Croatia

Tuesday, 2nd June.

Shortly after leaving Portoroz yesterday (Monday 1st) morning, we crossed the Slovenia/Croatia border at Secovlje, where my passport was stamped, and drove into the hills to Groznjan, once an administrative centre in Venetian Istra, now a centre for artists and young musicians from around the world.  A small village set on a hill top, it affords lovely views of the surrounding countryside and after strolling through the cobbled lanes, trying and enjoying fritules (a type of Croatian doughnut) from a kiosk and coffee at one of the cafes, it was about a half hour drive from there to Motovun, another small village perched on top of a hill and with magnificent views.  Whereas we were able to drive almost into Groznjan, to visit Motovun it was necessary to park below the village and take a bus ride the rest of the way up the narrow, winding, dusty and bumpy road...it is possible to walk to the top but we all chose to be kind to aging hips and knees as it is a very steep climb! 
Our next stop was Novigrad on the coast...it is quite lovely;  this is our second night here and today we've ridden into town twice, been swimming a couple of times in the clean, clear waters and enjoyed a relaxing, easy day.