After last year’s enjoyable but just a bit too fast paced guided tour of Sicily, Trip Report Trip report: Fire and rain, not-so-sunny Sicily by guided tour - Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (fodors.com) I thought I needed something a bit more relaxing this year. So two weeks in one place sounded like the right choice this time around.

Croatia has long been on my list of places I’d like to visit. I liked the look of Dubrovnik, but was put off by crowds inspired by cruise ships and Games of Thrones. As I researched, the more I was drawn to Istria in the north of Croatia, and in particular to the pretty little town of Rovinj. So I booked two weeks there in September.

Hotels in the old town, and even on the mainland nearby, were quite pricy, especially with my other parameters; a hotel with a pool was important for me as I love a swim after a day’s sightseeing, and am a bit nervous swimming in the sea; I didn’t want to be too far out of town due to the dodgy knees not getting any better; and I wanted access to sightseeing and transport options. I don’t drive, and Istria is definitely best seen if you have your own or hire car, so there were definitely some trade offs with my selection. The hotel I chose did look a bit resort,y but it seemed like the best option overall, and despite its down sides I think it probably was.

I was almost at the point of settling for somewhere other than Rovinj when I came across the Maistra Select Island Hotel Istra. This is on the little island of Sveti St Andrija or Crveti Otok (Red Island) just offshore from Rovinj. There is an hourly ferry to the mainland, free for hotel guests which would made sightseeing reasonably easy. I had also prebooked a couple of boat trips and a couple of coach day trips to places not easy to arrange by public transport. The one I was most excited about was a sunrise trip to see the dolphins; a number of boat companies offer sunset trips with drinks, but that would have cut into my dinner time options, and seeing them at sunrise sounded absolutely magical. Just one company offered this sunrise option, Andana Sea Tours. They offered pickup direct from my island at 5.50 am, and I decided the Monday would be perfect; I would probably be tired on the Sunday and I thought scheduling it early in the week was sensible in case it was cancelled – or if I loved it so much I wanted to go again. This first week of my trip was the last week of their season.

I chose September for pleasant but not excessively hot weather, but a couple of weeks prior to departure it became clear that the weather was not going to co-operate, with forecasts of rain almost every day. I reorganised my packing and made sure to include a raincoat (actually two), and I was so glad I did.

Looking forward to more!

Sounds enticing!

I had booked with a package deal mainly for the benefit of an easy transfer from the airport, and I was a bit worried about the orchestrated nature of it, but actually I was impressed by how smoothly it all worked. My flight from Gatwick to Pula was horribly early (6.10 am), so I spent the night before at an airport hotel. The weather forecast looked good for the weekend, but with storms setting in on Monday morning. I hoped for the best of course, but then, as I sat in my hotel room, my phone pinged with a whatsapp message from Andana Sea Tours, who were doing the much anticipated sunrise dolphin trip which I had booked for Monday. The bad weather meant they would have to cancel, could I do it Saturday morning instead. Well, no, as I would still be on the plane .

They were uncertain when, or if, they would be able to reschedule, but we agreed to wait and see if the weather improved later in the week. So that was a bit chastening. There would also be some days it might be a bit tricky to do it as I had day trips booked which were due to leave fairly early.

Anyway, next morning I got up ridiculously early and got to the airport far earlier than necessary. Still, I’d rather it was that way round…

The flight was uneventful, but with some nice views, including an exciting glimpse of the Roman amphitheatre at Pula as we came down to land. We landed to overcast skies but it was dry and warm, and the clouds soon cleared.

The coach transfer was efficiently organised, but took longer than a private one would have done. We went via a rather tired looking resort called Verudela and the town of Vodnjan, and I could see some of the stone shelters called kazuna which used to be common in the area, which was quite cool. The weather was brightening up, and was lovely and sunny by the time we reached Rovinj. There were extensive stretches of undeveloped land along the coastline, mainly olive trees.

Finally we reached Rovinj. The ferry to the island, and the one to another island hotel, Sveti Katarina, leave from the Delfin Pier a short walk from the old town. There is a marina there and a reception area provided by the Maitra group of hotels, which had free, clean toilets and wifi, but the café there had limited options and service there could be slow. There was a bit of a wait for the ferry, which goes hourly, but the journey across was only about 15 minutes. A word on this: I used the ferry twice a day as I was there mainly for sightseeing, and the staff were really helpful. It was sometimes a bit tiresome having to time my day by the ferry times, especially if I was also aiming for a specific bus time.

