During breakfast time the ‘Tarin’ moved back in to the port of Novigrad and we commenced our cycling excursion southwards towards Porec and then beyond. The ride was mainly along the foreshore with few big hills to worry about. Instead of calling them 'small hills', the term our guide Vili (pronounced Willy) uses is we go up ‘ramps’. Needless to say even along the coast there were some quite appreciable ramps but nothing like we’d experienced yesterday.
For most of the way we were able to avoid using main roads and instead used the promenades provided for cyclists and pedestrians. In some sections the pathway was reduced to rocky roads and at one point we all had to dismount because the steepness and boulders in the road made it navigable only for mountain bike specialists.
We diverted from the intended path to visit Cape Velta where the view across to Novigrad was splendid with the colourful buildings of the town bathed in early morning sunlight.
View from Cape Velta towards Novigrad
Olive grove near Cape Velta
Aussies at Cape Velta
For our morning break we stopped at Cervar-Porat and enjoyed ice-creams and coffee. With the summer and tourist season now over this popular tourist resort was practically deserted apart from a few stalwarts bathing in the rocky shoreline pools along the way.
Wharf area, Cervar-Porat
Bike path near Cervar-Porat
Our next hour of travel towards Porec was through an extensive olive growing region with healthy trees on both sides covering an area of several square kilometres. The trees were loaded with green olives looking like they may be soon ready for picking. The harvesting is done by mechanical ‘shakers’ that grab the tree trunk and then rattle the olive tree vigorously and the olives collect on mats strategically placed beneath the tree.
Olives near Cervar-Porat
The Admiral on Tarin, Rovinj
We didn’t stop in Porec but kept going a further 3km south past ‘beaches’ (small rocky inlets and rocky slabs) to Zelena Laguna where the ‘Tarin’ was awaiting our arrival. We loaded up the bikes and had lunch on board while we steamed down to Rovinj (pronounced Rovinn)passing Vrsar and the Limski Channel we’d visited and ridden past two days ago. Our ride this day had covered only 34km and we were home early enough to have a relaxing afternoon to ourselves.
At Rovinj port Kuki our chef disembarked to go to the hospital for an x-ray on his foot that was injured last night whilst we were berthing.
The ‘Admiral’ then took the ‘Tarin’ out to a safe anchorage just near Rovinj where some swam in the clear waters whilst others rested.
At 18:00 after some anchor lifting issues we moved back into the central port area of Rovinj and docked near a cruise liner that is occupying the wharf space normally assigned for ‘Tarin’.
Bikes on Tarin, near Rovinj
As we’d had a large luncheon on the boat earlier it was deemed that a very light snack for our evening meal was the order of the day. We wandered into the waterside tourist area of Rovinj and based on Vili’s advice had a meal in the Veli Joze restaurant where the décor looks like a nautical history and antique shop with ship’s binnacles, telegraphs, bells, wheels, ‘hard hat’ diving equipment plus numerous other bits and pieces on display. We enjoyed a light meal of fish soup and wine before heading back to the boat via a circuitous route through the back cobbled alleyways of Rovinj.
Tomorrow we spend the morning riding in this region of Istria and then have the later afternoon to explore this beautiful town at leisure.