Col and Pams Travels: From Italy into Croatia

16.06

Spent most of the day 8kms away at Nicolo’s garage ‘Officina Boscarato’! After a ‘test drive’ the good news is Lefty needs two new back tyres, one in particular was more oblong than round! The Michelin tyres arrived at 2pm and we were back in business! Nicolo offers a very efficient, cost effective, professional service with people that ‘know their stuff’!

We were very impressed and thanked the camp for recommending Nicolo. Lefty is back to ‘running like a dream’ once again. 280 euros.

Back at camp, just as we set up the table and seats outside for dinner ‘the heavens opened’, in fact it rained all night.

17.06

Raining when we awoke so a ‘sleep in’. Fine by 11am, book reading and a walk into Chioggia. A swim in the pool upon our return and a chicken remoska dinner!

Off to Croatia tomorrow! We’ve loved Italy and the vibrant, fun loving, kind and generous Italians, we will return!

18.06

After we swapped addresses with Godfrey and Carol from Bloxham, we hit the road heading to Croatia, passing fields of corn and vineyards and some lovely old farmsteads. We skirted Trieste on the motorway and bought a vinette at the Slovenian Border. 15 euros for 7-days which was the minimum amount of days you could buy. The vinette covers your cost on the motorways and works out quite cost effective if you’re staying for that amount of time in Slovenia, however we were not staying and travelled about 4kms of motorway before reaching Border Control for Slovenia and then Border Control for Croatia, so not so cost effective for us.

Passports stamped and we continued through hilly countryside into Croatia, olive groves and vineyards to our campsite. ‘Camping Park Mareda’ situated in Mareda on the coast, 4 kms from Novigrad on the Istrian Peninsula, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. A large well organised camp around a bay with a great pool overlooking the sea. It’s a very popular camp and took us about 45 minutes to find a good vacant ASCI pitch with a glimpse of the sea which is only 50 metres away, and plenty of shade, 16 euros. We went for a recce around the camp and along the beach front, it’s rocky inlets reminds us of the beautiful Greek Islands. There are numerous great cycling trails as well as foot trails on the peninsular, we found the entrance to a bike trail from the camp and felt very pleased to be here.

19.06

After we’d started our walk, the rain stopped and the sun came out!

A lovely coastal walk passed the ‘naturalist’ beaches and into the park with it’s restaurant and swimming bay looking across the water to Novigrad dominated by it’s 15th Century church spire and the remains of a medieval fortification wall around the town.

We continued into this charming fishing town with pretty harbour and alfresco eating. Walked along the waterfront with it’s rocky bays and crystal clear blue sea and through narrow windy streets with small shops. Very much like a Greek village! Had a very tasty sausage in pastry and looked at the menus – there are specialties, ‘soup, schnitzel and salad 60 kuna’ (8 euros), pizza 52 kuna (7 euros). Like Greece, fish seems to be expensive however Calamari is around 62 kuna (8 euros).

We got a bike map and thought we’d try one of the bike trails tomorrow.

On our way back to camp we walked down the stairs leading onto a rocky inlet to admire the coastline, our panorama however was obscured, and the sun momentarily blocked by a large hairy man standing like a statue on a rock, naked as the day he was born!!

Nudism is very popular in Croatia.

In the early evening we biked into Novigrad for a good exercise warm up! Great fun!

20.06

Off on No.8 bike trail which took us into the little village of Mareda winding through olive groves and vineyards, along farmsteads and around the outskirts of Novigrad and into the town centre. We stayed on the path for another few kms round the rocky swimming bays and campsites.

After 20kms we were back at camp, a pretty and relaxing ride!

We swam in the pool and enjoyed the sun!

21.06

We biked the coastal path towards Novigrad and took a detour though the campsites and along the water’s edge.

Back at camp we walked around the rocky inlet and swam in the pool.

22.06

Off on No.6 bike trail today starting at Novigrad up via the hilltop village of Brtonigla and inland through Materada and very pretty farmsteads of vineyards, olive groves and cherry trees, gardens of corn and marrow.

Onto a coastal track at the little seaside village of Lovrecica where we had a picnic of chocolate croissants overlooking the water. After 35kms and a very enjoyable ride we were back at camp.

In the evening we met Margaret and John, two Kiwis from Whangarei, will have drinks with them at some stage.

23.06