Looking forward to yòur report. Very fond memories od Rovinj and the Istria region more generally.

When we landed on the island, luggage was taken for us from the ferry landing to the hotel on a little van (the island is generally carfree). It was just a few minutes walk from the pier to the hotel entrance. There was a bit of a queue to check in with everyone arriving on the same ferry, so I peeled off and grabbed a drink from the bar while I was waiting. Then having checked in and been assigned my room, I went up to deposit my luggage and semi-unpack.

I was pleased by my room. I had paid a bit extra for a sea view and it was well worth it – a gorgeous view of the sea and the adjacent island Maskin, which is joined to Sveti Andrija by a little causeway, on the opposite side of the island from the main pier. The room was a good size with a lovely wooden floor and loads of storage space. There were chairs and a small table as well as the standard desk/dressing table. It had a nice little balcony with a small table and chairs. Unfortunately I found that the door to the balcony did not close properly which was a bit of an issue on the evenings when there were storms/cold weather. Initially I thought there was only one power point available for charging devices, but a few days into my stay I found two more.

The mattress and pillows were very comfortable, and the bed linen spotlessly clean, but some nights a warmer duvet would have been very welcome as the AC had a mind of its own and with the gap in the balcony door a couple of nights were shiver inducingly cold. The minibar fridge was unstocked, but it made a useful fridge for my own drinks.

The bathroom was definitely dated, both in terms of décor (not a big deal), equipment and finish (some cracked tiles or places where things had been removed. I understand they plan to revamp these at some point, and it was all usable. The towel rail looked as if it should be heated but wasn’t. The sink tap was quite stiff. The towels supplied were perfectly clean but a bit basic – smallish and quite thin/hard – OK but not really 4 star standard. I found the bath was awkward to lie down in due to sticky out bits; the shower attachment worked well but was a bit fiddly. The hot water was nice and reliable. It was generally very clean but I don’t think they cleaned the bath fully every day as once or twice I noticed drips of body wash undisturbed.

The door opened with a magnetic bracelet, with the previous door card being used for lighting – I liked that as it meant I could leave it on when I was out. One could swim with the bracelet on, so no concerns about leaving keys on a lounger while in the pool.

Having dumped most of my stuff I went back to the bar and ordered a sandwich and drink for lunch on the terrace just outside, which was lovely, and enjoyed the view. Then I spent the afternoon exploring the island. The island was really very pretty, and it was nice to walk around. It was well set up for sunbathing and swimming in the sea for those inclined that way. It was really quite hot by now, and I saw lots of lizards scuttling around. Scary giant seagulls were the main wildlife, but there were some pigeons too. One of the latter had clearly been the victim of a Dreadful Murder, as walking on the grass to avoid a Scary Seagull blocking the path in a particularly menacing fashion I saw a large stone on the grass with two grey wings spayed out under it. (On one later day I saw a pheasant.)

There is a high end restaurant in a converted monastery on the island next to the modern hotel block. I popped in here to see some of the pictures and old furnishings inherited from the Hutterott family who owned it in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the sea on the back side of the island there are a pizzeria and gelateria (sadly not a proper Italian one but OK) and I had an ice cream as I explored.

There are nudists bathing on the rocky shoreline of the attached wooded island of Maskin, over the little causeway, fairly discreetly placed but I felt slightly nervous walking around there on my own. In the centre of Maskin is Count Hutterott’s mausoleum, which was a very peaceful spot. There was also a small restaurant over here.

Then back to the main island and it was time for my first swim, which I mentioned earlier was a priority for me. There were four outdoor pools (two for children), which looked most inviting in the hot sun. Unfortunately the steps in were poorly designed and were so steep that I couldn’t get in with my bad knee – they might have been OK if the top step was a bit lower and one could immediately launch into the water. That was a disappointment – one would expect at least one easy set of steps.

