Pula

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PulaAugust 20,2016 - Tragically Hip Day

Had to hustle to catch the express bus to Rijeka (ree-yay-ka) only to find that even the express bus can't fly over traffic jams. And the bus didn't have working A/C, so it was a long 3 hour ride (scheduled for 2). Then we ended up in a stare-down with the car rental agent over some unexpected fees (we blinked first). So not a stellar start to the day. But as soon as we were in the car with functioning A/C and a GPS we've named Kelsey, things started to look up.



And look up they did. Beautiful, scenic drive along the coast to Pula. The Hotel Galija is lovely, and just steps from a network of public squares and pedestrian walkways set in architecture dating back to the first century. Then we found out that tonight is Pula's annual festival, with bands playing late into the night on 6 different stages, sidewalk restaurants full of people of all ages, and people selling everything from vinyl records to henna tattoos. We had to try the local specialty- a plate of sardines and a glass of wine for 15 Kunas (about 3 bucks).



One big upgrade from our south america trip is that we brought some technology along this time. So no more need for internet cafes. But uploading photos is still surprisingly slow and unreliable. Still, we'll try to get you some photos as we move along. We might start to publish text only and add photos later. Tomorrow we visit the Roman Amphitheatre that's down the street, then drive down the coast to Split.



Thinking about The Hip and their loyal fans tonight. We're recording the show and will watch when we get home.

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Photos

Triumphal Arch of Sergius
Was part of the roman wall of the city, now stands alone in a busy square. Built in 27 BC.

Typical ice cream shop
The ice cream is excellent, but presentation is fantastic.

Roman Amphitheatre, locally called the arena
I can't imagine how this was built in the 1st century. For an idea of scale, it fit 20,000 people. The MTS centre seats 17,000? (And these gladiators made the playoffs)

Hands on accident traffic safety
On the way from Rejika to Pula, these police officers were manually switching the traffic lights to control flow through an intersection. Maybe the lights weren't working, or they could manage it better with the heavy traffic.

Comments

[Barb]

Love hearing about your travels. Croatia is on our bucket list so I'll be very interested about your adventures.