MIKE AND JESS' TRAVEL DIARY
Slovenia and Portugal Trip
Day 4 - May 7 2023
We can get used to waking up to this view.
On our third full day of the vacation, we woke up, got ready, and jumped back in the car. The destination was Piran, an old Venetian city on Slovenia’s tiny strip of coastline just an hour and 20 minutes away. The town dates back to the 7th century and was part of the Venetian Empire. Then, like a game of hot-potato, it was controlled by numerous countries, most recently Slovenia in 1991. It is more travelled than our other stops in Slovenia, but we could not miss the chance to visit the Adriatic Sea and the gorgeous old town.
After parking at a garage, we made our way towards the coast. There are coastal paths built along the Slovenian coast and we wanted to find a section to wander. The first one we tried was a short 5 minute walk along the water, but the path disappeared and became too rocky to continue.
Instead, we walked the other direction and took another coastal path directly into town. With the cliff on one side of the path and the crystal clear water with families and pups slashing around on the other, it was a really fun walk.
Our first view of the city was from a stone wall above. And was it jaw-dropping
As soon as we climbed down into the town, we started taking a ton of pictures. It was like being transported to my vision of Italy. Super cramped alleys with laundry hanging on the balconies. Cobblestone streets and the smell of the sea.
We wandered through the alleys, popping out for some harbor views along the way until our stomachs started to growl. We stepped into a small courtyard tucked away from the main hustle and I asked to see what restaurants we had picked out ahead of time. We had only found a couple we had interest in since many of the restaurants are geared towards visitors and not well reviewed. There was one we really wanted to visit as the reviews were crazy good and the main draw was simple and fresh seafood: Fritolin Pri Cantini. We pulled up the map and were standing on the pin. It was in that courtyard! Made to be.
We grabbed the last table and just in time. Within 10 minutes, the area was twice as busy and there was a line for food. The process was interesting. You grab a table in the courtyard, order your drinks with the waiter for the bar next door, order your food at the restaurant door with a menu hanging on the shutters and you get a seashell with a number on it. On that door you ordered at, there is a rope hanging across the opening. When your food is ready, they will hang a wooden fish with your number on it, on the rope. If you are not watching and take even a minute to go grab your food from the door, they start ringing a bell rapidly to get everyone’s attention. This one door serves 20 tables for ordering and food pickup. It was a strange system, but it worked!
Mike ordered mussels with local cheese, tomatoes, garlic and herbs. We got fried polenta with cheese, salad, and an order of fried olives with french fries. The mussels and polenta were amazing. I was super excited about the olives, bit into one expecting a pit, and instead got fish. They were fish-stuffed olives. I would have preferred the pit. Mike liked them though! The food was super fresh and the mussels were the best Mike has ever had. I even had a bite and there was no fish flavor at all.
After lunch, we wandered the town a bit more, then headed for the castle walls for some aerial views. Easily one of the best views we have had in our travels.
Not quite ready to leave town, we decided to grab some food. When we were eating lunch in that gorgeous courtyard, we noticed someone in the window on the other side of the square who was rolling fresh pasta. We figured, this town’s roots are Venetian…I bet the pasta is good here. It was. At least where we had it, at Rostelin. We ordered some flavored lemonades (very popular in Slovenia and with us) the Fuzi with truffles and the filled pasta with Ragu.
Full and happy, we got back in the car for the drive back. Once in town, we were hankering for dessert, so we went to Cacao for some flavored lemonades and chocolate cakes by the river.
