A day off from vacation - Rovinj

So today was a day of rest.

After a lovely stay in Piran, I entered my second country of this trip, Croatia! The rental car companies charge outrageous one way fees to another country - EU or not - so it makes sense to transit the border by public/private transfer. I took a shared van called GoOpti and it was simple and efficient.

Rovinj is part of the Istrian Peninsula in northern Croatia. This is my first ‘long stay’, in a lovely modern apartment. It took a bit of work to find it - as there are no cars in the old town and google maps don’t work super well in the high stone walls. It also didn’t help that the entrance to the apartment was around a corner and in a courtyard.

It is nice to have a bit of normalcy.

A big sofa with Bluetooth to just relax and listen to music. And a washer. No dryer - hang on the line out the window. I went to the market a bought a few goodies for breakfast etc.

Dinner was a bit of a hike but the view back on the town was worth it. (I learned today that Rovinj was actually once an island. So the layout makes even more sense - defensive walls, the sea and of course a huge church and bell tower)

I enjoyed a flatbread that was stuffed with onions and anchovies (good but something was missing) and some roasted sardines (same)

After a bit of a sleep in, I made a few bookings for the rest of Croatia. Did laundry, had breakfast and napped.

Around 4, I joined a free tour. (they are very popular. you just tip the guide at the end) The southwest side of the town is just gorgeous. But it is blazing hot in the sun.

Right now I am at the Mediterraneo Bar. It ‘hangs’ off the side of the city walls and over the Adriatic. It could be super posh but it is laid back and casual and I love it.  I want to be a regular.

I think I have a good schedule for the rest of the stay, including some tours and beach time as well as food.

[sadly Rovinj is touristy - in spots. First world problems. The locals don’t live in town, so you are unlikely to sit down next to one in a taverna. The waterfront is crowded with restaurants which mostly look not good. There are all nationalities. Not many Americans but English is common]