exploring the area nearby Novigrad

We have been mainly blobbing at the beach, enjoying the swim of about 200m out to the bouys and back in clear water, and sunbathing on the grass verges by the sea. The swim is doing my shoulders a lot of good, and is harder than it seems. I found an Italian who wanted to play tennis yesterday and had a very good hour's tennis, which nearly wiped us both out in the heat, despite it being 5pm. Nice clay courts on site, and tennis for €3 each is a bargain at such a lovely venue, with a long cold shower afterwards.

The Croatian coast is mainly rocky, which makes for crystal clear sea, with the sea edge largely concreted and with hand rails to make getting in and out safe and easy.

The campsite extends right up to the sea, and we are about 200 yards from the edge where there is shade from the mid-day sun. It is nicer to lie on the grass than the concrete.

We had a thunderstorm in the night, and the rain was so heavy that I got up to re-inforce the awning just before midnight, so that it did not collapse. The only thing being protected from the rain was the bike, and I set up the van's ladder to prop up the awning with some bungee cords.

It held overnight, and was still upright in the morning. Most van owners wind their awnings in if it rains heavily, which is more sensible than Heath Robinson stuff. You can see the problem with the awning by light of day; it is supported at the edges but not in the middle, and this is where water tends to pool if it rains heavily.

The next day the rain stopped and we did some washing, as the trees allow for a good washing line.
I'm always interested in what bikes other campers bring. Mainly scooters of course, but we did see a German couple towing a small trailer that had a couple of Harley Davidson bikes inside. I get a lot of admirers for the Guzzi. There are fewer biker/vanners here than there were in Germany where the roads are more interesting to bike around in the mountains. However, parking a bike in town remains so easy and convenient.

Time to get the maps out and plan where to go and what to see. I found a nice map of Croatia in a local supermarket, and I love maps....! There are some nice national parks inland, but it is quite a way to get there, and we shall stay here by the coast in Istria for a while, since the site has everything you could wish for, and a very inexpensive restaurant.

Novigrad itself is only 3km away; a charming little town with fishing and great seafood restaurants. The view from the belltower is good, and there is an alley covered in umbrellas of various shades which is interesting.

I was expecting a few art galleries, and there are only a couple, with pretty naff artwork. I did like the street with the umbrellas, though, and we stopped for an obligatory coffee and iced tea in one of the cafes. Croatia is very cheap, the coffee was about 60p and the iced tea about £1.10 equivalent. Nice little cafe too. It is very like Italy, but with much cheaper prices.