Saturday, January 12, 2008

TO PULA AND BEYOND !

The all night bus trip to Pula was OK. Yes you read right! Overnight!
We boarded at 8:00 and it would have been just fine except for the passenger across the isle from us had a horrendous cough that erupted every few minutes. This guy was really sick, and we had sympathy for him, but, why on OUR bus? This is the time for AIRBORNE and I thought that I had one up on him except, the Airborne was down underneath in the hold, in my suitcase, not in my trusty backpack!
He coughed all night! All we could think of was a foreign illness we didn't have immunity to and it hitting one or both of us, and then it would be us hacking and coughing on the airplane back to the States!
Fortunately neither one of us came down with anything remotely resembling this monster,thank God!
We opted for the all night bus because we were strapped for time and the train system is lacking in Croatia to all the sites one might want to put on their itinerary.Thus, we hopped on the bus Gus and tried to sleep the night away.
We arrived in Pula , which is North along the coast, at about 7:30 am. I had read that there is a Colosseum in that city along with Roman ruins,so off we went to find it. It happened to be just a few blocks from the bus station so it was within an easy walk.
It is amazing that there are so many amphitheatres in this area,naturally because of the Roman domination. We have viewed four now in our travels. El Djem, Tunisia; Rome and Verona, Italy and Pula,Croatia.
After a few hours walk through the city, we embarked on a short bus ride to beautiful Rovinj, pronounced, Roveen.
Rovinj has a Venetian feel to it and it carries the same colors that the Venetians are so famous for painting their buildings. It is placed upon the Adriatic as to create the picture postcard you are dreaming of. At the top of the hill for everyone to view is a tall Venetian spire or bell tower which provides an astoundingly beautiful atmosphere. We felt like we were in Venice, sans the canals!
We did not have reservations, and in the tour book were well assured that there would be no
problem finding a place. We asked at the bus station and we had a place for $50.00 per night.
Along the wharf or harbour, there were tourist tour boats and trinket shops on boat where the tiny shelled necklaces tinkled as the water lapped on to the walk. I especially liked this sound even though the boats were tacky.I liked to see the innovative way the shop keepers had transferred the shop to boat.
On the other side of the town was a fruit and vegetable opened air market, alongside the water and also many tour inspired trinkets of shell and coral jewelry stands.

Sitting along the harbor we made many friends by chatting with them as we gazed out at the moored sailboats,and the village rising to the bell tower.
I had to pinch myself to see if this was real or I was dreaming!

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