Roman Holiday

September 15 - September 20

Carmela, Susi, Jess and me - Villa Borghese

An early departure from Rovinj and back on the autostradas to Marco Polo Airport, Venice.  We gave ourselves plenty of time in case of traffic issues, but the journey was uninterrupted and quick.  In fact we were able to have along the coast east of Venice towards Jesolo to fill in some time instead of waiting too long at the airport.  Not the most interesting coastline - very flat and agricultural with few nice beaches - mostly mudflats and channels.  We returned the rental car and still had time for a nice lunch at the airport and then a short flight to Rome.

Derpy little Benji dog collecting its bags - Fiumicno Airport

We were settled into our little apartment in the old Trastevere district by late afternoon.  One bedroom, but a very comfy sleeper sofa in the living room (Ikea I am pretty sure).  The apartment is located in one of the old buildings of the area but is super modern inside.  Once we were settled in and cleaned up we set off through the narrow lanes of this funky part of Rome in search of dinner.

Trastevere 

 Stef knew of a reputable pizza place on the main thoroughfare of the district - lots of others knew about it too as it was packed.  Luckily a table outdoors became available pretty quickly and we enjoyed a nice meal of courgette flowers, grilled vegies and pizza - very yummy and not too far to walk home as we were tired travel bunnies this evening.

Crossing the Tevere River from Trastevere

Stefano left to travel to Pomezia early the next day so Jess and I went strolling across the river and found a good place in the Campo de Fiori for real breakfast - omelette, toast and coffee - delish.  A huge market covers the whole of the piazza during the day.

Tevere River near our apartment

Campo de Fiori market - so colourful

After a very satisfying breakfast we went strolling to pass by some of the famous sights of Rome - Piazza Navona, Pantheon and then Trevi Fountain.  Plenty of crowds to negotiate through the streets of Rome but a beautiful day for strolling.

Piazza Navona - quite empty in the morning

Love the Pantheon - such an elegant and other worldly building - and mind-boggling in terms of age and preservation.

  And not too many people at the Pantheon

The Trevi was barricaded and devoid of water - fortunately the barricades were perspex so it was possible to see the statues.  Obviously a major reno job going on.  Seems that Rome must be under a constant state of restoration and preservation.  Luckily we had visited the Trevi previously but it must be disappointing to see it in this state if one was a first time visitor.

Trevi Fountain - lots of people looking at a waterless fountain!

 After a lot of walking in 31 degree temperatures we headed back to the apartment to meet Stefano.  Stopped for a gelato at the Punta Gelataria by the Ponte Sisto.  What a strange array of flavours they have on offer! Not really your traditional gelato, but I stuck with salted caramel - not game to try the buffalo milk and basil or other concoctions.  Jess was keen on the sugar free varieties - sweetened with agave syrup apparently.
We had made a booking at Sciapo restaurant,in the Travestere district as Stef knew of the chef and its reputation.  It turned out to be a disappointment - our reservation was lost and we were seated inside in a very hot room (luckily we were able to move outdoors after a while) and the food turned out to be mediocre for the price we paid.  We did enjoy the wine and the warm summer evening.  So home to rest after a quite strenuous day.  Good to have lots of exercise though.

Dinner at Sciapo

Thursday was Stef's last full day in Rome before returning to London and work.  We decided to have breakfast at the famous Panella Paticceria which is near the Colosseum.  It looked like an easy walk from Trastevere but we managed to get lost and finally jumped on the underground after we found that we had been heading in the wrong direction.

Crossing the Trevere again - beautiful morning

Panella was busy and a bit chaotic but we managed to choose our pastries and drinks and find a table. It is located quite close to the apartment which the family used in July and they patronised it regularly then, but it was my first visit.  Certainly delicious food and great coffee.  For us it was almost lunch as we had taken so long to get there!  It is located in a rather nice area of Rome on a hill above the Colosseum.

Brunch at Panella

Afterwards we walked past the Domus Aurea ruin and down to the Colosseum,

Must have found the Colosseum

 then followed the road to the Piazza Venezia, past the ruins of the Forum.  More work going on there and much of the street side views were hidden behind safety hoardings.

Part of the Forum that we could actually see from the street.