However, the indoor pool was perfectly acceptable as a substitute and I swam there most days. The water was a reasonable temperature and easy steps in. It was a bit of an odd shape (an L basically) meaning limited options for lap swimming if it was busy, as it was on later days when the weather was not so conducive for outdoor or sea swimming. On one occasion some children were repeatedly jumping in (against the posted rules but as there were no staff on duty it went unchecked.) There was also a warmer plunge pool with intermittent jacuzzi features which was quite nice to relax in. Towels did not seem to be available there (they were outside), but I had brought my own.

Then after a shower and a change it was time for dinner. Although there were other restaurants available on the island and of course plenty on the mainland, I had booked half board, and that was a partial negative aspect to my experience. Food was buffet style, and the quality, choice and amount were all excellent on the whole, although some things were a bit lukewarm by the time you got them to your table. Savoury options were better than sweet ones. Drinks were available from self service machines, so no option for branded bar drinks, which was a shame, but the water was good quality.

BUT there were not enough tables and too many customers. It was a nightmarish scrum trying to find a table. One night I actually had a panic attack it was so awful, and twice I just couldn’t bear to go down at all and settled for a sandwich from the bar in my room. That alone would prevent me from making a return visit. It would have been fine with assigned seating. The issues were not as bad at breakfast. It would perhaps have been better if the weather was better throughout the holiday and outside seating could be used – it was definitely worse when the weather was poor. I’ve not stayed anywhere like this before, and would not do so again, although in many respects it was a lovely hotel with much to recommend it.

Staff were helpful and polite at all times, and kind when I had my panic attack, but could have been more proactive encouraging people who had finished eating to move on. The bar area was also nice but a bit too small, especially on the Sundays evenings when there was entertainment – it was simply impossible to find anywhere to sit then.

But it was the sightseeing which was really important.

I had a relaxed start on Sunday morning and had lunch in the hotel bar before taking the ferry over to the Delfin pier, where I was expecting to be collected at 2.15 for a prebooked boat trip to Vrsar and the Lim Fjord. I had selected today for this as it looked like the last reliably sunny day, and had booked this particular trip (booked via boatsandtrips.com) because it also visited the little town of Vrsar on the other side of the fjord. They didn’t turn up, and didn’t bother to let me know until it was too late to do anything else. When I finally made contact they claimed it was because bad weather was expected, and were cagy regarding a rescheduled trip – and obviously I didn’t want to hang around pointlessly again. They offered a refund but I don’t think it ever materialised.

It was true that the storm was starting to come in in the early evening, and the indoor pool was much busier today. It was also the first day it was really hard to find anywhere to eat. There was a band in the bar who were quite good, but again so hard to find anywhere to sit.I got what was obviously an automated message from Andana about my sunrise trip, and so I got up early just in case. It was black dark what with the pre-dawn time and the storm, the seas were rough and it was raining heavily. Unsurprisingly the boat did not arrive, although I did see the first ferry of the day arriving at 6, offloading a few workers. I returned to my bed for a lie in.

By the time I got up properly the storm had really set in, and I thought the day was gong to be a washout and I would not be able to get to shore at all. I was beginning to regret staying on an island.

But after a drink in the bar it started to clear up a bit, and I decided to brave the 11 am ferry. It was still very windy, with the waves splashing up foam at the shoreline, but the rain had finished and it was surprisingly sunny again. The ferry normally stopped at the old pier just by the old town as well as the Delfin pier, but on this occasion they said they weren’t going on, so I decided to walk into town. In the end I did this each time I went into the old town, and it was actually a lovely easy walk along an attractive cobbled shopping street (Ulica Carrera), or you could walk along the shoreline. There was a lovely gelateria near the start of the street, and various shops selling clothes, souvenirs, food, and even a bookshop which had a few English books (albeit at a very high price).

The sun was positively glorious by now, and quite hot. I easily found the tourist information office. Another thing I had prebooked was a free walking tour run by the latter, but I hadn’t had a confirmation. On enquiry I was indeed booked but my email had bounced back for them. I picked up a printed copy of their lovely guide, also free (I had downloaded it when planning the trip but a hard copy is often easier to use): Cultural and Historical Itineraries in Rovinj, Istria - Official tourism portal (rovinj-tourism.com). I recommend this!

