Crisscrossing Eastern Europe
After spending a few days in Zagreb, Croatia we drive towards Lubjlina, Slovenia, not directly but as close to the Adriatic coast as possible. Staying in one of the coastal towns would have been ideal. Searching through Airbnb did not give us results as they were all booked. The best we could find was one near Opatija.
Lost on the slope
We arrive at the destination on the main road of Rubesi with 2 way traffic. But it has little to do with the address we have. We should probably be taking one of the streets that peel off from the arterial road. The road leads us down a steep slope and we still cannot find our accommodation. Once in a while a car comes down or struggles up the narrow road and there is little safe space to reverse or take a U-turn. So we decide that the driver, our son, should go ahead and find a pendicular road that can lead us to a parallel one so we could continue the search. Drink and I decide to search on foot to try our luck. Would be a good workout for our feet. We are hoping the driver comes back to pick us up after he has scouted the area. Nothing happens for what seems like ages. We are tired and decide to find a shady place to wait so that our son could easily trace us. After nearly a half hour, he's calling for us from up the steep slope. He has found the rooms and has parked the car. It would have been too confusing to negotiate the maze of lanes that lead up to the many geographically hidden entrances.
Airbnb: Heartwarming fact
Our host is a pleasant lady whose son is studying engineering in Switzerland. Her hospitality business helps pay for his education.
Rubesi: ripe for puns.
We decide to explore the hillside residential area. Almost every house has grapevines along porches, over opensided garages, and everywhere the vine can take hold. Fig trees everywhere, even a lonely one along the railway tracks. In wild abandon! So trivial? Is this the reason for the idiom ‘don't care a fig’? And, laurel trees! We deserve ‘a crown of laurels' indeed for traipsing the undulating, sometimes rutted, lanes.
A unique structure, a breathtaking view
A walk to the town on the flatter top of the slope leads us to Lidl where we shop for grocery to prepare our dinner and the next day's lunch. It threatens to rain on the way back and we are not too keen about slippery slopes. In spite of it, the strange statue in a unique style looming over us draws us. A memorial for the 52 townsfolk who died for the town– fallen fighters and victims of fascist terror. It impresses with its size and unique style. Built entirely by town volunteers.
The area around it offers a panoramic view of the peaceful сoasts of Rijeka and Opatija. More than enough to tempt us to visit.
Potential for adventure: trust our feet and our sense of direction
There are buses from the arterial road to Opatija but we delight in challenging ourselves with the untrodden path. Didn't we have a glimpse of the breathtaking coast from the memorial? Surely we can wing it.
So, down we go, passing by multistorey buildings (probably holiday rentals), multi garage homes, little cottages. In one of the plots there is even a large gaping muddy hole partly filled with water. The beginnings of a foundation? This slope is certainly a holiday spot. We climb across an overhead bridge, in a state of disrepair, across the road we would have ridden through had we driven or taken a bus. The view of the coast and the red roofed town is enticing. We cross a railway track where stumpy trees are laden with figs. Are they edible? No way we're going to experiment.
Sounds of Silence
We find ourselves on an undulating road shaded by trees. It's a very lonely, well paved road. We have to take a few sharp u-turns and a couple of stair cases before we set foot on the narrow rocky ledge along the Adriatic that quickly broadens out into an esplanade.
The water is clear and cool. Add the Mediterranean climate. Factors for a highly popular tourist spot. Today it seems a little slow and quiet. After all, Opatija did start off as a sleepy fishing village. There appears to be no public washrooms. However there are several dimly-lit restaurants. Boats are moored at the two different bays. We have the area almost all to ourselves. Having walked around exploring the elegant pastel-coloured dwellings with rustic gardens and the short narrow staircases leading up to buildings further up, we sit down to simply enjoy the breeze and the view. Most of the time we hear the call of birds and our footsteps on the rocks.
The low down: serving residents
Two large garbage bins sit alongside a road. We try one of them. The lid does not budge. Now a woman approaches it, waves a card, it opens, and in goes the garbage. Bins that can only be activated by residents who have the necessary coded card! Private garbage cans that would not overflow with indiscriminate use by the public!
Earth shaking: Factual knowledge
A huge board in front of an old building has a story to tell. The edifice used to house Andrija Mohorovicic, a well known Croatian meteorologist, who has a crater on the moon named after him. He showed us that the Earth is layered thus contributing to seismology so crucial to predicting earthquakes.
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