It's been so long!

Well, life on the road has been pretty hectic since my last post. Last time, I was in Lake Bohinj getting readyfor a day of excitement. Well, thankfully I felt better and we went to Savica Waterfall which was quite a hike up in 30+ heat. But it was beautiful to see the crashing waterfall and then to turn around and see the calm lake. Then we got some fabulous gelato before getting ready for paragliding. Just our luck, we arrived at the pickup spot and were told we couldn't go up because the wind picked up and it wasn't safe. I was relieved that they wouldn't take us up in unsafe conditions but yet again, my attempt at doing something adventurous in Slovenia failed (last year I had hoped to go white water rafting but couldn't). So we got back in the car and drove to Piran. Now, this is a part of Slovenia I had not seen and I am so glad I went!

Piran is a stunning coastal town with amazing views and scenery. We parked the car outside the city limits and then walked to our hostel in the middle of the old town. Piran was under Italian influence for many years therefore it has a very Italian feel. It reminded me of Venice with the small winding alleys, the lack of vehicles in the old town and the architecture. Once we checked in, we went to the ˝beach˝ which was a cement pad. But it was nice to just lounge around before we packed up to sit at a cafe and watch the sunset. It was so peaceful and beautiful. We had a great dinner in a small local restaurant. I had schnitzel (I know, not very Slovenian but I had a craving) and palecinkes. I was cautious because we make palecinkes at home and I was nervous these wouldn't be as good. And I was right... they weren't which was disappointing.

The next morning, I walked and Jaime ran through the streets of Piran, winding our way up the hills to a lookout with stunning views of Piran below and the surrouding neighbourhoods and the Adriatic. One of the best walks I have done! Then we stopped for palecinkes at a different place and I am pleased to say they were good. Mine and my family's are better but I enjoyed them. Then it was off to Croatia. Once we passed the border, we started making our way through Istria, known for hilltop villages and truffles. We were going to Motovun, the most beautiful hilltop village and also where we stocked up on truffles. It as fun driving on dirt roads through Istria searching for the town. And once we arrived, we shopped. I had never had truffles before and wow, they are good! Then we got back on the road and headed for the coast. We arrived in Porec, a resort town that Jaime had only visited for 30 minutes last time she was here, but liked it. Well, we stayed in a resort for the night and it was definately a step up in accommodation. We lounged by the pool for the afternoon and then headed to the restaurant for dinner. Well, we barely ate. The food was so salty I felt like I had just drank from the sea. We tried some things but it was some of the worst food I had ever had. And the scary part was that everybody else was just stuffing themselves... and I felt like I was going to die! After dinner we needed to move so we walked along a dark path (we forgot our lights) to South Porec. It was so touristy and cheesy and the gelato was bad. That part of Porec was a bust.

The next day, we got out of Porec and drove along the coast stopping in Opatija for a walk, but then continuing down the Kvarner Gulf to the island of Rab. We took the ferry over and I was on my first Croatian island! We managed to find a room in a house for cheap. Great considering we had no plans or schedule at this point. I used some of my german training to communicate with the landlady which was interesting. Then we headed for the water. For someone who isn't much of a water baby, I have loved going to the beach and in the water. Probably because it is in the middle to high 30s all the time... it doesn't even cool down in the evening. And so far, we hadn't had any air conditioning. That meant we were always hot and couldn't sleep. So, in Rab, I hopped in the water and used my snorkel to choke on water. Note: do not snorkel in choppy water beside boats unless you want to swallow salt water. After our beach trip we went for dinner. My guide book recommended a restaurant but when we walked in and were the only ones at 7.30, we were nervous. We only ordered wine and calamari, which was alright. The rest of the night we chatted and had more wine and Pag cheese... divine!

So, before we left the island, we went to a beach that was awesome. A sandy beach in Croatia (this is rare) we sunbathed and walked out in the water and just enjoyed ourselves for an hour. Then it was back in the car, across to the mainland and the long drive down the windy coast to Split. Split is by far the biggest city we have been to in Croatia and it was a frustrating few hours. Our maps were bad, we got lost multiple times trying to find a guy I called about a room. We finally found him and then were dragged through town by another guy to the room we wanted to rent. It was a lonf few hous, I was hot and tired and just wanted to rest and at times I was worried we were being used. But it all turned out well. We have a room with air conditioning! We headed out for food and had a fabulous meal - I had seafood risotto which was so fresh and tasty. Then it was people watching along the Riva. A stressful day but it all ended well.

So that brings me to today. Still in Split for the day and spending time to run around and get errands down. We have decided we need to come up with a plan for the next few days because it is getting very busy in this part of Croatia. It's hot but Split is definately a striking city. I'll write more in a few days once I make it to Dubrovnik... gotta go!

Lots of love from Croatia, Lisa