  Got snaffled by a cheery gladiator for a photo - a bit cheesy-

Doing the tourist thing with a local gladiator

- then headed for the shops of Via del Corso.  Browsed a bit and finally arrived at the Piazza di Spagna where we were to meet Stefano's mother,

Made it to Via del Corso

 Carmela, and his sister, Susanna who were arriving on the train from Pomezia.  Feeling hot and thirsty we went for tea and a snack at Babington's Tea Shop adjacent to the Spanish Steps.  Pricey but very pretty and a nice cool place to sit and wait.  Carmela and Susi arrived and we decided to take a break from the heat at the Villa Borghese Park - accessible by a series of tunnels and escalators that lead from the nearby underground station.

Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna

It was a pleasure to sit and chat in the park for a while - Carmela does not speak English but we got along just fine with Susi and Stef as interpreters.  Susi works in London too and is returning temporarily at the end of September.  She is thinking of moving to Malta  next year.
After a nice rest we took a taxi ( cheap in Rome) to Campo de Fiori and booked a table at Magnolia, where the others had enjoyed a wonderful meal previously - great atmosphere in the evening in this popular piazza.  While waiting we strolled through to Piazza Navona which was teaming with people - lots of art for sale, various street performers doing their whacky statue and musical things and restaurants filling up.  The buildings looked lovely in the golden evening light.

Stefano, Susi, Carmela and Jess - Piazza Navona

 Back to Magnolia eventually and a great dinner, with a fiery sunset and entertainment from a very skilled dulcimer player as well as the passing parade of people.

Campo de Fiori - before the evening crowds

 A wonderful evening!  Finally we walked Carmela and Susi to the bus stop to catch an express bus to the edge of city where their car was parked.  It was so nice to spend a lovely evening with them.

Lovely dinner at Magnolia, Campo de Fiori

Friday and we walked back to Campo de Fiori for another nice breakfast, then wandered over to the Castello San Angelo and the Vatican.  St Peter's is magnificent, but this time we didn't queue to go inside.  It is a shame that the area around is so tacky with touts and horrid souvenir stands littering the place.  We though we would find a nice lunch spot away from the tourist area and again managed to walk the wrong way - not towards our apartment as we had planned.  As it turned out we ended up in a lovely area of Rome, with wide tree-lined boulevards, huge pavements, high end shops - obviously a wealthy residential area and somewhat reminiscent of Paris. There we had a tasty light lunch under the trees and shouted ourselves a taxi home so Stef could get ready for his car to the airport.

Bridal photos happening at the Vatican

After he left in the evening Jess found a recommended restaurant in our location  - not too far to walk.  We had a very nice meal at Mirrors - another yummy risotto!  Gelato on the way home - a little snack bar near us has the best amarena gelato - my favourite.
Saturday was shopping day and after breakfast in Piazza Navona with its beautiful buildings, we pounded the Via del Corso and its familiar and not so familiar stores.  Ended up in Zara where Jess stocked up on work clothes - much better selection and lower prices than London - and certainly than our local Zara at Robina.  My case is full so I resisted the impulse to buy shoes or a leather handbag.  Spoiled for choice here - decision making is difficult!

Love the faded colours of the buildings - Piazza Navona at breakfast time

Lunch was a triumph - we found a lovely small restaurant near Piazza di Spagna which was certainly not a tourist menu type of place.  Nice glass of wine and spinach and feta ravioli for me (home made ravioli) and gnocchi with a tomato sauce (no cheese) for Jess.  Just right in terms of serving size, flavour and ambience.
We managed a little more shopping and then it was home for a rest.  After an evening walk through some more of the pretty streets of Trastevere ( heaps of restaurants but no menu that grabbed us), we decided to head for Campo de Fiori for our final dinner in Rome.

Strolling through Trastevere - lots of Saturday evening entertainment

  Tried a different restaurant there and enjoyed yet another delicious dinner - front line by the square - vegetarian  pizza for Jess and a delicious salad for me - cranberry, gorgonzola and walnuts with yummy little potato croquette thingys on the side.  ,Rome has been a bit of an eat-fest but my excuse is that I have to return to Germany where the food is not to my liking.

