Croatia // Day 4

I woke up a little bit before 8 AM, feeling slightly groggy and unsettled. Because my upper back had gottena bit of a sunburn the previous day, I had tossed and turned quite a bit during the night trying to find a way to be comfortable, but it the end, not gotten a very good rest. Regardless, it was our last day so I was excited to have one last chance to explore Rovinj.

For breakfast we had some rolls and fruit, and afterward lazed around a bit before getting together some things for the beach. My brothers and I were going to rent bikes again, and ride some ways up the coast, where the beach was less populated and more rustic. Meanwhile, my parents would go for a walk, get a drink somewhere, and relax together. I wised up from yesterday's sunny bike ride--which had made my skin quite sensitive--and put on lots of sunscreen before stretching out in the sun. After a while of reading, listening to music, and splashing in the water, we headed to a beach side restaurant to get a drink.

By this point, it was around 12:30 PM, so we headed into town to get a kebab for lunch (which was easily the size of my head), and ate them at the waterfront. We then went for an easy bike ride up the coast before turning in our bikes. My brothers opted to check out town, but I was feeling a little beat from all the sun and my lack of sleep, so I headed back to the flat for a cold shower. After I had cooled down and had a number of glasses of water (always remember to hydrate if you get a sunburn!), my mom and I headed into town, where I wanted to buy some little gifts for some friends back home. I also found some very nice earrings which were quite cheap, and the women who owned the shop finagled me into buying a second pair at a discount (what can I say, I’m not very strong willed, and she told me I’m only young once!). By the time we returned to the apartment, it was just about time for dinner, so we headed back down.

The restaurant was centered in the old town, in a rather small building with beautiful old pillars lining the ceiling. Like the previous night, we were told by the host that they were booked up with reservations, but ended up getting us a table saying that they would need the table at 8 PM (though it was only 6 PM at the time). After a round of drinks, we order two appetizers (mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto and grilled, and a pasta in cream sauce with beef and truffle), and they were both certainly as good as they sound! For my main course, I opted for a roasted chicken which was served with courgette risotto and a saffron sauce. The saffron sauce was surprisingly quite sweet, and complimented the salty grilled chicken breast stunningly. I was quite happy to find that after tasting everyone else’s meals, I liked mine far the best!! As was now seeming like routine, we then received a round of liqueur; I tried wild blueberry which was quite nice, and had quite a kick.

After dinner, we roamed around town for some time before coming to... you guessed it: the gelato cafe. Because it was our last night, I decided I would have to get two scoops, and opted for pistachio and coffee. They were a complete success paired together, both with distinctive flavors, but also relatively subtle and not overwhelmingly sweet.

We then made our last trip back to our flat from town, and settled in for the night. I packed up my suitcase, and played around on my iPad before finally going to bed.

Although it is sad to be leaving Croatia, I think the trip gave us just enough time to get a feel for the culture, and really explore Rovinj. To anyone planning a visit, I would definitely recommend a trip (or stay) in Rovinj, and if you want to use Air B&B, *here* is the link to the flat where we stayed. The young women who owns it is friendly, the apartment is well kept, and it is in easy walking distance from the town center. I now look forward to getting back to my grandparent’s house in Austria and doing some hiking in the mountains.

Until next time, Croatia...

xx

Erin