Piran

The wet weather had moved on, so today we'd planned to go to the seaside! Unlike Croatia, Slovenia only has 47km of coastline. There are a few towns along the Adriatic, one of which is pretty Piran.

Traffic is restricted in its centre and vans aren't allowed in the crowded nearby car parks but we were directed to somewhere we could park by a friendly official. We were quite a way out when we spotted the sign for camper van parking, however there was a flat walk in along the seafront. We had hopes of taking a tour on a boat with a viewing window in its hull, but we were just a little too early in the season for it to be operating. Instead we contented ourselves with looking at the eclectic collection of vessels in the harbours, from expensive looking sailing yachts to small wooden fishing boats and craft that would carry a team to lay crab pots marked by fluttering flags.

None of us had any specific expectations of Piran but we were all impressed by its central piazza. A few market stalls were being set up, overlooked by a mix of colourful residences and a large white stone building with ornately carved detail on its columns. Cath spotted a Moorish influence in the decorative detail around some window frames and all was overlooked by a tall brick church tower with steeple.

We booked a table at a seafood restaurant on the seafront before wending our way to the end of the headland where an old lighthouse stood. One consistent feature of Slovenia has been its clean streets and even here, a tourist focus, there was hardly a scrap of litter to be seen.

A short journey through the characterful cobbled backstreets brought us to the Pavel 2 Restaurant where we settled in at our table on the terrace. We didn't even know Bass carpacio was possible until Will saw it on the menu, so of course he had to try it. The waiter insisted it was a dish for one but it was huge when it came out. One of the great things about spending time with Cath and Paul has been that we all like our food and have very similar tastes. We therefore all tucked into our main dish of a seafood platter for four with gusto!

Walking off the amazing meal (thanks again Paul!) we walked back to the van along the front. Looking out accross the Adriatic we could just make out the Croatian mainland over the other side of the large bay.

The day had warmed up considerably and so Paul, Will and Cath sat on a little pier and fished while Vicky kept Poppy company in the cool of the van. Having mentioned water and sunshine, you probably know what is coming next... yes, Will donned his swimming trunks and went for a couple of quick dips. The locals seemed amused- the air temperature was around 20°C but nobody else thought the water was warm enough!Read more