The JaYmes Escape

Yes, I’m finally here. Less than a week left on the Central/Eastern European tour and I’ve reached the coast. The sea is that light mediterranean blue that you can see into, so it’s not deep in any sense of the word. Still, it’s much bluer than the Danube, which wasn’t even blue at all until I got to Szentendre, and even then it wasn’t blue enough to compose a waltz about. Stupid Strauss.

Anyway, Croatia is absolutely amazing and has gone straight to the top of my list of places to return to. Why? well, take the scenery of the highlands and islands of Scotland and drop it next to the mediterranean with a climate to match and an exchange rate to die for. That’s Croatia. You can get a cheap flight to Ljubljana or Trieste and pop across the border. EU Citizens don’t even need a visa. What are you waiting for?

Last night, after an incredibly scenic bus ride from Zagreb, I stopped in the town of Pula, at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula. It boasts, among other things, an original Roman amphitheatre, which is in pretty good nick for a two thousand plus year old structure. Today, another scenic bus ride up the Istrian coast has brought me just over the border into Slovenia and the Medieval/Roman town of Piran (the locals say it like ‘Iran’ with a P). This place is amazing; narrow cobbled streets all crammed onto a tiny headland, Venetian style. When you stand at the tip you’re almost surrounded by the sea, and by countries, for Italy is across the Gulf of Trieste to the right and Croatia is just across the bay to the left.

As always, pretentious pictures involving lots of sunsets and silhouettes are in the gallery. I’m starting to feel like Tony Hart.