Yesterday we set off heading for Trieste but not before a final explore of Croatia. But not before we bolted back to our favourite coffee place for one last coffee. We had to wait for our landlord to come and get the key from us but of course we were up and packed and ready to go by 8. So we decided to go and get on a tram into the centre and have a coffee. Marko was late so it was 10.30 before we were able to set off.
We got onto the Autostrada and headed straight down to the Istrian Peninsula to Opatija, then on to the tiny, gorgeous seaside village of Volosko. We were expecting the hoards but were so pleasantly surprised. Apparently everyone goes to the Adriatic side of the Peninsula leaving the East side to lead an altogether quieter life. So we found Volosko to be beautiful. Sort of like Portofino without the tourists.
We had an Istrian Guide from last time we were here and so went to a lovely recommended restaurant overlooking the boat harbour. We had a great lunch over a couple of hours, wandered the town, back in the car and off to find our way to Trieste which wasn’t that easy!!
The traffic on the main roads was horrendous and we couldn’t find our way onto the road we wanted, at least not without joining a daunting queue. So we made a few wrong turns and had to find our way onto the right road…bit tense I must say!! However it was no big deal and before very long at all we were across the border, into Euro-land again, passing briefly through Slovenia and on into Trieste. Phew!!
There was a complicated business to get the key to the house which entailed going to the house of Chris’ friend Patrizia, to get the key in Trieste. She and her family, including grandchildren, were also coming down here to stay in the house we stayed in 2 years ago. We have the house of the owners (of the 2 houses) next door.
We got here needless to say and the saga of getting our cases and paraphernalia down the hill was the same, remembering that getting it all down is not half as bad as getting it up will be!! But it is a challenge!!
But here we are ensconced once again by the sea. The house is really quite eccentric. It is delightfully cluttered and full to the brim with Sicilian pottery from the handbasin to the stairs and everything in between. It has a few weird aspects such as the very stylised photos of the woman all over her bedroom walls. She looks at me from every angle!!
The bad thing is that there is no WiFi so I am off the air for 2 weeks which, of course, spooks me. Having said that, Chris and I are going in to town to find a WiFi cafe which we will try to do regularly. I’m writing this in Word and will cut and paste when I get to WiFi. But remember if anyone should really need to make contact (heaven forbid), I do have my Italian phone.
Bye for now, I get even more homesick when I’m not in touch.