Close by I found the Balbi Arch, the historic entrance of the city, and selected one of the cafes in the area for a light lunch and a gelato. Then I ventured into the delightful old town of Rovinj, and climbed up to St Euphemia’s church at the highest point. I went into the church and then did walk 1D from the Cultural Itineraries booklet. I was delighted by the charming old buildings and narrow cobbled streets of lovely Rovinj. Then there was time for another drink and gelato, and a gentle stroll back to the main ferry point. Close to the latter there is a handy little supermarket where I bought some drinks for my fridge, and local biscuits to take back to work colleagues. It was just as well I had invested in my own supply, as that evening the hotel bar was out of Coke Zero.

Tuesday had unexpectedly perfect weather. I would have thought it would have been ideal for my sunrise dolphins, but apparently not. Anyway I took the 8 am ferry to allow time for a drink before the free tourist info guided walk. This was excellent and would have been worth paying for 😊 It was available in several languages, English, German, Italian and Croatian, I think, and we were divided into groups by language. Although it was supposed to be pre booked a few people were welcomed who hadn’t done so. It was also dog friendly – we had one dog with our group, and I saw another with the German group.

It was a really good overview of the town. We went into St Euphemia’s as a group, and this time I went into the area where the saint's tomb is. It is opened up once a year on her feast day. Supposedly the sarcophagus floated miraculously to shore after iconoclasts were destroying relics in Constantinople in the year 800.

The highlight of the tour was a live performance in a side street of bitinadas, the local folk songs. Sung in the local Venetian/Italian dialect, which was spoken by the majority of the fishermen until World War II, they were lovely sounding songs. There was also a free tasting included of wine, olive oil, and a local speciality, the zuppa, which was slices of bread immersed in a spiced wine, in a small building en route. I tried the olive oil, which was served neat in small cups, and to be honest it tasted rather like vegetable oil. I may be a philistine when it comes to food but it was not nice at all.

At the end they went into the Batana Ecomuseum, which I planned to visit later on anyway, and I peeled off to secure an afternoon ticket for a Lim Fjord boat trip from one of the many vendors on the shore (Delfin Tours was the one I chose). There was an hour or so before it set off, just enough time for a snack and drink. The trip lasted four hours in all including a couple of stops, and it was very relaxing. The price included some drinks. The fjord is a channel just north of Rovinj, and is striking for stunningly blue water contrasted with green wooded hillsides. It was really very pretty. The main stop was at Lim Bay at the end of the fjord, where there were a couple of restaurants and cafes; then a shorter stop at a cave. This involved a steepish climb up and I opted out of it.

On my way back to the ferry point after the trip, I stopped off at the bus station to buy a ticket to Porec for the following day. (Bus times were not really conducive to tourism as the earliest was at 12.10, and the options for return were at 3 or 9 pm. This was one of the main times I would have liked a car (and driving companion).)

I got back to the hotel around six, to be greeted with a whatsapp message from Andana. The sunrise trip was a definite no all week, but they could fit me on a sunset trip that very evening – in about 20 minutes! I decided to accept this option, and rushed about making essential arrangements and went down to the ferry point on the island.

The boat arrived and was turned out to be a small motorboat. I was rather horrified that it had no ramp to get in, and I was expected to jump down onto it, which was very difficult with my bad knees and the roughish sea. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it at all, but eventually managed it. I can’t say I enjoyed the trip very much: it was cold, I was anxious about getting out again at the end, I was hungry, none of my fellow passengers said a word, and most of the trip was speeding through the water not seeing any dolphins. We did see a couple, including a mother and calf, but from a distance.

On the return the other passengers were getting out at the Delfin Pier, and I decided that was better for me as it was higher in the water and easier to scramble out. Luckily I had grabbed a sandwich from the bar on my way down, so I ate that on the pier while waiting for the 8.30 ferry as I would not have got back to the hotel in time for dinner. In retrospect I wouldn't have done this at all, and I think my main takeaway is that boat trips should be booked on the day, when you can see what you are getting both in terms of weather and boat

So that was a very busy day with plenty of ups and downs.

Wednesday dawned a little cooler, but still beautiful; in fact it was just about perfect. As my bus to Porec was not until midday I had a relaxed start. I took the 10 am ferry over and had a late morning snack at a café near the bus station. The buses in Istria are all of the coach type with a luggage compartment underneath. Tickets come with a pre booked seat, but on this journey the driver told people not to bother and we all just sat wherever there was a space.

