Slovenian Istria

Slovenian Istria is located on the Karst edge to the east, the Adriatic Sea to the west and the Bay of St. Bartholomew to the north. It borders on Italy and Croatia. There are only 47 KM of coastline and, having already visited one of its towns, Koper, we were going to continue the tour today. The weather was beautiful so ideal for a day by the sea. After Nuvi sent us in weird directions, we reached Izola in time for our morning coffee. In the tourist office we learned that Izola used to be an island (hence the name) and is the smallest of the Istrian towns. We also learned the legend of the Dove of Izola. In 1380, on October 23, the Genoese army was planning to attack the small island town of Izola. The desperate citizens of the town gathered in the parish church of St. Maurus where they prayed to their patron saint for help. Their prayers were heard. Between the enemy navy and the shore, magic fog appeared in the sky, completely covering the town, while a white dove flew from the church roof towards the Genoese navy. The Genoese followed the dove, thinking it would lead them to shore. But the clever dove led them far away to the open sea and returned home with an olive tree branch in its beak which it laid on the ground as a symbol of peace and safety. This is why the white dove is depicted on the coat of arms and municipal flag of Isola.

Izola is a picturesque little town and obviously a favourite of tourists. After wandering through its streets and squares (in one square there was a fruit and vegetable market so we stocked up) and along the sea front taking lots of photos we took our leave and continued on the coast road.

The next town is my favourite - Piran - and from what we have seen, the most picturesque. It is a small Venetian port, jutting out into the sea. Visitors are not permitted to bring their cars into the town and have to park in a multi-storey car park about 15 minutes uphill from the town. A free shuttle bus is provided but we chose to walk as the weather and view were wonderful.Even in September it was full of tourists so I cannot imagine what it would be like in the height of summer.

 I was fascinated by how clean the water was and even felt that, had I been suitably equipped with bathing costume, I might have ventured into the Adriatic. It certainly was tempting enough. Lots of people were swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving and even more sunbathing.

It is a real holiday paradise. There were many cyclists and I think it is possible to cycle all along the coastline from Izola and maybe further afield. It is also possible to use the city/rental bikes provided.

We made our way to the main square - Tartinijev Trg - named after the violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini. His statue is located in the centre of the square.

We took a look in the Church in the square

And admired other bits of art.

Clearly the residents make their living from tourism judging from the number of bars and restaurants.We stopped for a leisurely lunch at Pavel Restaurant, a restaurant that was so popular that the owner decided to open a second calling it by the imaginative name Pavel 2! We opted for the seafood platter for 2 and enjoyed our meal overlooking the sea.

Following our meal we had a walk along the seafront admiring all that was to be seen including  St. George Cathedral and its bell tower dramatically perched  on the hill overlooking the town and the sea.

We took a look at the lighthouse and then made our way through the tiny streets looking at the ancient houses and churches.

Finally we took the shuttle bus back to our car.

Next stop was Portoroz which is home to one of the largest marinas on the Adriatic. This is the hub of the tourist trade but lacks the charm of either Izola or Piran. We had a look at some interesting fountains, one of the many casinos and a little sunbathing pod.

We wasted little time there, located a supermarket to stock up on a few things and headed home. I hope to return to Piran before this holiday is over.