From the moment we arrived in Rovinj, I was enamored with the city's charm and beauty. After getting off the bus from Venice (a picturesque ride, I must add), we quickly settled into our little apartment and walked back in to Old Town for some tapas and wine at Piazze Grande. It was an ideal evening, sitting on the cobblestone streets, sipping on malvazija & snacking on Caprese salad, olive tapenade bruschetta, and polenta with fish. Malvazija is the local white wine variety created in Istria, it was incredibly crisp and refreshing. I had no doubts whether or not it would be good, as I had been admiring the terroir of these vines on our drive in. After a walk around the harbor, lit up by moonlight, we made our way back to our little apartment. We met the couple staying next to us, who were also from the states. In fact, they were from California, had recently packed up their house, and decided to travel for a month or so - I was so shocked, they were exactly like the couple in the book, Home Sweet Anywhere, that inspired me to take this opportunity in the first place!
Although we only had a day in Rovinj, we made the most of every second. The morning began with cappuccino at a cafe along the harbor, followed by a visit to the market. We were treated to some truffle tastings and sampled both white and black truffle oil, truffles, and pate. All were delicious! After a bit of wandering through Old Town, we trekked up to the hill to visit the Cathedral of St. Eufemija, at the peak of the city. It was a beautiful cathedral, and I enjoyed this visit more than the visit to St. Mark's, it was a much more personal experience to observe without hundreds of tourists right beside you. Next, we went back to the market, where we picked up some provisions for a picnic lunch at the beach. We then rented some bikes for the day, which were only 5 kuna/hr. or $0.75/hr., for an accurate conversion, some of the best money I spent on the trip! We spent the afternoon biking through Punta Corrente, the first protected park forest in Istria, and sun bathing on its beautiful rocky beaches. We spent hours in the sun, and even took a dip in the sea, which felt incredible. I'd forgotten the powers of sea salt on my skin and in my beachy waves hair! I don't even know what else to say about this day, besides the fact that I found myself, many times, remembering to take it all in and be grateful for my experiences and the ability to behold this wonderful work of our Creator.
After one last glimpse of Rovinj's harbor, we stocked up on snacks and boarded the overnight bus to Split. While the sun began to set, we gazed at the Istrian hill town landscape, and before long we were in the mountains turning hairpin curves down through the valley and back up again. Just as the darkness grew, and we started to grow tired, we hit the sea once again, only this time, atop high, jagged bluffs. It was absolutely stunning, and I wish I'd have been able to see better. After that, we started to grow more tired, uncomfortable and annoyed. The bus was full, it made more stops than we were anticipating, and an eleven hour overnight ride is simply uncomfortable no matter what. The sun began to rise just shortly before our arrival in Split. We got off the bus, easily navigated our way to the apartment, and after a short rundown of the place from our extremely efficient host, Marko, we collapsed into the extremely comfortable bed and cuddled up under the down comforter. We slept until late morning, and although it was a gorgeous day, we didn't feel too guilty because we were both exhausted and had a bit too much sun in Rovinj the day before.
Once we finally forced ourselves out of the Oasis, not only the name of the apartment but a perfectly accurate description, we made our way to the market, bought a quick lunch, and ate on a bench on the Riva. We were there for all of ten minutes before deciding to turn around, go back to our apartment, and change into our swimsuits. Then, after a couple iced espresso beverages that snapped us out of our zombie-like state, we were off to explore Old Town Split. We wandered through the cobblestone streets along a path of the remains of Diocletian's Palace. Diocletian's Palace, a collection of ruins from the former Roman emporer, collectively form the center of Split today. Unlike anything I've seen before, similar to this, it was unique to see how portions were preserved and actually built upon to form the city.
After our stroll through the Palace and Old Town, we walked along the Riva to Ježinac, a pebbly beach just 3km from the city center. Our toasty skin wasn't quite prepared for an afternoon of sun bathing, so instead we enjoyed a quick dip in the Adriatic (I say this casually, as if it's something I do everyday!) and sat out just long enough to semi dry off. We walked back to the Riva and decided to catch a last minute boat cruise, since unfortunately the weather would hold us back from a day trip out to the islands as we'd originally planned. It may not have been as glamorous as we'd hoped, but it was still enjoyable to get out on the sea and feel the wind in our hair! Afterwards, it was back to the Oasis for a dinner prepared from our market purchases and a night in to catch up on writing and planning.
Unfortunately, our second day in Split was a little less bright, as our perfect weather streak came to a halt. We woke up and it was just cloudy and sprinkling, so we decided to take a morning hike to the Marjan Peninsula. My caffeine still hadn't kicked in and I was slightly dreading it, but despite the seemingly endless amount of stairs, the climb to the top and panoramic view was most definitely worth the hike. The view was absolutely breathtaking, unfortunately the rain began to come down even harder so I quickly packed up my camera and we began our descent. We returned to the apartment, and I relaxed for a bit while Emily went for a run before we headed back to Old Town for a tour through the Cathedral, Crypt, and Baptistery of Dioceltian's Palace. I've enjoyed these cathedral visits with Emily and all the facts she tells me about each one, I'm sure her mother would be proud! The afternoon was less glamorous with the gloomy weather and finding myself feeling a bit homesick, which hasn't happened to me since my first trip abroad in 2007, but I guess it isn't so terrible having someone in your life that you care so much for & miss that terribly! Sorry Mom, Dad and Ally, I miss you all too, but a little chat with Mitch was all I needed to put a smile back on my face! After dinner, the adventurous traveler in me was back and ready for our last night in Split. We walked back into Old Town and grabbed a table at one of the many bar/cafes tucked into the stone walls of the city. We reminisced old times over a couple glasses of wine while simultaneously letting the reality of being in Croatia start to finally sink in.
We took advantage of the last few hours we had in Split with a walk through the basement rooms of Diocletian's Palace this morning. Another stunning display of architecture with a noticeable Roman influence. We were joined by a multitude of locals who were setting up for a gourmet food and wine festival - we suddenly wished we had more time to stay in Split. Hopefully the weather has a change of course for the remainder of the trip, but if not, I'm glad I have Emily here to remind me that we still need to make the most of it! Next stop, Dubrovnik for the weekend!
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