Slovenia and Croatia Solo Road Trip

Day 9 – 166 Steps

I took an early walk around Koseč village amidst low lying clouds and tolling church bells. Checked out of the tourist farm, then spent the morning driving toward the Croatian border with a few quick stops to stretch. The border crossing was very quick, about a 15 minute wait. I stopped at a roadside stand to change some euros to Croatian kuna.

After another hour or so I arrived in Opatija, following a steep, narrow street up to my rental apartment. The host met me with the key, and explained the locals often take a taxi up the hill and walk down. It became apparent why, with the number of stairs down to the riviera – I counted 166. The apartment really wowed me for its size, seclusion, and view - it was my favorite stay of the trip and a great value. My host also provided some beverages and burek pastries. I walked down to explore, finding the city very geared to tourists with casinos, yachts, and fancy hotels, but I still enjoyed the vibe. I walked a ways to Volosko village, which was on the more old-timey side, and had dinner at Plavi Podrum along the marina. A couple seafood plates, scallop main course, and an unexpectedly whimsical “Pink Panther” dessert.

Day 10 – Parking Hell

In the morning, I took a scenic drive west along Route 66 toward Labin. A very pictureque coastal route that reminded me of California’s Big Sur a little. In the afternoon, the plan was to head to Rijeka to visit the Peek & Poke Museum and explore the tunnels and stairs of the city. However, I was unable to find parking. I pulled into a fairly large lot and it quickly became apparent it was already full, but I was trapped in gridlock of vehicles waiting for a spot to open up, or simply trying to maneuver to the exit. After wasting quite a bit of time, I finally made it to the exit gate and found payment was required. So I needed to back up in heavy traffic, locate a machine and obtain a ticket, then get in line again to exit the lot. By this time, I was no longer in the mood to sightsee, so headed back to my apartment. Things improved with some kremšnita cream pie. Dinner was somewhere in Volosko I don't remember the name of, but the service was poor.

Day 11 – I’d Like to Buy a Vowel

I took a quick early morning swim in the Adriatic Sea, but it was rather cold and rocky. Opatija has a waterfront concrete walking path rather than beaches. After breakfast, I drove to the hilltop town of Grožnjan and explored the village and various shops. Next, I drove to the desolate but scenic town of Vrh, which made me imagine the nice quiet nights they must have. Lunch was at Konoba Vrh, known for truffle specialties. I had a cheese plate with black truffle, and a gnocchi with truffle. Would have tried the chocolate cake with truffle, but I was running behind schedule. Honestly, the truffles didn’t taste like anything special to me, I didn’t understand the fuss.

It was then on to the town of Buzet to visit the Aura distillery. I tasted a few brandies and liqueurs, most of which I didn’t like, but I picked up some red wine liqueur and dandelion jam. The next village I visited was Hum, population 23, and housed entirely within former castle walls. You know the scene in Avatar the Last Airbender, “Aang, meet the entire village!” That’s what came to mind. It was actually very cool to see the castle ruins repurposed as modern dwellings and shops.

I then returned to Opatija for dinner at Villa Ariston. I had a five course fish tasting menu, which included some tuna, octopus, and sea bass. At the conclusion of the meal, I was offered mistletoe brandy for the third time that day, having already developed a strong aversion to it. But all in all, a good day and my sense of adeventure was back on track.