Air Balloons over the backyard

I was sitting in the backyard one night - Brian was on a work trip - looked up, and saw this. To be fair, there are lots of air balloons in and around Bristol - they even have a yearly festival that is known world wide, so it's not that surprising, I suppose. Even so, pretty cool.

And a bonus shot of my flowers! Pretty pathetic, I know, but when you rent, you have limited options.

Lim Fjord, Croatia

Our last stop on our Venice/Croatia adventure was to the Lim Fjord which was on the drive back to Venice. We were told by our segway tour guide (18 years old) that it was beautiful and that you can't miss it. Well, we know from years of travel experience that as soon as someone says, 'you can't miss it', we will, often a few times. And that was the case. I'm still not sure we ever reached the viewing spot you see in all the photos - doesn't seem like we did, but we did at least get out in the sunshine for a while and see some nice scenery.

And what's this? A sign for a winery? Well, of course we'll stop! And a cute little place too. We were the only ones there (this is low season for Croatia) but the guy in the shop was super knowledgeable and let us taste everything they make, I think! We weren't overly impressed, but did go home with a bottle for our trouble.

And then it was back to Venice and one of the worst hotels we've ever stayed at - I seriously think a park bench would have been more comfortable. Sometimes booking.com reviews just don't get it right. And then back to Bristol for less than a week before the next bank holiday and another trip!!

Rovinj's streets

After our segway tour, we relaxed in the hotel bar for a while before dinner and then just wandered around the small town. Very hilly cobbled stone streets made for some really great photos.

Segway in Rovinj Croatia

After our day in Pula, we got back on the road to visit Rovinj, which was about an hour from Pula on the way back to Venice. We like Rovinj a lot better - cuter place with a lot more old world charm. Pula was quite industrial and except for the Amphitheater, there wasn't much to do or see. Rovinj, on the other hand, had a lot more to offer - including a segway tour which allowed us to see everything in about 3 hours.

Harbor right outside our hotel - we were right downtown in the thick of things.

A view of the main square by the harbor.

A beautiful view of Rovinj from the other side of the bay.

Our guide didn't really say what this sculpture was, but it was very pretty.

This one's for you, Kevin! :)

Patron saint of Rovinj's church.

This is from the public gardens/ forest on the outskirts of the main town. A massive park of trails, beaches and small cafes. As it was low season here, there wasn't a lot of people about. Our guide said it's wall to wall tourists in summer.

Roman Amphitheater in Pula Croatia

The main attraction in Pula is an ancient Roman amphitheater that is really well preserved. The day was a bit cool and it took us forever to figure how and where to park, but eventually we made it and really enjoyed walking around the structure.

It was hard to get a good photo, but seeing the sea through the coliseum windows was really pretty. Even on an overcast day.

These are olive oil jugs that were on display underneath the coliseum. They had a small area excavated and an exhibition down there. Pretty cool.

Road trip to Pula Croatia

Looking to get away from the crowds in Venice, we rented a car and drove into Croatia. The driving was easy (oh wait, that's cuz Brian was doing it!) Poor guy just mastered driving on the left and now was back to driving on the right. But we love road trips and this was no exception. It rained most of the day so it was a good day to be on the road rather than walking around outside.

We arrived in Pula to find our hotel was closed! Here they had booked us in a sister hotel next door but never told us. After a few extra heart palpitations, we were settled in our room and with the view below - not too shabby.

Here's that same view the next morning. We were in for a gorgeous day!

A view of the harbor near our hotel. 

One of the streets of Pula!

Tales of Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands

Our last day in Venice was spent exploring some of the nearby islands: Murano, Burano and Torcello.  It was an absolutely beautiful day - sunny and warm - much nicer than the on and off rain we had most of the time in Venice itself.

Murano - famous for their glass . . . and tourists. Place was pretty crowded and the glass blowing exhibits all tourist traps so we didn't stop in. It was Easter Monday so they were ready and primed to take a lot of tourist money. Still, a really pretty place.

Courtyard sculptures at one of the glass shops.

More glass sculpture on display.

A view of 'downtown' Murano.

Public square art.

As I said, a really beautiful day.

The blue star which was commissioned for Christmas a few years ago.

Torcello - tiny little island with a church and some grassy fields and a few restaurants. We had hoped to have lunch here, but it was so crowded that literally every restaurant was booked. Beautiful walk though.

The walk into 'town' from the boat dock. Seems to be boat parking all along the canal.

Old church in the center of the island.

Sculpture garden and grape vines.

Church tower

Another view of the church - there wasn't much else to photograph! 

Burano - is known for it's colorful houses. I think this island had the most character and didn't seem quite as crowded - although maybe we were just getting used to it.

I like this photo because it gives you a sense of how close and crowded everything feels.

And then it was back to Venice for a very late lunch/ early dinner. Thank goodness for gelato to keep us from starving! ;)

More Venice Views

We didn't really 'do' a lot of things in Venice itself. The Doge's tour and the Peggy Guggenheim museum, but actually we just wandered a lot. Here are a few more views of the city.

 The Rialto bridge - the first bridge to connect the sides of the canal. This isn't the original, which was made of wood and burned down 2-3 times before they commissioned one in stone. There are shops along the center of the bridge - all tourist junk unfortunately.

 This is the grand canal through Venice and the boat in the photo is the Vaporetto (think city bus) at one of the landing stations on the canal. You can walk most everywhere but the Vaporetto is faster - and of course more interesting.

 Like Rome, there are public drinking fountains all over the city. No problems drinking from the taps here!

Another shot of Rialto bridge from the other side of the canal.