Sunset - Campo de Fiori

On Sunday  morning we headed out for breakfast before going to the airport and found little open. However Sciapo was busy and we thought that breakfast would be difficult to mess up.  We opted for American breakfast - eggs and French toast with tea or coffee - not too bad.  At midday our driver turned up and we were soon at the airport.  We had different, but adjacent terminals for check in and then met up - hopefully for a nice sit down and a coffee.  Unfortunately the airport in Rome is still not totally repaired after the fire so choices were limited and there was no where to sit.  Finally we decided to go our separate ways in the hope of finding somewhere more appealing to wait for our flights.  So goodbye to Jess (back to London) but I hope to see her again in November.  We have had a marvellous, warm, sunny holiday and seen some beautiful places.  I enjoyed strolling through the streets of Rome without rushing to visit the historical sites - the city really is a feast for the eyes and senses. It  has been great and I am feeling healthy after two weeks of plenty of exercise, sunshine and delicious fresh food,. Having Stefano to look after us has been a real bonus too - a lot less stressful for Jess and me and he loved driving our funky Alfa Romeo Giulietta.   Looking forward to getting home now after a short detour to Germany.

Arrivederci Roma!

Lazy Days in Rovinj

Sunday 13 and Monday 14 September

The old town of Rovinj viewed from the habour

Rovinj is reputedly one of the top beauty spots in Croatia and it certainly is charming, not to mention popular.  We woke to another sunny morning and after a bit of a lie-in Stef went out to fetch coffee and croissants from the little bakery in the street.  We added some of our fruit and had a lovely breakfast overlooking the water.  Jess and Stef were itching to get in some sun/sea time we walked down the street to the row of tourist shops opposite the cruise ship terminal and purchased foam mats to make sunbaking on the rocks a little more comfy. I was happy to explore the town while they took advantage of the sunny morning.

Seaside restaurants, Rovinj

I took the path to the other side of the peninsula and then made my way around the marina for some of the best views of the town.  Lots of boat excursions on offer - maybe tomorrow.  The buildings along the waterfront are an amazing array of colours which are so vibrant in the bright sunshine.

Harbourside, Rovinj

Cafes line the harbour so I stopped off for a cappuccino on my expedition to the other side of the harbour.  There are a number of little, tree-covered islands just offshore - mostly uninhabited.   Such a jolly atmosphere here - the tourists are very laid back and stroll along at a very slow pace, taking in the 360 degree views.  Rovinj continues on around the bay and inland quite some way with newer areas which are home to some of the 14,000 inhabitants.  I am sure there are at least that number of tourists here a well.

The colours of Rovinj

After lots of camera action around the waterfront I headed up a narrow street which turned out to be one of the main shopping thoroughfares and led to the top of the hill (where sit the church and a small park).  The street was crowded, as were the little lanes leading off in every direction - very quaint and cool away from the bright sunshine

Little streets of Rovinj

.  It was fun to poke about in the shops - locally made precious stone jewellery seems to be the dominating offering, but there are also numerous art galleries, stores selling lavender products and soaps, truffle oil shops and of course clothing shops (the usual market style fashions which all seem to come from Italy).  Rovinj was once an Italian occupied town (Rovigno) and the influence of Italy is strong - many of the locals speak Italian as well as Croatian (and English).
Eventually I tired of hill climbing and window shopping so I took myself back to the apartment with a cheesy roll for a snack and enjoyed a couple of hours rest and reading on the balcony.  Many people  were standing on the edge of the terminal wharf to take photos so I am sure I will be in lots of holiday photos, just chilling on my balcony!

Our house, viewed from the terminal wharf (the 2 balconies below the washing line!

Jess and Stefano arrived back after a day of swimming, sunbathing, lunching at the worst restaurant in town (according to them) - Stefano is very fussy and quite critical so our eating out experiences have been excellent on this trip.  Somehow he missed the mark this time.  Jess spent a while on Trip Advisor and came up with a couple of likely places for dinner.  The tourist menu places all seem to be along the waterfront but tucked away in the little hilly streets were some highly rated restaurants so we set off to find a place that would serve great food and have a nice vibe.  Our first choice, Typico was booked out so we wandered down the hill a bit to Balbi.  It looked full to overflowing but the rather flustered head waiter promised us an outside table in a few minutes.  Seeing the delicious looking plates of food arriving at the tables, we were happy to wait and it wasn't too long before we were ordering from the extensive menu.  Seafood pasta of course for Stef, a scrumptious vegetable risotto for me and vegetarian pasta for Jess, with excellent local wine to accompany the meal.  Although the dishes have a strong Italian influence, the flavours and presentation are uniquely Croatian and really delicious.  All for the princely sum of 28 euros (the conversion is on the docket). We were very pleased with our reasonably priced and top quality meal.  After dinner a stroll around the harbour, a stop for gelato and then home.  Jess and Stef went out again for a little while to sample the night life and I was happy to fall into bed - such a pretty comfortable bedroom and a great view out over the water.

