Kempinski Palace Portoroz

... is a feast of colour, light, perfumes, sweet specialities, and artistic displays that skilfully blend street decoration with expressions of faith. In the protected area of the lagoon - an atmospheric blend of land and sea - Grado wears her winter finery as she hosts a party for the whole family in a blend of tradition, spirituality, music and fun. <br>In the weekends in early December and each day from Saturday 19 December to ...

So we decided to splurge with the hotel in Verona and Trieste a bit and boy is it nice......its like a vacation on our extended vacation......we got to this hotel here in Trieste, beautiful and right on the water. Jason sweet talked the receptionist (though he thought she said small king instead of smoking - his Italian is improving ...

... he is asking me if I am ok every minute and wont let me get out of bed to do anything. We have spent three days just doing nothing in the room but on sunday we went out for a walk and I seem to be getting better at one point I think that I wanted to come home but what difference does it make being here or at home. We have some sunshine now and I can just relax. <br><br>I have slept for nearly 14 hours ...

Today was hell, I am writing this a few days later so just to let you all know I am much better now and will post the pics so you can see the damage when I get to a computer that lets me. I will explain what happened.<br><br>We got up and had decided that we where going to leave tomorrow as planned and move on to somewhere else so as the day was a little cloudy and raining Ian said why dont we go to Pula ...

As we said its getting colder now so we decided not to do much today as we both wanted to relax anyway after the hectic few weeks that we have had in Turkey greece and italy. So we just went for a walk in the harbour and had a look around its another pretty little harbour town with some cafes but its still really different from Italy. We found a supermarket and as we wanted ...

... joked around for awhile, Jeff suggested that we go up to the sundeck as we cruised into Rovinj. So we got dressed and headed topside. We didn't end up going directly to Rovinj, but instead anchored near a beach and island off of Koversada, a few miles north of Rovinj.<br><br><br>The guys were a little nervous about going to a bare beach so we first pulled out the water toys nearby and played around in the ...

... head phones on it was doing his head in. We had to go through passport control which was a border on the motorway and we got our passports checked first by the Slovenian Police then by the Croatian police as we had to go through Slovenia to get to Croatia. We are coming back to Slovenia but in a few days time. The police did not stamp my passport and I was really dissapointed I am sure because Croatia is not an EU country he ...

... I will have that image transfixed in my mind for some time to come &#8211; probably the one I will remember most from Piran &#8211; a little spooky, as I think back on it, but very cool and mystifying as I watched.<br><br>When I awoke in the morning, the rain had not yet ceased, but fortunately, after breakfast, I was able to catch a lull, long enough to wander around the town for about an hour. As I am want to do, I immediately headed straight for the ...

... and I joined Mauro at his favorite restaurant and ordered a typical Croatian lunch. Grilled vegetable, grilled fish, calamari and of course beer. We watched a class of young sailors practicing in the bay right in next to our table. He told us many Italians come to Croatia for the food.<br><br>Mauro told us how he grew up in this small town and now is an English professor at a local college. His only ...

... to reveal a friendly young Slovene man wearing a hawaiian shirt and a mouthful of crooked teeth. We explain our predicament and he informs us that we are 3km off course and kindy offers us a lift. "You've gone - how do you say? - the wrong way". The three of us talk about the breaking up of the former Yugoslavia, and what it has meant practically for everyday Slovenes like himself. "Everything is more expensive. We have a better ...