It was a good plan. John was waiting at the airport when my train arrived and we checked into the hotel near T2 as we had an 8am flight the following day. All went smoothly and we arrived in Pula, picked up the car and headed to Rovinj and Kaufland where we stocked up on groceries for our glamping experience…our holiday within a holiday.

First venture out was to Novigrad another seaside destination with a cute marina and a very different marina plaza to accommodate all manner of swimmers, paddlers or plungers. We wandered the town and then found a delightful restaurant to sit back take in the views and enjoy the cuisine.

Most days we lazed by the pool or found a sun lounge under a tree or umbrella by the little bay, dropping into the water when it became hot and grabbing a beer, coffee or burger from the kiosk when it suited. You can spot the Australians, we’re the ones lathered in sunscreen and wearing a hat. In my case carrying an umbrella too. Can’t be too careful. It’s a monocultural experience with central and Northern Europeans making the most of the warm dry summers in Croatia.

Music at one of the restaurants attracted us and the menu offered fresh seafood as well as steak with truffle sauce. We always find it amusing that all the songs are in English, not the first language of many of the guests.

It was overcast so we decided to explore. Groznjan is a bit of an arty hilltop village and we figured seeing they have a huge art festival at the end of September they would be gearing up for it. We headed inland. The roads are good, well the tolls roads are. We Googled our destination – the options- 1hr 7min Tolls, 1hr 12min Tolls or 1hr 8min No Tolls. We chose no tolls. It was very scenic.

Of course we have to park and it costs, unless you want to walk a kilometre or two uphill. We paid. The sky was looking ominous and it wasn’t long before we were sheltering under a café umbrella as the storm rumbled and the rain became torrential. We waited. It eventually passed and we decided pasta and truffles were on order.

Traffic free, the little streets twisted and turned, climbed and descended through the maze that is Grosnjan, greeting us with artisans shops, unique boutiques or picturesque vistas. It’s a treasure.

Rovinj at sunset attracts hoards of sightseers. I’ve lost count of our visits to this beautiful town but it never fails to enchant. We chose a restaurant beside the marina. Our waiter was Serb and neighbouring diner Swiss. John couldn’t help himself and engaged them in an animated discussion on the relative brilliance of Djokovic and Federer.

We wandered with the crowd, listened to the buskers while eating our ice cream. Rovinj might have more ice cream outlets per square metre than anywhere else on the planet!!!

Finally, I have caught up on my blog, read two novels and an advertisement-free magazine from cover to cover and feel completely rested. Time to start again. Next we return to Munich for a couple of days and then a few weeks in Spain.