enjoyed the dappled sun. Grapes and olives fought for field space.


Stopped for a walk and a view from the tiny town of Motovun, with it’s stone walls and picture-perfect church carefully perched on a pointy hill top. A short walk from parking down below–a wise crowd control method–took us through an old city gate into the old town. A quick walk around atop the city walls provided sweeping vistas of the surrounding forests and farmland. Perfect place to pick off attacking marauders…none today unless you count the bus tourists! Just inside the city wall, grey stones bordered orderly back-yard vegetable gardens. We visited the small, quiet church and had a quick cappuccino on the wall before returning to the car.


Leaving the Istrian peninsula, we began an arched drive south along the mountainous spine of Croatia. Mountains and valleys were covered with tall thick forests. The road was modern and fast, cutting through the mountains with frequent tunnels. We passed through the three longest tunnels in Croatia…all over 5000 meters. The longest (Mala Kapela) was an impressive 5821 meters (3.6 miles). In the south, as we reached some high plains, the coastal mountains rose dramatically to the right, snow still clinging to craggy peaks. The mountains whipped up periodic cold showers.


Through one last mountain tunnel, we began our decent to the coast. Crossed an impressive fiord cutting it’s way up into the country. Low trees and brush returned. We entered Split on a narrow winding road. Following signs for the Center/Ferries we arrived at a parking lot on the large promenade near our apartment. There we met Zana, who walked us cheerfully to our home for the next few days…a cozy studio with sunny windows overlooking the dramatic old town.


As sun faded, we walked the smooth, still-wet stones of Diocletian’s Palace, the massive home of this Roman emperor around 305 A.D. Over time, the city and real life sprung up inside the walls of the complex. So today, you walk the narrow streets of the city, with temples and walls and arches from the palace at every turn. It is the ultimate and coolest example of re-use. It will be fun to explore tomorrow in daylight.


Dinner was a cozy spot (Redono d.o.o.) on a random street in the Palace. Huge glass walls provided views of the old building outdoors. A light, satisfying local red wine set a calm mood. Sea bass and John Dory were served on succulent pasta. A simple flan hit the spot.


We wandered the narrow streets briskly…the temperatures dropped to noticeably cold under clear skies. To warm, we ducked into eclectic Ghetto for late mojitos.

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 🙂

We awoke with a slight sense of trepidation. Knowing the possibility of morning rain, a midday Acqua Alta, and the reality that our car was a half hour walk away, we peered out the window at a scattered cloudy sky. Our host Ettore offered us a free lift to our car in his sturdy-but-tiny boat. No time like the present to get ahead of the rain.


We stowed our luggage and sat low in the tiny outboard craft. Exiting our local canal beneath a low brick bridge, we headed out into the choppy water of the Giudecca Canal. As we zipped along the Zattere fondamente, Ettore shared tales of the ups and downs of life in Venice. We dodged vapporettos and taxis, turning into a narrow canal near the train station and car park. We said our goodbyes–both with our new friend Ettore and with a city that we sincerely feel connected with–hopped on the people mover to the Tronchetto car park…and the rain came.


As we paid our parking and reached our tiny grey car, we looked out across the island and could barely make out the iconic towers through the downpour. We felt relief that we were moving on to new adventures.


We crossed the long causeway bridge to the mainland, keeping pace with a departing train and we both watched Venice fade in the rear view window. We will return…Venice is too special.


Through industrial Mestre and onto the wet autostrade. We headed straight for the Slovenian border just beyond Trieste. Entering Slovenia’s narrow strip of Adriatic coastline, we attempted to stop in Piran, a picturesque town that hugs the coast. Unfortunately, The storm that hastened our departure from Venice was beating down heavily on Piran…so we moved on…to Croatia.


Through dual border crossings, we left the EU and entered Croatia with barely a glance. As we exited the highway and joined slower local roads, the beauty of Croatia revealed itself in all it’s sopping-wet glory. Deep red soil bursting with grape vines. Rows of olive trees. And off in the distance, the occasional glance of the Adriatic.


We dipped down into the Istrian peninsula, rich with layers of human history dating to the Iron Age.


We arrived in tiny Rovinj and checked into our hotel…the Arupnium…a new boutique hotel that blends modern design into the surrounding trees. The hotel greeted us with a complimentary beverage and we were immediately unwinding from the drive.


The seaside town of Rovinj is postcard ready. The historic old town sits on a tiny bump of land with narrow cobblestone lanes that wind up to a steepled-church. The main harbor is jam-packed with boats, moored together in the patchwork mesh. The old town is surrounded by rocky cliffs, popular in warmer weather with swimmers. Stair steps are carved into the cliffs, and gleaming metal handrails provide swimmers a safe way to pull out of the water.


We grabbed a cliff-side table at Puntalina Restaurant, ordered a glass of local wine, and watched the setting sun play dramatically with storm clouds in the horizon. Seagulls soared up and down the cliffs. One dropped a present on our table…we ordered fresh glasses of wine. We went inside for dinner…Puntalina had enclosed seats perched cliff-top. Dramatic sounds of surf and occasional rain accompanied dinner. We tried bountiful dishes with scampi and crab, olive crusted fish, and more wonderful red wine. Tiramisu and cappuccinos capped off a special meal to welcome us to Croaitia.


We took the long coastal walk back to the hotel, enjoying the smells of the sea and a dramatic full moon.