Colourful street, Rovinj

The next morning was a little overcast but still very warm when we ventured out for coffee by the water.  The skies cleared after we had another excursion around the shops - bought some earrings and a pretty necklace, a couple of funky posters (for the kids) and some truffle olive oil (for Lu).  It was back to the beach for a while for Jess and Stef and I climbed the hill to the church from where there are pretty good views up and down the coast.

View from the top of the hill - looking out to some of the islands off  Rovinj

Jess booked a table at Typico ( the restaurant that had been full the night before) and we again headed back to the apartment to chill out for a while before the evening activities.  A thunderstorm passed over so we were glad to have booked an inside table at Typico.  Another fabulous meal and also very reasonably priced.  Croatia is certainly proving to be good value.  We had decided against a boat trip - the sea was a bit choppy today.  A small cruise ship (Le Lyrial, newest ship of the French Ponant Line, just launched this year) had docked across from our apartment and the town was full of visitors.

Le Lyrial docked at the shipping terminal

 We didn't see the ship leave during the evening but in the morning it was gone.  Looked very swish!
Rovinj has been a delight to visit - it is exceptionally picturesque and although quite touristy, there are little nooks and crannies to escape to and enjoy the architecture, the colours, the sea and the lush vegetation that has become so familiar on the Istrian Peninsula.

A quiet corner of Rovinj - near out apartment

 Until 1763, when the channel was filled in, Rovinj was an island and earliest settlement was in the 1st or 2nd centuries AD.  It has been part of the Roman, Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and  Austrian Empires, and more recently ruled by fascist Italy and the former state of Yugoslavia.  In 1992, Croatia became independent and Rovinj is now a major tourist town in this country with its abundance of seaside and island locations which are so popular with visitors.  A truly enchanting place to spend a few days!

Sunset viewing- Rovinj

An afternoon in the hills of Istria

Saturday afternoon,  12 September

Stole this view of gorgeous Fiesa from Google images - couldn't resist!

We reluctantly dragged ourselves away from the pleasures of Fiesa Bay and followed the coast road south to Croatia, winding through the forested hills, dipping down into the busy holiday town of Portoroz, passing the famous salt pans of Secovlje (no idea about pronunciation!) Salina Nature Park which cover 6 and a half square kilometres of the Slovenian coastline, and showing our passports at the border. (I was the only one who got a stamp - non EU passport).

Beautiful landscape of coastal Slovenia

We opted for a scenic route to Rovinj, rather then taking the motorway and this led us up and up into the wild hills of Istria to the ancient hilltop towns of Groznjan and Motovun before we descended to the coast at the Lim Fiord just north of Rovinj.  The hills are not that high but quite rugged, with deep chasms.  Thick forest covers much of the peninsula, interspersed with pockets of vines and olive groves.  It is a top hunting area and famous for its truffles, both white and black.

Feeling rather peckish we decided to make Groznjan our lunch stop and what a treat that turned out to be!  We parked at the edge of the village and wandered through old streets lined with stone houses - no concessions to modern life visible on the exteriors.  There a number artists living and working in this lovely village - no prizes for guessing why!  In some ways it was reminiscent of hilltop villages in France - away from the coast there is less of an Italian-Mediterranean style of architecture in the old towns.

Jess and Stefano enjoying Groznjan

Our exploration led us to a small piazza shaded by huge old chestnut and walnut trees and we immediately liked the look of a restaurant terrace with lovely views and heaps of character, Taverna Bastia.  The menu was very interesting and based on fresh local produce - local game (probably boar caught in the forest, said Stefano), home-bred chicken (absolutely the best I have ever eaten - along with an amazing risotto, truffles, local cheese and white wine of the region, Malvazija.

Taverna Bastia, Groznjan

  This was certainly a lunch to remember, of course totally enhanced by the stunning surroundings.  After our lovely meal we walked to a viewing point in a small park - a wonderful outlook across rugged hills and valleys with the occasional village dotting the landscape.  In the distance we could see the hilltop village of Motovun, our next destination, and truffle capital of Istria.

View from Groznjan to the hilltop village of Motovun

  The afternoon was perfect  - sunny, warm and not a breath of wind.  The air is so fresh and clean - it is quite invigorating.  We chatted with the friendly waiter - yes, there are lots of squirrels but they are a bit shy, yes it does get very cold here in winter (and windy) and yes the restaurant does accept euros ( we are now in the land of the kuna, and we have none!).

