We started the day with a bit of sightseeing around the old town. First of all, we climbed up the steep hill on the peninsula to the Cathedral, getting caught out by a few dead ends on the way. Once again, the town was made up of narrow Venetian streets, just like a maze. It was lovely to wander round but a bit difficult to get directly to where you meant to go.
Outside, the Cathedral was plain and a bit ugly, with mixed architectural styles and windows filled in by concrete. Inside, it was prettier, but we commented on just how many Cathedrals we’d seen this trip so perhaps we were a bit jaded. The best part was the views of the coastline, all the islands surrounding Rovinj and the sea right to the horizon – the weather was still beautifully clear and sunny.
We took a different route down past artists’ studios, and saw flights of steps between houses which led directly into the sea. This looked really refreshing for an impromptu swim, but instead we cooled off with an ice cream! After a quick internet stop, we ate lunch in a busy square next to the bus station and Sara made a friend. He was a big green grasshopper who seemed to like her blue dress, although she wasn’t so keen on him! After lunch we wandered round the coast path south of Rovinj to find a spot to spend the afternoon next to the sea. We walked much further than yesterday and found a lovely quiet patch of rocks where we set up camp. In the bay next to us there was a yacht moored and it was all very picturesque. Oli was also pleased to find crabs in every rockpool, but Sara stayed away! After laying in the sun with our books for some time, Oli convinced Sara to come for a swim. The water was beautifully clear again, but there were lots of rocks and it was difficult to navigate round them without our much-needed jelly shoes (we refused to buy crocs!) Sara got a bit freaked out, and after a lot of splashing Oli came out with the line “I can’t believe you just had a meltdown in a rockpool…” and Sara concluded that “I’d be shit in the Famous Five!”
After a bit more relaxation we walked back on a slightly different route through the grounds of an old estate along paths lined with avenues of trees. It was lovely, shady, cool and easy to walk on, but lacked the views of the coastal path. We changed for dinner back at the apartment, then set off for a meal in a canteen-style restaurant next to the marina with checked tablecloths and rustic furniture. Once again, a successful LP recommendation. Oli had barbequed kebabs, and Sara had yummy seafood linguine (miraculously, her white skirt remained clean!), although as usual we swapped our plates lots of times. The meal was topped off by a shot of grappa on the house. It was very nice of them, but our mouths were burning for a while afterwards! Next, we visited Valentino, a cocktail bar recommended by our B&B lady. It was quite something! We sat on cushions on rough rocks overlooking the waters of the harbour, which were lit by underwater lights, and we could see so many fish. We both had lovely cocktails and agreed it was the coolest place we’d ever been for a drink! It was so good that we are hoping to return tonight.