Day 19 (Opatija, Croatia)

We woke up to something bright shining through the cracks in our curtains. The sun was not something that we have seen for about a week so it was a process to slowly open the curtains a little at time. It already feels like it is 80 degrees out there and it is mostly sunny. Just opening the curtain for a second raised the temperature in the room 10 degrees. A/C is a little weak over here. Our breakfast is included with our stay so we headed for the buffet. Again, this feels just like a cruise ship. Round windows on the exit doors. About a mile walk to the cafeteria. Then a cafeteria that seats at least 250 people or more with a mile long buffet. Surprisingly there are several open seats and no line at the buffet. There are even available seats on the patio. Breakfast was like any other buffet and simply filled the void.

This hotel is right on the Rijeka Bay (off the Adriatic Sea) and has a beautiful view. There is a promonade walkway that runs 15km (9+ miles) right on the edge of the ocean. Our hotel is located right in the middle so we have plenty of walking in both directions. Today we opted to walk to the left towards Opatija. We are located in Icici (I chi chi). The walk was beautiful with all kinds of places to stop and swim, climb ledges and jump into the Sea. There were numerous cafes, shops and restaurants which we took full advantage of. Yes, more wine and Compari Spritzes. We did not buy anything to bring back because when you pack light there is no room for trinkets.

We finally made it to town where we had dinner. Lori had a salad with tuna steak and I had lamb with mushrooms and potatoes. It was probably one of the best meals that I have had since we got here. The restaurant was all open air and right along the main street of town. There must have been a car show in town because we saw a lot of Ferrari’s and a few older cars parading around.

We must have walked farther than we thought because the walk back seemed to take forever. By the time we got back to the hotel we had adjusted our trip to take 2 rest days and extend our stay at this hotel. Our new plan is to hang out here and enjoy the views, pool and Sea for 2 more days. Then possibly extend again, rent a car and base out of here. The farthest point in Istria (this peninsula that we are in) is about 1.5 hours drive. We figure that we can see most of what we want to in a couple days then work our way South down the coast of Croatia. That is the plan for now.