Rob and I arrived Bale Friday 12th July and have settled somewhat into the village life with a busy week of socialising and beach activities…

I am surrounded by people speaking Italian, some Croatian and various dialects too. Shopkeepers speak Croatian and many tourists also speak German and French. At home it is all Italian so I am in a constant Italian lesson. Rob’s Zia (Aunty) Irene has the patience of a Saint and is determined to correct and educate me. “Capisco” is the most common expression (do you understand?).

Although holiday season with many tourists about, the little village of Bale remains charming.

Called the Stone City by Casanova when he visited in 1743 – 47 and fell in love with Bale, the original Castello (Cadtle) still exists with the newer village surrounding it. By newer i should say this is also hundreds of years old.

Dating back to the 800’s with Venetian influence in the architecture it is easy to see the attraction.

Last week we spent quite a lot of time at La Mare (Beach/Sea). Mon Perrin a 4 star “glamping” establishment has two areas, San Polo and Cologne. I like the beaches here as there is no sand but la rocche is a little difficult on soft feet :). The water is lovely and clear and just the right temperature after laying in the warm sunshine for a while.

We visited local Rovinj last Monday (Lunedi). About 3 times the size of Bale it was bustling with “touristi”. Roberto and I walked around the original Castello – similar to Bale in this way and the via’s were full of small markets. I brought la Sac and was pleased that it was all made from recycled material.

Roberto’s cousin Gabrielle and wife Claudia are also vacationing in Bale this week with their Bellissimo daughter Kiara. Both Rob and I are captivated by her, she is a truly delightful “bambina”. Claudia’s papa Vittorio and partner Louisa visited on Tuesday and we went to a local Macedonian restaurant called Lav where we had mixed Mezze grill and salads.

Vittorio speaks a little English and we talked of a shared passion for cooking so he promised to cook an Italian specialty for us the next day “Perdoci” spaghetti with mussels. There was also a surprise at the end of the meal with traditional Italian and Croatian music performed by a friend of Gabrielle’s and Vittorio. Bravo gentleman, what a splendid evening.

Last Friday Gabrielle bought a huge amount of Peschi (fish) caught that morning from the Lemska canal behind Rovinj.

Rob and I collected seawater and Irene cleaned the fish. Cooked on a BBQ and served with Aglio (Garlic) and Prezzemeteo (parsley) and Olio (olive oil) it was delicious!

Rob is excited that the Lions are doing so well, winning again on Saturday. My team the Swans quite the opposite this year unfortunately.

Today Monday we are back in Rovinj exploring the Park Suma Zlatni Rt which is opposite Rovinj proper and the marina.

Currently sitting in a cafe, this is the view. Hard work I know but someone has to do it. 🙂

Not sure if my photos are all loading in each post? If you can’t see them could you please let me know with a comment. GRAZIE!

Big shout out to my sister Kay for her hip surgery tomorrow! Thinking of you with lots of love, hoping it goes really well. Love Maryann and Rob.