A Stop Along The Way From Rovinj to Zagreb: Opatija.

We took the three-hour drive from the coastal Rovinj to the central Croatian capital city of Zagreb yesterday. As we had some time to kill between check out at one Airbnb and check in at the next one, we needed somewhere along the way to have a stroll around and feed the kids our picnic lunch. Opatija, Croatia’s oldest tourist destination, was along the way so we climbed down off the mountaintop and meandered down, down, down into the little town.

Not a ton to do here if I’m being honest, but it was an ideal way to kill an hour and fill our bellies along the car ride. It’s got that old school glitzy tourist feel with a promenade and a frequently visited statue of a Maiden and the Seagull. The day we visited it was pretty overcast. I’ll bet the views are amazing on a clear day, especially on the 12km seaside promenade walk from Opatija to Lovran.

We are now enjoyoing time in Zagreb. We watched a cannon shoot out of a building yesterday! More to come!

Mini Venice and Mini Rome in Croatia: Rovinj and Pula

Nothing like starting your Croatian leg of the journey with a trip to the hospital in the middle of the night because your four-year-old falls out of bed and gashes his head really badly on the side of the nightstand. That is why KJ looks like this in some of the pics:

All’s well that ends well though! We stayed in Rovinj the last couple of days and took in Croatia’s Istrian towns of Rovinj and Pula. The Airbnb we are staying at is pretty sweet from the kids’ points of view with both a swimming pool and a trampoline in the backyard. They are in heaven!

Rovinj: Mini Venice.

Rovinj is a picturesque, Croatian, Istrian town that is built right onto the sea in the same manner as Venice. There is what we are coming to realize as the typical Istrian town church, a charming port, and a lovely clock tower.

Yes, Rovinj is a beautiful little Istrian town….but if I’m being honest it has not captured my heart to the same extent as Slovenia’s Piran!

Amarin Beach

The beaches of Croatia’s Istrian North coast are not typically sandy. They are the beautiful rocky cove types with gorgeous views of the sparkling Adriatic Sea. Last night we took the daily, obligatory ice cream trip to Amarin Beach and watched the sun dunk lazily into the sea.

Pula: Mini Rome

This morning’s outing involved a quick 30-minute drive from Rovinj down to historic Pula. This Croatian city is spilling over with a breathtaking amphitheater, interesting temples, a forbidding fortress and some beautiful arches.

And we happened upon the fact that Pula has an Irish flare! A 22 year old James Joyce eloped from Irleand with his then girlfriend (and future wife) and spent some time teaching English in Pula.

Monkodonja

Our final leg in this part of the country was a mini hike at Monkodonja. Monkodonja is a Bronje Age hillfort ruin. Today was overcast, but I bet on a sunny day the view goes for miles.

Tomorrow we head for the Croatian capital city of Zagreb to see what wonders it has to offer.

The Gorgeous, Slovenian, Istrian Coastline.

As an adult, there really aren’t a whole lot of ‘good’ surprises in life.

You get an unexpected speeding ticket in the mail- Surprise!

You get a phone call from your daughter’s school saying she has a high temp and you need to come pick her up- Surprise!

You’re late for work and you find out your car has a flat tire- Surprise!

Wyatt and I did not find out the sex of either of our kids ahead of the births as we figured it would be one of the last ‘good’ surprises in life! Well, Slovenia! As we wrap up this portion of the trip on the Slovenian coastline, I would just like to say, you have been the best type of surprise!

Here are some of the gorgeous Istrian towns we visited on the Slovenian coastline.

Piran

This little village has my heart! Our Airbnb was a five-minute stroll from this glorious place and the views on the way down were stunning.

Picturesque, charming Piran has narrow, gothic streets, a beautiful church and bell tower, glorious views of the Mediterranean, and, as Venice is only 96km away, has a real Venetian feel. This is where the locals come to vacation.

We went to Trip Advisor’s number one place to eat for Piran called Fritolin pri Cantini. It’s a little hole in the wall with the most delicious fish dishes. It did not disappoint!

Portoroz.

This is a commercial, Slovenian, coastal, holiday town five minutes from Piran. Tons of restaurants on the boardwalk with music spilling out of them, a city beach and people everywhere!

Koper

This little town has a mix of modern, Venetian and Gothic. Intertwining narrow streets wind towards Slovenia’s largest cathedral. The kids had a blast playing chase in the large square.

Dada decided he also wanted to join in on the game of chase on the streets Koper.

Izola

The final gorgeous Slovenian coastal gem we strolled through was Izola. This old fishing village had its own lovely charm and the sparkling Adriatic Sea added the perfect backdrop to our day.