Sunday 15th August

 

15/08/04   Day 43.

The early start was as painful as I'd thought. Our trusty bakery (which has always been open when we walked past) was there for us again at 6am and the lady was cheerful as ever. Our train isn't as swanky as yesterday but some of leg room and pull out tables like on aeroplanes (which is rather amusing as we have just... one moment, Brian has just pointed out that you can twist the chairs around to make a group of 4.

Where was I? We just went over the top of a mountain so that the ground below was very small so we didactually worry that we'd scenery taken off without noticing. So I've spend much of the journey asleep. Brian tells me the greeness has slowly got browner, luckily I woke up for passport control and we are currently in Croatia (no stamps, the git). The grass is browner, the hills are less pronounced and the houses are different. It's all a bit more mediterranean, really.

To extend Heather's comments on Slovenian and Croatian scenery: I felt like I almost 'missed' Slovenia due to the frantic pace at which we did it - but yesterday (Talk u all?) I had a slight epiphany and will conclude that Slovenia really is a secret gem in Europe. As already suggested, it is a smoother, Austria: not as stark, but more subtlety beautiful. It's flat plains of irregular fields and green trees interwoven like the 'mountains' seen all the more green and lush now that we see only 2 hours south, the far more less succulent greenery of Croatia. Finally, while the hills here are less pronounced, they are also far more abundant and complete, with the view to our right being endless unbroken hills and valleys all the way to the coast Slovenia has been spared such monotony.

And suddenly we are transformed from quite gently boring ramblings about Balkan countryside the the paradise of the Istrian adriatic. After Vienna it seemed a bit brave (foolhardy) to be turning up in mid-August (exactly) in one of THE tourist destinations for all Europe, yet we stepped off the bus and into a travel agency and got ourselves a room with a view of the bustling fisherman harbour and the old town, for only £12.70 a night. (This would have been £8 had we been staying one more night!).

Roving is stunning. The sea twinkles like seas are meant to twinkle, and is a deep blue besides. There is not the brash feel of Balaton, Zell am See or, as I will imagine, the Spanish Riviera, but a comfortable friendly bustle of a town that a) is an active fishing port and b) is full of people enjoying themselves.

The old town has some of the narrowest streetsI've seen, with towering buildings - many with crumbling facades and women hanging washing out on pulley-washlines. Each street has its own scattering of small cramped restaurants and cafes, offering mainly fish, Italian and mediterranean fare, as well as Ice creams and fast food stalls. There is also an abundance of local 'craft' and art stall shops, many souvenirs and a good collection of arts summer/beach clothes.

So as quick as we could we changed into bikini our trunks and headed out to the "beach". This turned out to be a collection of huge paved rocks below the old town full of bikini-clad (& ½ bikini-clad as £6 generally accepted here!) women and very tanned men either sun bathing or throwing them selves off rocks.

We spent an hour there in which time Heather completely remarked her tan line (by burn re-burning the whole lot) and I did a modest 20 minutes lotion-less teenage in an effort to de-pale myself, which has still left me slightly red-chested.

The reasonably strong breeze heat was picking quite a choppy sea, so I was a bit apprehensive about swimming (being dashed against rocks was equally as off putting a thought as waves in my face). But after a spectacular dive of olympic standard I was surprised to find myself enjoying the sea, despite salty waves (stinging eyes)/ horrible taste. That this was just down to positive mental attitude was confirmed by my accompanying assertion that you actually 6 look better here!

We purchased 3 large juicy nectarines, a block of cheese, a huge loaf of bread and a ½ a water melon (la ½, we're talking 4kgs!) for just £2.67 each from the lovely market, had lunch, fiddled around, and fulfilled our long held vision of Croatian water melon.

And now I sit and listen through the open windows to the sounds of cafe conversation below, sea birds, wind in the rigging of the moored boats, the hum of the town and the cross music, and the occasional moped passing by: beep-beep... ahova ciao.

I'm a bit behind on the diary writing so I'd been enjoying Croatia too much. We arrived inPula quite surprised to find it on the coast and that there is an amphitheatre in the middle. After realizing we were getting less for our money than we thought, we hopped straight on a bus to Roviny (although Roy charged us to put out bags in the storage locker, little was done...). The Lonely Planet was wrong again as we got there a lot quicker than expected. We jumped straight off the bus and into an accommodation office and took the only private room for 2 left in the town. A little pricey, but no more than in Prag, and here we have a sea view, view of the harbour and old town. As I sit on my bed writing I can hear the rigging in the sails, the seagulls, music from the cafés, the chink of knives and forks and the brough of foreigners (and the occasional "ciao"...) The lady who runs the room only speaks Croatian and Italian so I have had to "communicate" in Italian but I have told the time wrongly and forgotten the word for 'wet' as in "our towels are not wet. Please go away road and leave us in peace..." Long story... Most of the tourists here are Italian (you can tell as they shout at each other despite being a room away). So it's been a good start to really kill the vocab and I'm looking forward to the proper Italian job. Today, I have been spoken to in 4 different languages. I like that. It makes me happy.

The cheese, by the way, turned out rather well as rakes and in the cheese 'best of' list, after Samos cheese.

Brian had steak for dinner - I stuck with an unhealthy cheeseburger. They had a lot of salt on their chips we sat and ate by the marina and watched the boats come in.Then we went and saw the sun setting over the sea. A lovely end to a very nice day.

Austrian approval.

Beer: I cannot recall - but it was expensive

landscape: may osb.c, big mountains, meadows (sound of music styley), pretty houses with window boxes, postcard green.

people: friendy, relaxed manner. Very cheerful, posh in Salzburg.

capital : the grandest city. Very romantic and grown up.

tourism: Vienna - bloated in nicely-dish-thick with tourists

Salzburg: smothered by. Out to can us out of our money.

General: Presented with 'a flourish. Well organised

food: Sacher-torte, ice cream, kebabs, schnitzel, Sausages - we like them all.

Good selection (lack of kebabs + Spar show ridiculously early)

Bus rides: Sound of music, mozart, mozart caves, coffee and tucker, opera.