Opatija, Istria, Croatia Mon 5th - Tues 6th October

Monday 5th October - leaving Pula, arriving Opatija.

Accomodation: Pavlovic Vanda, Via Joye 5. 45 euros a night between 3 people.

Just 13km west of Rijeka, Opatija (Abbazia in Italian) has the most stunning coastal views in Croatia. The forested hills sloping down to the sparkling sea can be appreciated from the Lungomare, a waterfront promenade that stretches for 12km along the Gulf of Kvarner. The vista is enhanced by Vojak (1401m), west of Opatija and the highest point on the Istrian Peninsula. Small surprise that Opatija was the fashionable seaside resort of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until WWI. The grand residences of the wealthy are now hotels that offer a healthy dose of the elegance and sophistication of a bygone age. This is a good place to splurge on a hotel as you have virtually no chance of landing in one of the concrete boxes that litter so many coastal resorts. The façades are painted in fresh pastels and the interiors offer spacious halls and chandeliers. - from Lonely Planet.

Ok so woke up in Pula feeling bad bad bad hungover hungover hungover and not happy at the prospect of a car journey to our next destination..Opatija, the riviera near Rijeka. It is closer to Slovenia, so makes sense to stick with Paul for a while and see what happens.

We didnt end up leaving til midday due to slowness from hangovers! - so by the time we got to Opatija, we then had to hunt for accomodation as the place Paul was staying in was flashpacker and not backpacker style!! We ended up finding an appartment for 45 euros, verz central and sufficiant for our humble needs. The idea was to share with Andy the first night and the idea being Paul would join us the second night once he had cancelled his second night in his hotel. However once he saw the put me up bed in the kitchen he wasnt quite so keen ha ha.

Ro had a kip and me and Paul went for a swim dodging the urchins (small mean black creatures that are all over the floor making swimmers lives very difficult!)I have to say it was bloody cold and needed a coffee with Andy to warm up afterwards!

We had a lovely evening - after dinner we stumbled across a hotel that had a live band playing oldies but goodies - and a load of Austrians doing couple dancing. Welll, I have to tell you we livened the dance floor up no end and ended up having a wicked time dancing and not drinking a spot of alcohol because I still felt rough from all the grappa! It was Andys last night so a fitting end to his holiday in Croatia.

Money spent: 27.54 Kuna on coke, hairbands, peach and 50 kuna on a sandwich. 10 Kuna coffee.

Tuesdaz 6th October

Unfortunately the weather wasnt so great today so my chilled on the beach day doing absolutely nothing wasnt quite as relaxing as I intended. Paul wandered up to this fishing village while me and Ro lay on the promenade. It was almost a bit boring, as Opatija is really a place to enjoy in the sunshine so we ended up sneaking into Pauls hotel and swimming in the pool with a bunch of old wrinklies in their 60s in swim caps looking at Pauls tattoos rather disaprovingly. No jumping or anything was allowed so we ended up not staying too long! And damn it the sauna was like over a fiver. But I have to say I will never forget the image of Paul in a shower cap!!! Wish Id taken a photo!! Saying that, as the wearing of swim caps were compulsarz and had a disturbing waz of adding on about 50 years to the general impression of a person, I also had rather vivid images of myself and Rozie as old bats... not a pleasant thought!!!

After making some more pasta back in the appartment we wandered up to the cute fishing village of Volosko (where Paul had been earlier in the daz) where we sat and had a couple glasses of red wine in the harbour. Walking back along the harbour was one of the most delightful walks I have experienced, very quaint and almost magical even though my feet hurt and I was knackered and hung over still!!

Money spent: soup, bread, mars bar, 10.37 kuna.