Last Wednesday night Stephen and I were invited to the Consulate in Milan's party to celebrate the departure of the current Consul General and the 4th of July. We arrived at the Sforza Castle in the middle of Milan at 8:00 p.m. for the reception, and joined a long line of people waiting to enter. Once inside we listened to an a cappella singing group from Yale and enjoyed some appetizers. Most of the actual ceremony was in Italian, but they ended the night with a giant cake and miniature tubs of Ben&Jerry's ice cream. We didn't leave until 11:00, so it was a late night for us since we had to drive to Aviano in the morning.
After spending the night in Aviano we drove another three hours to go through Slovenia into Croatia to the beach town of Rovinj. The town is known for its picturesque port and rocky beaches.
We had great weather and decided to spend the afternoon on the beach on Friday and Saturday afternoon. The water was a beautiful blue, and snorkeling was a lot of fun. There were lots of fish and plant life to admire. We were lucky to find a cool festival in the town on Saturday night. There were two stages set up for singers and bands, as well as food vendors and a man making balloon animals. We sat and had a drink and watched the first band practice before heading to dinner.
Stephen enjoyed a scampi dish while I enjoyed a mixed meat platter and goulash. Afterwards we found a really cool little bar on the edge of the town (literally people sitting on the rocks at the water) to enjoy one last drink and watch the sunset.
We really enjoyed our stay in Rovinj, even if it was a quick weekend break. I would love to see the southern islands of Croatia in the future that are actually renowned for their beaches. This was our first time really embracing the rocky coasts of the Mediterranean; there are very few sandy beaches in Italy, and most Italians have to accept the rocks and pebbles. I can return to Italy feeling a little more European knowing that I don't need sand to enjoy the water!
\
No comments:
Post a Comment