In the early morning sky directly above us were numerous planes leaving a criss-cross pattern of condensation trails. We could see the sun shining on six planes but there were many more trails left by earlier flights. This area of Northern Croatia and Slovenia is on the direct flight path line from the Emirates States through to European centres. This vision of planes painting the brilliant blue sky white continued for much of the day.
The ‘Tarin’s’ engine started just on 07:00 and we were soon underway heading northwards up the Adriatic coast at a steady 7 knots on flat calm crystal blue seas. Just off the coast from Fažana we passed the Brijuni Islands National Park and then 25km further north-westwards we rounded Zlatini Point where two large cruisers were anchored in the lee of the off-shore islands nearby.
Unloading fish, Vrsar
Vrsar
The old Roman and then later Venetian town of Rovinj was bathed in bright sunshine as we passed and the luxury yachts and massive cruisers offers testament to this coast being the playground of the very rich from Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.
We then passed the Limski Channel and just north of this large inlet we entered the port city of Vrsar. We docked next to two large fishing boats that were busily unloading and packing into ice boxes what appeared to be a massive load of smallish fish, possibly pilchards or mackerel.
The bikes were quickly unloaded and with the time now being 10:30 we were underway on our bike ride to Porec (pronounced porech and sounds somewhat like porridge).
The first hour was spent riding in and around the old city of Vrsar where we visited a sculpture park featuring the work of Dusan Dzamonja who is one of Croatia’s most famous sculptors. We found his sculptures rather mundane and uninteresting but in amongst his work in the park area we found five spiranthes orchids in flower. They were a green/yellow colour and very similar in size and form to our Tasmanian Spiranthes australis.
Spiranthes orchid, Dusan Dzamonja sculpture park, Vrsar
Sculpture, Dusan Dzamonja sculpture park, Vrsar
View over Adriatic Sea, Vrsar
At a high point in the city next to the cathedral we had a wonderful view out across the blue Adriatic which in this area is dotted with tiny islands.
View over Adriatic Sea, Vrsar
View over Limski Channel
The riding path then headed inland and we rode on a gravel road for about 8km parallel to the Limski Channel. The gravel road had loose rocks and quite treacherous sandy spots together with some short steep hills so riding in these conditions needed due care. The road passed through mainly beech forest with some conifers too. At one point we stopped to take in the view across the channel where fish farm pens seemed to dominate the scenery.
At Klostar we left the gravel road and rested for lunch at a restaurant that specialised in roast meats cooked on a spit. With 20km more ride to complete we decided it unwise to partake in a ‘feast’ that was on offer and instead had a small taste of the roast pork and agreed it was delicious.
After lunch the ride was on smooth sealed roads for most of the way as we passed through small villages with their vineyards and olive groves. There was very little traffic to contend with and the low to mid twenties air temperature with no wind made for idyllic cycling conditions.
With only 2km to go to reach Porec we left the main road and then followed the waterfront promenade which passed pebbly beaches and rocky shoreline where the locals were swimming and clearly enjoying the crystal clear blue sea.
Porec
We arrived at the docks in Porec at 16:00 having covered 33km and found the‘Tarin’ waiting our arrival.
The ‘Tarin’ is a traditional motor powered sailing yacht of length 22m and beam 6.2m. She was completely refurbished in 2004 and has ten cosy guest cabins with an adjoining toilet and shower room. On this trip there are a total of seventeen guests and a crew of five. Apart from us six Aussies, six of the guests are from Germany, four from Switzerland and one from Ireland.
The Admiral, Tarin
Sunset, Porec
Before dinner we had a one hour guided tour of the city of Porec. The Histri tribe settled here about 6000 years ago and then the Romans defeated the Histri in 177BC. In Roman times Porec was the capital of Istria but since then it seems that many nations have had an interest in controlling this city due to its strategic position linking Italy to Greece and beyond. The Huns, the Ostrogoths, Byzantium and the Venetians all at some stage claimed ownership of this miniature peninsula and its value as a defensive encampment.
Romanesque House, Porec
Street, Porec
In 1797 Venice retreated from Istria and Pore č was ruled by the Habsburg Empire. Even Napoleon in 1805 had a turn in reigning over this area but in 1814 it returned Austro-Hungarian control.
Apart from interesting Roman ruins within the city centre probably the most noteworthy structure is the 6th century Euphrasian Basilica. This structure is one of the finest examples of early Byzantine architecture in existence. Although we were not in time to see them, the floor mosaics in the basilica are particularly noteworthy according to our guide. The church is triple-naved and triple-apsed with a prominent bell tower that was added in the 16th century.
With meal-time calling we returned to the boat for dinner and prepared for an early night as tomorrow we have 50km ride with some fairly decent hills we’ve been warned!