Villa Park Strunjan

... of Santa Cecilia, sixty performers in the choir and orchestra which have belonged to Grado for well over a century. They keep alive not only the authentic tradition of popular songs but also the church music which accompanies the main religious festivities including the traditional St Stephen’s Day concert on 26 December at 6pm in the Basilica.

Music and exhibitions throughout Grado also accompany New Year’s ...

... was really good to see them again. And I was very excited to be seeing Sam as well the following day. We had hired a car to get around while they were here, so that day we drove back to Merate, and Mum and Dad met my Italian family and we had a nice dinner at their place. The next morning we went on a little drive around the lake areas, Lecco, Como, Bellagio, etc. In the afternoon we went to pick up Sam from Bergamo. Might I just through in there and remind everyone that Dad ...

... the day leaps and bounds) into upgrading our room to a junior suite, and OMG!!!!! ITS FAB! We have this massive room bigger than half our flat in London with a balcony view overlooking the ocean. Life doesn't get much better than this. Had a really nice fish dinner last night and are about to embark on a bit of culture during our ...

... insurance people. I got a letter off them and have to have my stiches out in 7 days time and got a prescription for some pain killers. So all we have been doing really is hiding out in our little apparment the woman who we are staying with is amazing and refused to charge Ian for the extra days that we have been staying and Ian has been great in looking after me. Making me soup and sausage and mash and ...

... to sit down as the pain was really getting to me. I knew then that I was going to faint I could tell after fainting a few times before everything goes weird and things start going fast I kinda thought I could stop myself but no joy. The next thing I knew Ian was trying to bring me round after putting me in the recovery position and had some tissue on my head as I had fell head first into 500 year old ...

... save some money I bought some food to eat in the room. We did not really do much today went back to the room after we had found a laundry for our clothes and then I cooked both me and Beebs a lovely chicken sunday dinner with potaoes and carrots and even found some stuff so that I could make Gravy sorry not much to say but we where so tired and just wanted to chill out.

... for a few hours before heading to shore. We didn't' want to go alone so we asked any of the crew if they wanted to go with us. We ended up getting three of the stewies and one of the deckies to go with us. With only four people aboard the work load was very light, so they were able to go with us. We took the tender to shore and no one was on the beach where we landed, but there were more people scattered ...

... the main harbor. It looks much like an old Italian fishing village, with the same stucco homes, window shutters, flowerboxes, and simple wooden fishing boats.

The hilltop church of Saint Euphemia can be seen for miles, and overlooks the water and nearby islands. Legend says the sarcophogus of St. Euphemia floated onshore in Rovinj after ...

... of Italy and brightly-colored windowboxes filled with geraniums were also scattered around the city center.

The water was a deep teal green and looked so clean, even in the middle of a busy shipping port with 6-7 large container ships in port.

The Adriatic was a beautiful place to sail. Rolling hills covered in grape vines rose out of the water & were met by short mountains (foothills of the Julian Alps) on the Istrian peninsula.

... s stomach and a scene from Fraggle Rock (without the Fraggles). Here the stalactites and stalagmites from the ceiling and floor have grown so large that they meet in the middle, forming huge 20m high phallic columns. The best is yet to come however as the roaring of the underground River Reka that has threatened since the beginning reveals itself at the bottom of an awe inspiring gorge that drops 100m below the rope bridge we carefully ...