View from the restaurant terrace, Goznjan

So, next stop Motovun and a rather bumpy ride on a gravel road to the valley below, where we joined a main road and followed a small river before climbing up again to park on the edge of the town.  Only locals seem to be permitted to drive the narrow streets - quite right too.  Motovun is interesting, although not quite as drop-dead gorgeous as Groznjan and it obviously caters more for tourism.

Motovun - lots of winding lanes leading to the top of the hill

 Olive oil and truffles seem to be the mainstay of the village economy judging by the number of shops offering these products.  Throw in a little local wine, cheese and honey for good measure!  We walked up the hill to the centre of town and then made a circuit of the town walls.

Looking out over the lower part of Motovun and the Istrian landscape from the town walls

 Great views of cultivated fields in the valleys, steep forest covered hills, olive plantations, occasional villages and a sense of remoteness (in fact these hilltop villages are not very far from the coastal resorts or from Rijeka  and its international airport).

More views over the rooftops of Motovun

There are several other villages in the hills of Istria which are apparently worth visiting but we still had an hour's drive to Rovinj and a check-in time for our apartment, so it was on the road again and a gentle descent to the coast.  Coming from Motovun meant that we had to drive to the upper reaches of the 10 km long Lim Fjord  which cuts inland from the sea north of Rovinj.  As fjords go it doesn't quite match up to the splendour of Norway or New Zealand, nevertheless it is an interesting geological feature ( in reality, not a fjord but a ria  - formed by a river, not a glacier) and apparently a favourite spot for the local dolphin population to hang out.

Lim Fjord

Finally we made it to Rovinj, an ancient town perched on a small hill which juts out into the sea.  The approach is through the more modern town to a large public car park where we found a spot and unloaded - here the car would remain as the streets of the old town are pedestrian only.

Another "borrowed" image - just to give an idea of the geography of Rovinj.  Our apartment is on the seafront at the lower left side of the peninsula.

 It was a short walk to our apartment which is in a busy old town street, but perched right on the seafront - thus pedestrian traffic at the front entrance but just the lapping waters of the Mediterranean right outside our windows.

View from our lower balcony

Our lovely apartment in Rovinj - bedroom balcony on the upper lever, living room balcony underneath

 The apartment is on two levels of an ancient building but beautifully restored, modernised and decorated.  Both the bedroom and living area levels have balconies overlooking the water - gorgeous spot and extremely comfortable.

Our apartment -in  an old, sympathetically restored fisherman's house - just gorgeous

After settling in we took a stroll around the old town - Jess and Stefano were keen to find the beach. Rovinj is a delight with narrow little streets twisting and turning up the hill and a wider promenade circling the town beside the sea.  We discovered that the "beach" is accessed  by a series of stone stairways that lead down to paved areas on the rocky shore.  I guess the whole town is built on one big rock!  There were still sunbathers and swimmers enjoying the late afternoon sun on these rocky platforms and the water looks so inviting - crystal clear and beautifully blue.

The beach, Rovinj style - Jess and Stef bought sunbathing pads for a little more comfort and loved the crystal clear waters

 As we walked on the sun began to sink towards the horizon and we realised that the sunset promised to be rather stunning.  A restaurant on the rocky shore offered cushions to sit and have a drink with sunset views - no tables left for dinner but we were not really hungry after our wonderful lunch.  We sat and enjoyed nice wine and and even nicer sunset.

We watched the spectacular sunset from the rocks below this restaurant

 Also met one very cute Austrian dog ( and her friendly owners) - a little Havanese - a new breed to me.  There seem to be many little dogs on holiday in Rovinj - all out and about with their owners and so well behaved..  Benji would love it here!

So many cute little dogs to pat!

Sunset, Rovinj - and one cute little Havanese dog

After the marvellous sunset display we continued strolling.  Rovinj is a busy place and I have never seen so many eating places or jewellery stores in one small area.

The pretty streets of Rovinj

 Around the other side of the hill from our apartment is a large harbour, also lined with pretty colourful buildings and endless cafes.  The whole place is humming with activity - everyone enjoying the beautiful balmy evening.  We stopped for gelato and then on the way home visited the green market to stock up on some oh so delicious fruit - figs, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, grapes - yummy, yummy.  Made a fruit and cheese platter for dinner.  What an interesting and lovely day we have had.

Beside the harbour, Rovinj