1/4/20-- Explore Rovinj, Share Lunch with Locals

When we woke this morning, we were sailing from Pula to Rovinj. After landing and breakfast, we set off for a walk around the old town of this village, which was a Venetian vacation spot in the old days and now focuses on 4 and 5 star hotels. The old town used to be an island, separated from the mainland by a canal that was 8-10 feet wide. The old city was walled and buildings kept adding stories and squeezing into small  left over spaces until  finally, the inhabitants spread to the mainland and filled in the canal.

Old Town in the distance

The road that used to be a canal.

Gate to the old town

 

Doors were enlarged to remove barrels built indoors.

 

A fairly large courtyard for this place

How to recycle bicycle wheels....

We walked around and to the top of the hill with a church dedicated to St. Euphemia. She was a 13-year old Christian about 9 years before it was ok to be Christian. She was pressured to change her religion, tortured, and when they tried to kill her she didn't die. So the put her in an arena with lions who were used to attacking and feeding on unsuccessful gladiators. They didn't attack, and one of the lions came up and licked her extensive wounds and another bit her and severed a key artery to ease her into death. Her body disappeared. Several hundred years later, a stone sarcophagus washed up on a Rovinj beach and contained her perfectly preserved body, so she was immediately identified as a saint and installed in a small church at the top of the hill. The church has been replaced by something bigger, and our ultimate goal was to visit her last resting place. Every 100 years, her sarcophagus is opened for viewing. The last time was in 2004 and our guide, Ljerka (Yerka) showed us the photo she had taken then.

I loved the stained glass design!

The sarcophogus that washed up on the shore

Art work depicted St.Euphemia's last moments

This narrow yellow building is someone's home,
apparently created by building in the walkway.

 

The old town is paved with stones and is primarily a pedestrian city. In the winter, bikes are resident cars are allowed, but cars can only stay for an hour. The population quadruples in the summer, and then all powered wheels are forbidden.

Back on the boat, we got ready to visit a local family we were to lunch with. Graziella and her husband Ricardo were amazing. They spoke a bit of English, but more Italian and German, so Alessandro translated and I got in a bit of German, and we spent most of lunch  laughing hysterically  and being stuffed with delicious food, grappa, and wine.

We had a bit of a break after that before a short celebration for frequent travelers and both Jim and I dozed off. Fortunately, the celebration was announced on the PA system, so we made it there in time for more snacks and drinks before dinner, which was very short for us -- no wine, just a salad and some veggies before cashing in for the night.