Tag: Rovinj

Croatia, etc. Day #12 “Where Do I Begin? A FULL Day!”

by reissmd, posted in Croatia

We got off to an early start this morning in order to visit the nearby town of Pula.  It is located at the tip of the Istrian peninsula of Croatia.  The main tourist attraction is the Pula Arena which was built between 27 BC and 68 AD if you believe Google or in about 100 AD if you believe our guide (or if I heard him correctly).  During the Roman era it was used for gladiator battles and is now available for concerts. When we were visiting they were in the process of breaking down the stage from a concert that occurred yesterday.   Here is an incredible picture of the Pula Arena.

Which I didn’t take.

Here is my photo.

Okay, okay, I am not a great photographer.
This one is from the inside, it is not perfect but I like it.

The remainder of the tour of Pula was very interesting. We were shown the various types of architectural forms in the town. As you would expect the different styles are dependent on when they were built. In one area alone we saw construction that represented the Roman period, Mussolini era, Austrian (also known as the Habsburg Monarchy), and finally Croatia when it was part of Yugoslavia.

From left to right: Mussolini era, Austrian, Yugoslavia. See below for what is located just to the left.
To the left of the Mussolini structure is this Roman arch.

After our day in Pula, the bus, I mean the coach brought us back to the hotel. By the way, did I mention we are staying at the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj (Smareglijeva ulica 1A, 52210, Rovinj). Yes, Rovinj is another one of those Croatia towns with a random J thrown in. I suspect a government official at some point in time owned the rights to the letter J and got a commission every time it was used.

After a hot time in Pula, Patrice and I just wanted to chill.  We had a nice lunch at the hotel cafe (yummy 4 cheese pizza) then headed to the Adriatic to dip our feet in the waters that have been purported to be therapeutic.  It has been said that putting your feet in the Adriatic Sea can cure strept throat, urinary tract infections, and bacterial pneumonia.  That is if it is also accompanied by the appropriate antibiotics. 

It was great resting out by the water.  The hotel provided very comfortable lounge chairs and shade umbrellas.  We took a quick dip in the water but just up to our mid shin and I can report that the pain in my right foot felt much better almost immediately. Of course now my foot is complete numb from the cold water.

Now that my blog has become so popular we did have the occasional passerby asking for a photo with us to show to the folks back home.  Of course we accommodated all our fans.  I’m not sure if it was the blog that attracted them or seeing Patrice in her thong bikini and me in my Speedo.  Here is a picture of us relaxing in our aforementioned bathing suits. 

That’s Patrice on the left, I am on the right.

While relaxing I heard a loud squawk.  I looked up to find this guy standing on one leg.  I tried to film a video of him squawking but he must have been camera shy because he’d only do it when I lowered my camera. 

I tried to recreate this pose only to nearly fall and hurt myself.

Well rested, we were now ready to resume our vacation which more times than not means to get some food.  I didn’t plan to write much about dinner but tonight was a special event.  The meal was good but the dinner was more of an experience than a meal.  On the boat ride over we were entertained by some men singing in what I assume was the Croatian language. They joined us at the restaurant as well. I was told that the restaurant (Spacio Matika) is only open 3 times per week and only for special parties. Following the meal the singing got even more intense.  Our tour director, Gabby, serenaded us with two John Denver classics. She was great. Then one of the male singers sang “O Sole Mío” in Croatian.  Here is a YouTube link if you are interested in hearing this young man.

After dinner we walked back to the hotel. Tomorrow we leave for Venice. John and Brian were asking for more magic tonight but they will have to wait for my ace trick tomorrow at our farewell dinner. I told them I get it right about 50% of the time. My good friends know it is closer to 25%. But when I do get it right it is SPECTACULAR. Well maybe not that good, but I think it is pretty cool and in the end isn’t that all that really matters?

Ciao

Croatia, etc. Day #11 “Into the Caves We Go”

by reissmd, posted in Croatia

I’m starting to hate myself. Yes, I’ve become one of those obnoxious self-absorbed tourists.  It became evident this morning at breakfast when I told Patrice that the Eggs Royale this morning wasn’t as good as at the Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb.  Oh well, I’ll just have to adjust. 

Today we had a very early start being told to have our bags ready for pick up at 6:20 AM because we would be leaving the hotel at 7:20 AM.  Apparently an early start was necessary because Tauck Tours had a very special activity planned. I’m not from Missouri (the “Show-Me State”) but I still need to be shown the proof because I would have preferred more time in bed.  

After about one hour on the bus (Excuse me, Tauck Tours has a “coach” not a bus. This is a very high class operation) we arrived at Postojna, Slovenia. Is it my imagination but does almost every city in this region have a J in its name? Also they seem to be thrown in at random, like in Postojna and Ljubljana. In Postojna, we toured their famous caves.  They are famous to anyone who knows anything about this section of the world. Of course that would not include me. One very rewarding part of this trip has been that I have learned a lot of information that quite honestly has been soulfully lacking in my education. Back to our early start. We left early so we could enter the caves one half hour before opening and have the place to ourselves.  Our sacrifice was well worth it.  My pictures cannot do it justice.  The sights were spectacular.  It was a bit chilly and occasionally we would get hit by some water drops from above, but overall it was a great experience.  Here are some photos that won’t impress you but you should definitely add this place to your bucket list.   Before this trip I didn’t know a stalactite, or a stalagmite, from a hole in the ground.

I just read how to make it is easy to remember. If you care at all about these formations, stalacTites grow from the Top of the cave and stalaGmites from from the Ground of the cave. That should make it easy to remember.

Group of stalactites extending from the top of the cave ceiling.
Lovely stalagmites growing from the ground of the cave.

There were a series of formations that resembled some other objects. Such as a couple with one holding a baby, a kissing couple, and the one below that looks like a rooster.

Does this look like a rooster or hen to you?

At end of the tour we were treated to a series of Slovenian songs sung by a male A Capella group.  The acoustics in the cave were fantastic and made the performance unique. 

Leaving the caves we took a short ride to the town of Prašćari.  There we were the guests of the Prodan family who owns and operates a truffle farm.  I learned that truffles are mushrooms which need to be “hunted”.   Apparently they grow in the wild and are not readily apparent.  So in order to find these guys you need to use truffle sniffing dogs to locate them.  We also had a wonderful truffle-themed lunch.  Appetizers, salad, scrambled eggs, and ice cream all using truffles as a focal ingredient. 

As a little bonus I did a card trick after lunch that worked perfectly.  I had promised John and Brian for days that I would do the trick but kept forgetting to bring my cards to lunch or dinner. I finally remembered today and my travel buddies were a great audience. I’m now 2 for 2 doing magic tricks on this trip.  Dare I press my luck with my favorite trick on our last trip night?   We will see. 

After Prašćari it was back on the bus, oops I mean coach, and headed to Rovinj.  This is a small seaport town in Croatia. We had a short working tour on arrival but I was too hot and worn out to pay much attention. I will say ciao for now and hopefully have some more trip information for you tomorrow.