Plavi Podrum is a restaurant in Volosko, near Opatija known for its outstanding cuisine.
We were pretty hungry so we started with dipping bread into different kinds of olive oil. The bread was totally black as if it was made with squid ink.

The real starter were shrimps with pines on rocket bed , the other was thin sliced mushrooms and tuna fillets also on rocket bed. Merlot sorbet was very interesting and the foam made of Campari juice.

With this we had some Malvazija – dry white wine of Veralda family.
There was risotto with shrimps from Dalmatia and asparagus mixed in for second course. It was accompanied by Sauvignon from Korak vineyard.

Third course was goose liver, soft as butter and ba bass filet and cod in a chunky tortellini which we dipped into a zucchini sauce. With that we enjoyed 2006 Pošip wine from Korta Katarina.

And desert: chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream and a few drops of olive oil. Odd but tasty combination.

We tried a few sorts of red vine – I remember 2007 Postup from Pelješac peninsula.
It really was a unforgettable culinary experience.

The town of Senj is interesting, because it’s different from other, more touristic towns on Adriatic coast.
We took a trip along the coastal road called Jadranska magistrala and stopped in Senj.
The thing to see in Senj are the fort called Nehaj. It is located on the hilltop overlooking the town and nearby islands. The fort is a museum where history of the town and the fort itself dating back to year 1558 is on display. The tickets cost 7 kuna (which is about 1 €) and up to 20 kuna for adults. The museum is open every day from 10 AM till 6 PM off season and 9 AM till 9 PM during summer.

Whenever I cross the Kvarner I like to stop by Galjola – if the weather allows it. Last few times it didn’t. But these photos show, that it can be a very nice experience. Small island with a lighthouse and pebble beach.

Nautic tips: wach out for shallow waters on SW and NE side – do not go to close, but at the same time, on these spots is where you can drop anchor if you wish.

I visited a nautical fair - saliboat exhebition in Muggia near Trieste. there were quite alot of sailboats on display and the town is very cute.

Lon anchorage near ACI marina Rovinj is a nice spot to drop anchor if you have no desire to pay for a berth and still wish to enjoy the beauties of one of the nicest Istrian towns Rovinj.

It has a huge impact from Venetians and some parts of the town even look like Venice to a degree.

The seabed in Lon is sand with some sea grass so most anchors will hold pretty well there. The depth varies from 8-15 meters. The bay is open towards NW wind called Maestral, which can be pretty strong during stable summer weather conditions but only during the day so you’re safe at night.

If you tie your dinghy at the breakwater of the marina you will probably see happy stray kittens by the dumpsters. They are very well cared for –they even have a carpet and regular meals.

I found these postcards from Rovinj my mom had stashed in a shoe box. When I visited Rovinj about a year ago it was a totally different sight. Even old towns such as Rovinj are slowly but constantly changing.
On the last photo taken from the curch hilltop, there was no marina yet and no ugly hotels.

Island Unije in Kvarner has three nice bays to stay the night with a boat. Maračol used to belong to the Yugoslav army and was closed to general public for a long time.

Now there is an anchorage there with 50 buoys to tie your boat to. Off course they are full during summer and you have to be very early if you want one. The price is 13 hrk/m.

If you’re too late, there are still Podkujni and Vognišca but no buoys. Island Unije is the last island before crossing the Kvarner which can be pretty rough in bad weather. It’s very open and the winds are strong, especially NE wind Bora.

A friend took me to Secovlje Salina on Slovenian coast.

They still make lots of salt here and have a nice museum and walking paths, where you can watch autochthonous species of birds, some of them really nice looking.

You need a few hours if you want to see the whole Salina, because it’s pretty big but it’s worth the couple of euros.

You can check the site at: www.soline.si

Ribic is Slovenian word for Fisherman my host told me, when he took me to this restaurant in Secovlje.

He assured me that this was once again one of the best restaurants on Slovenian coast though their quality wavered in the past. And he was right about the first part as far as I was concerned.

For starter we had the octopus salad, haddock pate, scallops and anchovies and they were all delicious. For main course we had, approx. 2 pound Redfish with potato and a delicious sauce, all baked in an oven. With all that we drank about a liter of Malvazija white wine and coffee after that. There was no room for desert, though I was tempted.

I don’t know exactly how much we (he) paid but it was roughly around 80 Euros, so that’s not too much to spoil oneself from time to time.

Oh, the pan was already half empty when I remembered to take a photo… sorry for that.

Miramare is definetly one of the most beautiful castels in this part of Adriatic and best preserved.

It lies upon a peninsula Grignano (in Spanish Miramare means Ocean View) which from Miramare Castel it really is beautiful.
The Castel was built by duke Maximilian of Habsburg monarchy (the brother of Franz Joseph, the ruler of Austro-Hungarian monarchy) as his summer residence.

The castel is surrounded by beautiful gardens with plants from exotic places from all around the world.