The journey ran inland, past the striking ruins at Dvigrad (which might have been fun to visit with a car), then on the motorway for a bit. I have to say that I thought the inland scenery, although undeniably green, was rather undistinguished. It was mostly olive trees.

Porec was about an hour away, and the bus station was an easy 10 minute walk to the harbour and old town. I bought my return ticket as soon as I arrived; I decided the 3 pm was safer than the 9pm, even though it gave me very little time for Porec. The old town was utterly charming; more golden stone than Rovinj, and flat, with some very attractive old buildings. The big attraction is the Byzantine church (known as the Euphrasian basilica), and I made my way there. It was genuinely wow inside, and there was a lot more to see than I had expected, including excavations of the Roman remains. It was a real highlight of my trip.

After seeing round that I strolled along the harbourside and had some ice cream and a drink before getting back to the bus station. Interestingly, the return journey took us a different way, skimming the hills around the Lim Fjord, so I got a birdseye view of where I had been the day before – it was beautiful from above, perhaps even more than being down there.

I had plenty of time for a long swim that afternoon.

Glad you’re sharing this, I’ve wondered about a ‘no car’ trip in the area.

It was definitely more challenging without one, Adelaidean.

The weather broke again that night, and in the morning there was a really terrible storm. I had booked an excursion to a couple of the inland hill towns today, and technically I could have got the 9 am ferry for a 9.25 pickup, but I was paranoid about being late if it was delayed, so I got the 8 am ferry instead.

My heart quailed within me as I waited on the pier. The first few ferries of the day are a smaller boat which normally serves the Katarina Island through the day, but stops at both islands early (and late evening). Not only was it raining, but the sea was so rough the gangplank literally rose a metre into the air and fell with every wave, so you had to pick your time to get on it! The staff were amazing helping us on and off though. This was definitely one moment I wondered if it had really been the best idea to stay on an island! To be honest, if I hadn't had this trip booked I would have thought twice about going out at all.

The advantage of taking the early ferry was that I could get a drink and use the loo at the café. The trip was organised to collect people from a number of different resorts in the area. About 16 of us were collected from Rovinj in a minibus, then we transferred to a larger coach at a petrol station, where we were also joined by our guide, an enthusiastic young man.

The first stop was Groznjan. This little village was abandoned after the Second World War when its Italian speaking population was forced to flee, but in the 1950s it was resettled by a group of artists. It was really charming, with lovely old houses, and a number of artist’s studios and shops. There were quite a lot of flowers too, which made me realise there had not been many in Rovinj or Porec. I also made friends with a sweet dog who was also visiting. What it really needed was some cafes; there was one which was closed and a fullscale restaurant, and we didn’t have a lot of time. I loved Groznjan and would recommend it if you're in the area. The weather had eased off but was drizzly rain. It would have been even lovelier in beautiful sunshine.

We then went on to Oprtali, which had a similar history of an expelled population, but which had not been restored in the same way. Some of the houses were occupied but many were derelict and it had an altogether more melancholy feel, perhaps exacerbated by the rain which varied between light drizzle and heavier downpours. We had a photo stop of a nice view of the famous hilltown Motovun on the way there. Our guide took us round here fairly briskly thanks to the weather, and it was quite a short visit.

The final part of this trip was a tasting at the Coslovich winery at Ceppi. They served several different wines, but also some bread and cheese. (They kindly gave me a cup of water). I wouldn’t have gone there by choice, but it was the only way to see the towns. Other travellers definitely enjoyed it, and it was quite well organised, although the seats were quite hard and people all crammed in. There was a very sweet little resident dog to say hello to. There wasn’t really enough food for it to be lunch, but it was much better than nothing, which is what we would have had otherwise.

On the whole a good day out. Then it was back to Rovinj. The sea was still very rough and the gangplank rising and falling even worse than it had in the morning, and it was a real challenge getting on and off, but we got back to the island safely and the crew were brilliant again.

I found it was really cold in my room that night, and I felt the thinness of the duvet; next morning a bottle of water I had left by my bed was like it had been in the fridge. I did not sleep at all well.

Friday dawned cold and showery, and did not improve. I was frozen by lunchtime. I took the 9 am ferry and walked into Rovinj. I had planned to visit the heritage museum today, so had a drink in a nearby café while I waited for it to open at 10, only to find it didn’t. I went into the tourism information point to enquire, and found it was closed today prior to a new exhibition being launched that evening. It would have been helpful if this was flagged on their website or on a notice on the door.

