Céline Rachelle - The Voyage of a Perpetual Traveler: Istria, Croatia

13-17 JUNE 2016

CROATIA

Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia all meet in the northeastern-most corner of Italy / northwestern-most part of Croatia. This afternoon, we were met with beautiful sun rays over Koper as we entered Croatia. We had to stop and look at the ocean as it just touched Slovenia.

The scenery in this area is some of my favorite, although it doesn't compare to southern France.

Arriving in Rijeka

Porec, Croatia

It was nice to get out and stretch our legs; the parking around town was easy and free.

After camping out in Nesactium, an old Roman village in ruins (almost untouched), we headed to Pula. Seeing this almost perfectly intact Roman amphitheater at sunrise was pretty memorable.

If wanting to soak in the powerfulness of the Romans, I'd come to Pula over Rome any day.

The morning sky was full of birds singing and flying around.

The entire town, built on 7 hills just like Rome, is such a great introduction to Roman architecture and the civilization that was created and left in this area of the world. The city is full of old Roman buildings at every turn.

The entrance to Forum, the main pedestrian street in Pula.

KAMENJAK

Here, we finally reached the coast, and not just any coast; the very tip of the Istriad Penninsula and we were the only car liscened in France for hours and miles around.

There were sailboats here and there, and the water was perfectly clear.

Here we cliff jumped, or attempted to, after it was recommended by an airbnb host back in Slovenia. He told us of the 80s when he and his friends would come out to what is now Kamenjak to jump into the underwater caves while the girls looked on.

Unfortunately, now that the area is preserved, the area is all blocked off because kids can't be as cool as they used to be. One tourist must have made a mistake and now no one can take advantage of the prime diving spot.