Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Rovinj - Pula)

We spent our first night on the Lady Eleganza. The ship itself is well equipped and the cabins are comfortable. Space is obviously at a premium, but there is a queen sized bed (with the weird European doona arrangement), a desk and chair and ensuite bathroom. We have three portholes or pill windows, one of which can open. However, instructions from Cruise Director Nora were not to open the window when at sea and also keep it closed when in port. I guess that means the window stays closed.

The MV Lady Eleganza

The cabins are on the lower two decks. The main deck has the dining room and bar, lounge and open deck at the stern. Above that there are two sun decks, the top one is completely open for the sun lovers and those unafraid of melanoma, and the other has a roof and protection from the sun and contains the spa or jacuzzi. Dinner is sometimes served here. Below the main deck at the stern is the access to the sea. The platform contains two ladders for easy access.

Breakfast is buffet style with cereals, pastries, bread, fresh fruit, bacon and tomatoes, you get the picture, with a separate menu on each table for the egg lovers. The only drawback, dear reader? Coffee. The coffee machine makes the most appalling coffee and the drip filter machine, well, I'm not ready to revisit the 70s unless it's for music.

The town square.

Our first organised shore excursion was a walk through the old town of Rovinj. The old town was initially an island and space for housing was so contested that the channel to the mainland was eventually filled in and Rovinj joined the mainland. We saw ample evidence of the old town wall and gates as we walked the narrow streets. The roadway is constructed from polished limestone blocks and the surface is invariably uneven and slippery when wet.

The first gate to the old town.

Our guide related a history of frequent conquests, from the Romans, through the Venetians, to the Ottomans and the Germans and each new stage has left its mark in both the physical appearance of the place and its customs and languages. The latest iteration is not as a result of a neighbouring conquest, but rather the invasion of AirBnB in which the old town dwellings have been given over to the demands of  tourism and the locals have vacated the antiquated apartments to take up modern residences further away. It might be romantic and quaint to climb rickety stairs to tiny spaces if you are only there for a couple of days but the appeal is not apparent for the modern permanent Rovinj population.   

Now an AirBnB. No lift.

We climbed the narrow winding road towards the church on top of the hill. The main street was lined with shops that were just beginning to set up for the day. There were many outlets selling chocolate and ice cream and a few cafés for the morning coffee and gossip session.

Narrow laneways.

We paused at one point to hear the story of a local man who has been been feeding stray cats for fifty years. As if on cue, he appeared and commenced dishing the most foul smelling concoction into bowls placed near a wall. Naturally, cats appeared from nowhere. The cats are required to keep the rats and mice in check. Allegedly. I've never seen a well fed cat chase anything except a patch of sunshine to rest in.

The cat man of Rovinj.

At the top of the hill was the Catholic church. Croatia is a very Catholic country. The effort required to reach the church would keep me happily in bed on Sunday mornings. The church of St Euphemia has a wooden statue that is covered in copper, adorning the bell tower. Unlike most statues, it is able to rotate in the wind and also acts as a weather predictor. When she faces the sea, the weather will be good, if she turns to the town, the wind is bringing rain and bad weather. Happily she was facing the water today.

St Euphemia is on top.

We went inside the church to see the tomb of the patron saint whose relics will be displayed later this month as part of her feast day celebrations. It was then time to wend our way back down to the main square to reboard the ship, ready for an 11 am departure. Lunch was served soon after we bid the picturesque Rovinj farewell, followed by our daily port talk to fill us in on the afternoon plans for our next stop, Pula.

The ceiling above the tomb.

Love locks and a cannon. Interesting juxtaposition.

We had a leisurely three hours of sailing before we docked in Pula. As we came into the port, the dominant feature was the shipbuilding yard and the rusting hull of a partially completed stock transport ship. Our guide for the afternoon was Nada and it turns out her husband has recently been laid off from the shipyard where previously over 1000 people had been employed. The current workforce is now set at 99, none of whom have the necessary knowledge or skills to actually build a ship - hence the rusting eyesore that now welcomes visitors to the port.

The Roman built arena dominates the foreshore of the town and was clearly visible from the ship and this was our first major stop on the tour. As we made our way there Nada provided a brief history of Pula. Much like Rovinj, there is a history of occupation and shifting borders. In fact, her grandfather was born in Austria, her father in Italy, she was born in Yugoslavia and her children in Croatia - all without ever leaving Pula.

The amphitheatre from the dock area.

The architecture reflected this and there were many examples of Austrian architecture sitting beside Italian and Roman contrasting with the dour building blocks of the socialist period.

Austrian architecture.

The arena, or colosseum as we might (incorrectly) call it, is in very good condition given it's 2000 year history. It is not as large or as grand as the one in Rome but it is one of the best preserved in the world. We walked the sand floor of the arena to tales of gladiators, male and female, and explanations of how the canvas roof worked. In its heyday it seated 23,000 screaming spectators. Today it is used for more peaceful pursuits, opera and music concerts.

The opera stage is to the left.

Underneath the stadium is chamber containing relics, amphora that were discovered in shipwrecks and also unearthed on land. There was also a wine press to produce wine for sale to the spectators. The other major exhibit was a Roman map that showed the distance between destinations, measured by travel time in horse and cart.

The wine press.

Back out into the sunshine, we walked the old town and stopped to observe old town gates and other reminders of the Roman days. Like Rovinj the roads were limestone blocks and some of the side streets were steep and slippery with polished limestone. I could imagine local kids sliding down the streets on wet days. 

Fun on a wet day.

In the middle of the old town shopping precinct sat a café with one table occupied by a seated statue of a man, seemingly enjoying a coffee. It turns out the celebrated author, James Joyce, lived in the building atop the café while he made ends meet teaching English. Apparently, he was not a fan of Pula, which is okay because we are not fans of his literary pursuits either.

The gate near Joyce's lodgings. They should have locked him out.

As far as the commerce of the town goes, there were the usual souvenir and ice cream shops as well as handcraft places and café. The Euro has only been the official currency of Croatia for three years and while its introduction was billed as a good thing for the economy, its people are not so convinced since inflation has skyrocketed by over 50% and wages have not followed suit.

We finished the tour at the City Hall, an Italian construction sitting beside the Temple of Jupiter. And that really sums up Pula, it is a town that represents it historical eras through the architecture.

The Temple of Jupiter.

City Hall.

We took our time walking back to the ship having exhausted pretty much what was on offer except sitting down for a coffee or glass of wine and we could do the latter back on board.

Dinner was served on the upstairs open air deck, a Croatian specialty, squid ink risotto with prawns. Entrée was tomato broth with celeriac and dessert, chocolate cake. You never go hungry on an APT cruise.

The shipbuilding yard is not so ugly at night.

The arena under lights.

Sunset from Pula.

The arena at dusk.

I honour of all the civilisations that dominated Croatia at varying times throughout history today's title, Everybody Wants to Rule the World is by Tears for Fears from 1985.

Until tomorrow.