Rovinj Ramblings

Today I feel as if I have stepped inside a picture postcard. We are in Croatia on the Istrian Peninsula, in the town of Rovinj.  It's a charming seaside town with  buildings that rise from the sea to the top of the hill where  a fisherman shaped weathervane stands on top of a bell tower looking  out to the sea.  



We took a self-guided tour of the town and were really struck about how pretty it is.  Roaming  through the cobblestone streets with its stone houses with pretty wooden shutters, we came upon artist's studios which smelled of lavender.  The church at the top of the hill is a cool refuge from the mid day sun, but we opted not to climb the creaky wooden steps to the top of the bell tower.  





Back at the waterfront the farmer's market was offering visitors all sorts of treats to sample such as  juicy grapes, truffles with pesto, and sweet blackberries.   I couldn't resist looking through the stalls selling trinkets along the waterfront.  They offered everything from retro beach bags, to candles dripping with lace and glitter that look like a wedding cake and are  not my style.



Down at the waterfront was a perfect place for a picnic.  While we ate, various tour groups walked by following their guide like a scene out of Make Way for Ducklings.  They were listening to their guide by wearing earbuds.  Although in a a church or museum, not hearing a guide speaking loudly to a group is a welcome change from years past, it felt to me as if these people were not really living in the moment and there was an invisible wall between them and everyone else.



While washing clothes at our flat, the doorbell rang and an image appeared on the phone showing who was there.  We've never seen anything like this before at an accommodation.



Dinner tonight was at Maistral. We had a table right at the water's edge and watched the sun sink down into the western sky until it seemed to disappear into the sea.  In the distance I saw people silhouetted on the  peer enjoying the same view.  Later we discovered they were all standing in front of a huge yacht that had pulled in from Australia.  It was sleek, gray, and to me looked like an alien spaceship.  People were photographing it for hours while four people dined on the stern, oblivious to the whole scene.

This evening all of the stores were open until after 11:00 and children were having a great time riding scooters, playing games, and even dancing to a  band that played energetically in the street.  This seems to be a family holiday spot and so safe we never saw a policeman anywhere although we were told to be aware of pickpockets,We discovered a new place down on the rocks by the water's edge called Monte Carlo where we had a nightcap sitting on comfy cushions for half the price of the place we visited last night.  It had a great view of the town across the harbor and the Dean Martin music added to the ambiance.



Back at the hotel as I hung a load of wash on a clotheslines out our second floor window, I noticed someone below taking a picture of me.  It's nice to see so many people enjoying this picturesque town where we hope to return to some day.