Quite a bit later, a little after 10 AM, we were finally all ready, and headed into town. My brother, Colin, had found a website proclaiming the best coffee in town was at a cafe right at the edge of downtown, so we decided to go check it out.
Once we had gotten our caffeine fix, we sought out where we could rent bikes for the cheapest price. After some misdirection form our guide book, we found a place where you could rent a bike for three hours for 40 kuna (a little over 6 dollars), so we picked out good looking bikes and were on our way.
Trevor had found a 28 kilometer loop, so we set out. The coast was stunningly clear with water majestic shades of blues and greens. After cycling along the water for some time, the trail curved inland, and the scenery of the ride completely changed. Gone were the beaches and cooling water, and instead we were soon in a desert-like landscape. Although I have never been to Australia (it's on my bucket list), the red soil, dry grass, and low vegetation made me think of the land down under. At some point along the way, the trail markers became a little spotty, so we took a couple wrong turns here and there, but with the map that we had brought, we eventually made our way back to the trail!
After nearly three hours on the trail, we got back into town and returned the bikes. I had built up quite an appetite by this point, so we stopped by a bakery to pick up some things for lunch. We then headed up to our flat, snacking on a very dense and delicious calzone along the way.
After lunch, I put on my bikini, and we headed down to the waterfront. Spreading out my towel, I relaxed in the sun for a bit before heading into the ocean. Everyone knows that oceans are salt water, but I was stunned at just how salty the water was!! It is a wonderful feeling to get out from the shore, and just allow the waves to push you along in whatever direction they like.
After coming out of the water, and drying off in the sun, my mom and I left my brothers still tanning on the beach, and headed back up to the flat. After a little while on the internet, and a refreshing shower (which ended with the lathering of lotion on my skin which was already a little pink), everyone was back at the flat, and we had a little happy hour before going out for dinner.
We had been recommended a restaurant by the women who owned the flat were staying in, called Konobo Barbadonilo. We had passed it earlier that day on our bike ride, and decided to give it a go. When we arrived, I found that it appeared to be a little bit fancier than I was expecting, and when we asked for a table, they said they were completely booked up! Fortunately, they found a table for us inside, so we gratefully sat down, and order our drinks before looking over the extensive menu.
dress- H&M (sorry you can't see the top, but it just has spaghetti straps)
I am not typically a big fan of fancy restaurants, quite simply because I feel obliged to act 'proper' and 'put together'. Well, even so, this meal was completely worth it. To start off, the waitstaff was extremely friendly and attentive, making the restaurant seem more local and cozy. Further, the food was absolutely wonderful. We had originally chosen two appetizers, but the waiter recommended a third, so we said "why not?!". When the dishes arrived (calamari with roasted zucchini and tomatoes, ravioli stuffed with fish and topped with truffle shavings, and at the waiters recommendation, squid on some greens and heaping amounts of olive oil), we sampled tentatively, and by the end had wiped the plated clean. When the main courses later came I had chosen a relatively safe meal of marinated chicken on roasted veggies (and it was delicious), but after trying everyone's meals, I was stunned to find that they were all delicious: duck breast, stuffed octopus, Asian styled tuna, and a white fish with collared greens.
My parents and brothers ordered coffee after the meal, and the waiter brought us out a tasting of liqueurs. The one my mom and I tried was called Teranino which is made from a red wine. It was quite sweet (which was good for me) and very warming. Trevor described it as tasting like Christmas, and the simile is spot-on. The smell alone reminds me of Christmas spices, and almost has notes of pine.
After dinner, it was just becoming dusk, and we headed back into town. We were lucky enough to be in Rovinj right as a salsa festival was going on, and although I had heard the music earlier in the day from afar, being right in the thick of it was an entirely new experience. Like any type of dancing, salsa is memorizing to watch; a good pair will have visible chemistry and be able to move together as one. I discovered for the first time the relaxing 'vibe' of the type of dance, and the couples truely were just moving to the music in whatever way they feel. What made it even more fun to watch, was that the street was made up of clear experts, but also of couples who would trip over their feet every once in a while, but continue going because they were having fun.
After getting a fill of the dancing, we moved along the waterfront, until the salsa music was just a far away hum of noise, and the waves of water rolling up to shore became the new soundtrack of the night. Up until that night, I had thought that Rovinj could not become any more stunning... I had been very wrong. The streets feel safe and warm with many people still strolling about, and yet when you look out onto the water, there is a vastness to the water and serene beauty that I cannot possible describe to you.
Continuing along the cobbled, narrow streets, we eventually circles back to the center of the salsa festivities, and kept walking until we made it to our favorite gelato cafe (at this point, I'm sure you could consider us regulars!!). Since it had now been awhile since dinner, I decided on a flavor sweet and rich: cookie.
xx
Erin
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