Pula day V - our last day

Today was our last full day in Pula. We've been downtown so PA could get a haircuts (no pix necessary as those 2mm they cut off wouldn't show anyway.. tee hee...). Since it wasn't really beach weather (raining and thunderstorms) we had lunch and went back to our apartment. Then later when the sun was back out we walked down to a nearby restaurant for dinner. The guy running it is really nice!

We were there on our first night and orderd two rounds of coke each as the glasses down here are sooo small (you get like 0.2 liters and stuff). After dinner PA asked about the pancakes and ice cream on the menu, but he didn't have any so we didn't have dessert.

Tonight he brought us BIG glasses with our drink (but we paid the regular price) and after we'd finished our food he brought us each a plate with a pancake and chocolate sauce (that was on the house). I was so impressed that he remembered and did this. Such a nice touch.

Since it's been mostly raining and yucky here are some pix from one or two days ago.

More of the neighbours kittens. This little guy ventured out onto the wide-ish but sloping edge of the fence shortly after. And immideately slipped off the edge looking rather confused. We had such a laugh!



A couple from the aquarium:
They had these "signs" several places. Rather clever.

Know what these thingies are? They are the eggs of sharks or rays (or possibly both) kept in a small tank just next to the big tank with the sharkies and rays. I remember seeing egg pods like these washed up on the shores by our cottage when I was a kid.

Tomorrow at 8 AM our boat leaves for Venice. Keep your fingers crossed for nice weather, cause then I think it's going to be a lovely trip.

Ane

Pula day IV - all kinds of life

Today we've had a quiet morning, then off to the beach. A few raindrops when we arrived but that was it until after dinner. PA was just talking about going home for a cooling shower - so he got one (just like yesterday.. LOL). Not much exiting sights wise - so here's a bit of what we've seen of the living stuff.

Here's one of the kittens living next door.. Cute, huh?
This guy was suddenly climbing up the curtains last night:
He's big - like 1,5 inches long, maybe. PA got out the case for his contacts and captured him in there and walked him outside and downstairs (he refused to take our advise and go out the window).
Here's a close-up of one of our bus-stop lizards.

There are some of these lizards, too - sort of the oposite colour. Green with black spots instead of black with green.
And I had time to take some flower pix when we were downtown, so here's one of those, too.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Pula, and hopefully we'll spend most of it on the beach again. We're here pretty long, but it was nice to have some extra time and relax rather than just running from place to place. Plus the boat to Venice only leaves once a week in June - Tuesdays.

Ane

Pula day III - aquarium and the beach

Today we started out walking over to the Verundela penninsula and found the Aquarium.

Among other sea creatures we met this little shark.

It's located inside the old Verundela fortress - an old Austrian-Hungary fortress.

They are also a rehabilitation centre for sick and injured sea turtles. This guy was found just a few days ago, and is mostly just floating due to some sort of bacterial/virus infection. We did see it move, though, before reading about its condition we were wondering if it might be dead..

When we got back out the sun was out, and we headed for the beach.

Pretty, huh?
Time for some relaxing in the sun!

After an hour and a half these clouds showed up on the horizon... Time to go. By the time we were moving it started raining a little bit. We found a restaurant and had dinner. My spaghetti Bolognese wasn't very good at all so I didn't eat much.

But we headed into town for Ice cream cups and not having eaten much turned out an advantage - look at the size of that thing! It's certainly not Schwedenplatz standards (the one in Vienna), but it was good. Whippet cream, fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce, strawberry ice cream and vanilla ice cream.

PA had another banana split - can you see it's a little boat?
I got some pix of this charming doggie statue (there's a kitty one as well). And then we headed home. Tickets to Venice are now booked. Unfortunately it looks like we won't get to visit Paco and Milo after all, as their mom's work schedule changed. We'll be looking at a new route today or tomorrow probably.

Ane

Pula day II

Hi friends!

Today we've had a great day in Pula. It's a really charming little town. We started out heading for the grocery store and bakery for breakfast (yes, we dressed first and no, I'm not going to go through all the day like this.. ). It was really yummy, crusty white bread.. Vacation is good. ;)

Today we did most of the sight seeing stuff... The Arena (Amphi theatre), small Roman theatre, old town and so on...

I've already shown pix of the Arena, but this is one of the lion statues inside:

And - because I uploaded my pix in the wrong order - here are my yellow socks after walking in the rain in Ljubljana. I think we can all agree that the black part on my sandals like sharing... (Socks in sandals.. I know.. but I'm sticking with no shoes on this trip - so that's the price I pay for not freezing.)

When we went to the bus today we met this little guy - and several of his friends. There's also a mommy kittie and 4 kittens around. We saw them playing this morning when we didn't have any cameras handy.

Can you see the snails? They're hiding in there from the sun and heat I think. Looks like they've chalked it all up and are waiting for rain.

We found their army (or more likely navy) museum. Wasn't much there and we probably wouldn't have gone in anyway if it wasn't for the great view we'd get from their tower. Plus the entrance cost just over a dollar. We could cope.