Feeling slightly disgruntled, I cheered myself up by doings walks 1A and 1B from the cultural itineraries booklet, which covered most of the old town. I enjoyed exploring more of the narrow streets of Rovinj. I also popped in to the council office, which has some old bits of masonry just inside. I also saw the anti-Fascist memorial in modern style in the flat market area just outside the old town.

Then after a light snacky lunch I did walk 2, in the old mainland area. I had hoped to visit the Franciscan monastery museum, up a hilly street at the end of the shopping street, but it was closed. I checked online afterwards, and it appeared to only be open 10-12, so I planned to revisit another day.

I then got the little ferry over to Katarina island, as I was curious to see it. It was a bit odd, with an eerily empty feel. There were almost no people about, but a flock of about 100 of the Scary Giant Seagulls sitting menacingly on a lawn. There was a sign in the hotel reception saying due to the bad weather the ferry was not reliable and advising their guests to stay on the island – yet where were they? The hotel building was prettier than mine, though. I had a lonely choc ice in the hotel bar and then went back to the mainland and then back to my own island. In retrospect this felt like a bit of a waste of time.

I had a nice swim at least, then an early dinner in a desperate attempt to get a table. It was no better

Thanks so much for sharing your trip. It's interesting to read the ups and downs, about the meal arrangements and the things you'd do differently next time. I'm now an older solo traveller and have been slowly realising the way I'd travel and the places I'd stay, are different from what suited us as a couple. Staying for two weeks at half board had not really occurred to me, but it sounds appealing. I wonder if that's a European thing, with some meals included?

We had about 5 nights in Rovinj years ago and loved it. Its such an attractive town. We had a small apartment above one of the restaurants, overlooking the marina. Even now I can remember the sun coming in the windows and the ocean breeze.

I must have missed it, what month were you there?

The middle two weeks of September. Weatherwise earlier would have been better in retrospect, but I'd say it was about the right level of business.

Enjoying your TR!

Thanks!

Saturday, and half way through my stay. It was cool but fair, with occasional spots of rain. I took the 9.00 ferry and walked up to the Franciscan monastery again, but once more it was closed. The Heritage Museum was open today at least, but it was distinctly disappointing with almost no exhibits. On the ground floor was the temporary exhibition, which was an archaeology based one, which was worth seeing if very small. Upstairs there was little more than some mediocre paintings. I asked politely if this was all there was, and it was. The building istelf is nice, a Venetian palazzo, but better outside than in.

I wandered round to the Batana Museum and was disappointed to find it closed, with no notice to that effect. I had specifically earmarked Saturday for this as they said online that on Saturdays they had extra activities with retired boatbuilders demonstrating their art. But it was deserted.

I went round to the tourist info to enquire; initially they insisted that of course it was open, but eventually they phoned to make enquiries of their own, and reported that the staff member was off sick. The cynical part of me wondered if it was because the St Euphemia Festival was that evening. While there, I also asked about the Franciscan monastery and they said despite what it said online, it was actually only open 6-8 in the evening.

I did walk 1C from the Cultural Itineraries instead – more lovely exploration of charming Rovinj, but it didn’t take long. I decided I might as well have a relaxed big lunch in one of the harbour restaurants, which I did, then hung around the harbour for a bit. There were preparations for the festival going on, but nothing was due to start until 5.30 so I went back to the hotel to swim.

It was seriously COLD again next day, with spotty rain. I had to go over on the 8.00 ferry again as I had my second organised trip today, this one to Motovun, and that was an 8.25 pickup. I was glad I had done the other one first, as this time I was the only person going from Rovinj, and a taxi collected me for the transfer to the big coach, and I might have found it a bit nervewracking if it was my first experience. It was a female driver, which again was reassuring. The arrangements were very efficient again.

Motovun is the starriest of the Istrian hill towns, mainly because it is the most spectacular seen from a distance, but close up I found it less charming than Groznjan. Nice, and I'm glad I visited, but I just preferred Groznjan for its charm and atmosphere. Our group switched at the car park at the foot of the hill road leading to the town into a mini coach to get us closer, then we walked up a cobbled hill street into the town lined with a few shops. There was a stop at a truffle shop on the way which I bailed on, and I went up to enjoy more time in the tiny old town.

