After stopping for lunch in Piran Slovenia, my dad and I drove down the coast to Pula Croatia. With some time to kill before check-in time at our room, we explored the city and couldn't help but notice the giant coliseum. We parked the car and set out on foot to check it out.
The coliseum is the largest Roman coliseum outside of Italy. It's crazy to think that something built over 2000 years ago is still around today. Visiting places like this always makes me want to read stories about living in those ancient times.
Most of the structure is original, but there are sections that have been repaired. Seeing how bright the limestone is on the repaired section, I wonder how bright this arena was when it was new. Imagine watching an event here on a bright sunny day at a time before sunglasses were invented. My eyes hurt thinking about it. I know the coliseum in Rome had fabric that went over the top to block the sun. I wonder if this one did as well.
Like the coliseum in Rome, this one originally had underground rooms for keeping animals and other things.
We finished up our tour of the coliseum and found a place for drinks next to it. Other than the coliseum and our accommodations, we didn't actually explore much of Pula. I only have one photo of Pula itself that I took while we were relaxing by the coliseum.
That night my dad and I stayed on a boat! In my last post I mentioned my affinity for boats and this night on a boat was perfect for me. I don't remember if the boat was my idea or my dad's, but it was a fantastic idea. And the weather was perfect. The August temperature was warm but not hot and the sky was gorgeous.
With so many boats in the marina, it was a little difficult to find where we were staying, but the woman who owned the boat came and found us and took us to our room.
I'm pretty sure I booked the boat on booking.com under the name "hotel on a boat". The price was slightly higher than average for the area (85 Euro). But for me it was a bargain!
Our host was an absolute sweetheart! She offered us wine and told us about the region and life on a boat in a marina. She owns the boat with her husband and they rent rooms on the boat to help pay for marina fees and gas for taking the boat out. She said that they hadn't taken the boat out to the sea in a while because of the cost and hassle of undocking.
Staying on a docked boat is a little different. We were encouraged to use the bathrooms in the marina because the water in the harbor would get polluted if everyone used their boat's bathrooms. It was fine to use the boat's bathroom in the middle of the night, but showers were taken in the marina facilities.
It wasn't ideal, but it also wasn't a huge inconvenience. Being able to spend the night on a boat was worth it to me.
Not only do I love boats, but I love dogs too. This boat came with a dog!
After the sun went down, we had dinner at the marina restaurant. It was a great meal and a nice end to a long day. We returned to the boat and slept in our little room. The quarters were cramped, but who cares, it's a boat!
The next morning we woke up early and got ready for another road trip. We were heading southeast to meet up with an adventure group tour that we had booked. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we explore more of the beautiful country of Croatia.