View towards the train station and harbor from that tower.

This is "the golden gate" - obviously not golden, but looks rather unique being free standing on its own there in the square. It's from the late first century BC. Wow...

This is Forum. It was one of three temples and if I got it right two of the others are now incorporated into the town hall where there have been major dealings with the business of the people of Pula for over two centuries.

Tomorrow we will, if all goes well, head for the beach. Now doesn't that sound nice? ;)

Ane

Sunny Pula.

After a few hours sleep we got up, packed our bags and headed for the train station to take the train to Pula on the Croatian coast.


It was, as usual, fun to see how the senery changed. It went from all green, to a more mediterranean look with brownish fields.

I liked this shot of the fence and the railway tracks for some reason..

After crossing into Croatia from Slovenia the earth got that nice, reddish brown colour. Isn't it pretty against the green vines?

Pula station - just on time, too!

Pula have quite a few remains from Roman times, like this amphitheatre. It's just smack in the middle of town. We'll probably go in there tomorrow. :)

This is the twin gates - used to be on the road leading to the Amphitheatre, but now it just led into some property. :)

Now it's getting chilly outside - where I found this wireless network - so I'll head inside before the mosquitoes eat me alive. They think I'm YUMMY. Sigh..

A

Ljubljana day II

Yesterday we got on the train headed for Ljubljana. It was a really nice train ride high into the hills or perhaps you'd even say mountains. It kept raining, so no great pix, but here's one of a huge castle arrangment on top of a hill:
We found our hostel in Ljubljana and fell in love with this sign on the toilet in the common bathroom (we've got our own, but the door was open). Apparently todays theme is signs, by the way. (I'm fond of funny signs)

Our hostel is close by the Dragon Bridge (well, everything is close, really. Ljubljana is a small and handy city.)

A couple of signs from Ljubljana Castle:
This looks very extreme. You could think you'd die falling off there. It's about 1,5 meters of uneven rock. You'd be rather unlucky if you managed to get upside down in that time.

This was by the funicular(sp?) when we were going back down. Headless people not allowed? Will the Harry Potter ghost Nearly Headless Nick be allright?

The castle was an unusual mix of old and new. Per Arne did not like it. I did, but I get his point. You want old castles to be old. But they all ARE all fixed up in modern times, and usually much or most of it is reconstructions anyway. I felt this was a kind of honest way to do it. Having old and new in a sort of mix, that imo worked well. The castle itself is not very interesting anyway. It's got no pretty ornaments and stuff, so it makes it a bit more worthwile seeing.

Plus the view is great!
Triple bridge on the right and a pretty building in the background.

This is a statue in honor of a famous writer.

On the wall of a house maybe 100 meters away this clay lady is looking out of her clay window. Apparently he was an admirer of hers and now she spends eternety looking in his direction. We thought it should be the other way - or perhaps they thought it was her turn to court him? Dunno..

Tomorrow we continue to Pula in Croatia. The train leaves at 6.33.. That's AM for ya.. Sigh..

Ane

Gooseberries

Ruby asked about the berries from yesterdays post. They are Gooseberries. They are perhaps my very favourite berry.. Allthough the ones I bought yesterday were a bit less sweet than I'd like. But then again all berries are at their best being picked right off the bush and eaten warm from the sun. ;)

Vienna day III

Today has been a wet, wet day.. But we've been outside a bit nevertheless. We've been wearing our green rain ponchos, looking like two peas in a pod. Literally. No pix of that for now, though.

Since it was supposed to rain even more towards the evening, we started out towards Schloss Belvedere - the summer castle of some Habsburger prince.

Pretty flowers!
The castle is smaller, but also more delicate and pretty than Schönbrunn.

Detail from the front gate.

This is the parliament. Designed by a Danish architect inspired by ancient Greek buildings. And with the godess of truth (I believe) as the main front statue (with gold on top) to inspire the parliamentarians.
Volksgarten (peoples garden) is a pretty place where hundreds of different kinds of roses bloom in summer. Anna and I have had lunch here before, but today we merely walked through on our way elsewhere.. Not really park weather today.


Water lillies in Volksgarten - and duclings, too. Fuzzy.. but that's what you get taking pix in the rain and at a distance.

Some rations brought home to our room when we decided we were wet enough. I was so happy that I'd found my favourite caramel.. but I was wrong.. they were not chewy, but just regular soft toffee... Sigh.. The yellow can is a drink from the lokal brewery. Radler is a mix of beer and lemon soda. Sounds yucky, but it's actually quite good. So I had one of those instead of beer. Coke and berries.. all in all not a bad catch. ;)

Tomorrow we continue to Ljubljana. I've no idea what our Internet options will be, but hopfully I'll be able to post again before continuing to Croatia.

Ane

PS: Of course we returned to the ice cream restaurant today, PA had a banana split and I stuck with my Himbeer Waltzer (Raspberry Waltzer).