Our first destination was a quaint town roughly an hours drive away, called Motovun. The drive there was relaxing, as we passed through canopies of green trees, which cast dramatic shadows onto the small country roads. Cyclists were scattered along the road, and I must admit that riding through the country in the bright morning light looked appealing.
Perched at the top of a hill, Motovun is located in Istria, and known as the center of ‘truffle country’: a type of mushroom which is a delicacy around the world, and a specialty in Croatia. At the highest point of the town stands the church, surrounded by old buildings with the typical Croatian rusty-colored tiled roofs and crumbling plastered walls. We meandered through the streets, soaking in the sun, and looking out at the seemingly endless scape of forest which is visible from the high focal point.
After we had explored all corners of the town, we headed back to the car, and decided it was just about time for lunch. Our guide book of Croatia (written by Rick Steves, in case anyone is planning a trip) recommended a restaurant called Konoba Dolina, which was only a couple of towns over, describing it’s food as affordable, delicious, and authentic. When we arrived, I discovered that it wasn’t really in a town, so much as at the edge of what I would more accurately call a string of houses that almost constructed at village! Still, it was open, and the outdoor seating revealed a number of parties already having lunch, so we got a table, and started looking over the menu!
Truffle cheese!
Lunch was very filling, and when we finished our main meals, we got coffee and a surprise complimentary dessert of ribbons of fried dough dusted with powdered sugar. After enjoying the sweet finish to the meal, we got the check, as well as a round of schnapps, which was also on the house! To say the least, we (slowly) made our way back into the car quite happy guests.
Back in Rovinj, I changed into my swimsuit, and with my brothers headed down to the waterfront to soak up some sun. I had not been to the side of Rovinj where there was easy access for swimming thus far, and was happy to find that there were many lawn chairs spread out on the stoney beach. When we found a good looking spot, I settled down and closed my eyes. Unfortunately, not long after we arrived, the sun hid behind some wispy clouds, so although it was relaxing, I was not going to be getting the golden glow I had been hoping for.
Around 5:30 PM, we packed up our things, and sought out a cafe overlooking to water to get a drink before dinner. As soon as we left, two cafes down we found our parents sitting on a little bench, and said hello and caught up, before continuing back to our flat.
I checked up on all things online, until my parents returned and we packed up a picnic with bread, cheese, meat, peppers, carrots, olives, grapes, and red wine. Taking our feast down to the beach, the sun had popped back out, and the clouds created a beautifully lit sky as a backdrop for our meal.
top- H&M // shorts- Plato's Closet
Following the pattern of the night before, after dinner we headed up to the gelato cafe, and I tried out a perfect light, summer flavor: yogurt (with some blueberry puree on top!). We made our way back to the apartment, and I jumped in the shower quickly before again working on some writing, watching an episode of Hannibal with my brothers, and then heading off to bed to get a good nights sleep.
xx
Erin
Erin
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