Sunday, August 28: Kayaking in Opatija

There was an optional tour to Istria but only 3 of us had signed up for it, and one of them was a woman who was quarantining back in Zagreb.  It was just as well it was cancelled; I would hate to have missed a beautiful day exploring Opatija.  We had a guided morning walk and were free the rest of the day.  

A few used the time after lunch to catch up on sleep but when we passed a stall offering kayak rental I stopped and investigated.  Yes, I could rent one for an hour but rain was supposed to start around 2 PM.  We got back to the hotel a little after 11, so I changed into clothing that I could get wet, slathered on sunscreen and went out again.

It was a great choice.  The rain held off and I spent the hour paddling and taking pictures.  On the way back to the hotel I picked up a sandwich for lunch, and had a nice hour-long nap afterwards.  The rain actually did arrive (they’re frequently wrong about the weather here).  

I managed this picture by propping the phone up on my 2 sandals stacked on each other and using the timer.  Fortunately I did not drown my phone. 

I decided to set out again even though it was still raining a bit.  The rain stopped eventually as I walked to Volosko, a “fisherman’s village”, which really was a tourist village with a lot of restaurants and souvenir shops but in a pretty setting.

Our guide told us that Croatia is trying to reduce its dependence on foreign oil and there are proposals to drill for oil off the coast.  A little over half the population supports it.  A little over half the population lives inland (not on the coastal areas dependent on tourism).  Probably not a coincidence.  I can’t imagine oil rigs on that pristine horizon.

I found dinner on my own- back risotto again as I’d enjoyed in Dubrovnik, a salad and a very good house red wine. 

View at dinner

My "company" at dinner

Risotto Nero