The group caught me up after a bit, and our guide took us on a walk round the walls, which you pay to enter. It was a nice little walk with some pretty views of the surrounding countryside and a glimpse of the mountains. Then a short amount of free time, but no chance of a meal. I bought a beautiful silk scarf as a Christmas present for my mum from one of the shops on the hill road, and an ice cream from another. The street was very steep to descend.

The second part of this trip was to a historic local brandy distillery, the Aura distillery near Buzet. They gave us an interesting tour and talk about the distilling process. The tasting was of various brandies (I donated mine to some of my table companions, who enjoyed them a LOT) and some really lovely but tiny helpings of jams on nice biscuits, but I really wanted something substantial to EAT. Basically it was two miniature biscuits (cookies for the American readers here) about the size of a £2 coin with blobs of jam on for the entire day, and I didn’t get back to Rovinj until 4 pm. I did like the jam enough to buy a jar for my Dad – it was quite pricy for the size but the taste and texture quality was amazing. A proper lunch break and this would have been a great trip.

I had booked another trip on Monday but got back this evening to learn it had been cancelled for ‘operational reasons’ which I suspect translated to not enough ticket buyers. This was a bit off a last minute boking so I wan't too disappointed.

Monday was cool but bright. I had nothing planned now for today, so I headed over to the harbour to catch up on the Batana Museum. Thankfully it was open today, and it was an excellent if tiny museum, with as well as some actual exhibits (unlike the Heritage Museum) some super film from the 1920s showing the fishermen fishing, and them and their women unloading the fish, and singing the bitinadas. They sang really beautifully and it was captivating.

Then I opted for another boat trip, the panorama tour on the Quo Vadis boat, a big wooden one. We sailed out around the Rovinj archipelago and saw my own island from different angles as well as others. It was warm and sunny now, and drinks were served. I really enjoyed this boat trip.

Back on shore, I had lunch in a shoreside restaurant, and then wandered around the market stalls. After an ice cream I headed up to the monastery again and sat on a bench waiting for it to open. I was still really keen to see it, even though it would mess up my daily swim and my dinner arrangements. Unfortunately the weather took a massive turn for the worse. First it got cold, then started to rain, then the rain turned into a downpour.

There were no signs of the museum opening either. Eventually, soaked, miserable and feeling sick, I headed back home. I even resorted to a taxi for the minimal distance from the taxi stand by the bus station, at the end of the shopping street, to the Delfin pier. I wasn’t feeling well enough for dinner, so took a sandwich from the bar up to my room and felt sorry for myself

I was still feeling unwell next morning, but I had already bought my bus ticket for Pula, so it was back to the bus station regardless. Luckily by the time the bus arrived at 10, I was feeling OK.

The bus journey went through Bale and Vodnjan, both of which I had origibally earmarked for later visits. However, I didn’t see anything particularly charming from the places the bus stopped, and worse, there was no obvious place to buy a return ticket (and the bus was absolutely full), so I mentally wrote them both off. I didn’t want to get trapped there. On the return journey I noticed that people getting on there had to buy a ticket on the bus, which felt risky to me - what if it was already full?

As with Porec I bought my return ticket as soon as I got there. It was a much busier bus station, and a bit further away from the old city. Following my map I headed in what I optimistically hoped was theright direction. I thought I had managed to get Horribly Lost, turned around and right there was the Roman amphitheatre!

It was a glorious sunny day today. I started by walking all round the outside of the amphitheatre, which you can do, and see quite a bit, free. However, it is definitely worth paying to explore inside too. The underground exhibition space was also interesting, with Roman finds from other parts of the city, and is the place where the poor wild animals were kept before the slaughter of the spectacle.

I also saw a temporary exhibition, which was on Roman gold rings and very interesting; it should actually have closed the day before but was still going, so that was a stroke of luck. The amphitheatre is very impressive, and was worth the trip.

There are other Roman sites in Pula, and other museums too, and I had planned a busy sightseeing day. But the city itself was very busy, and I still wasn’t feeling quite 100% so I ended up not doing much else apart from getting ice cream and walking round a bit. On my return to Rovinj I bought a bus ticket for a later trip, before heading home.