Off to the Istrian Coast

Next stop, Koper - previosly know as Capodistria - when it was the capital of Istria under the 15th and 16th century Venetian Republic. The bus goes along the same route I cycled yesterday and as if to prove my point yesterday, we pass the Giro de Italia, probably in the top 3 most famous cycling races in the world, following the same route I had just 24 hours earlier. I wonder if they matched my time ;-)

At Koper I wander around its pleasent narrow streets and alleys filled with cafes and boutiques and grab some lunch, before heading off to Piran for a half day trip. First sight of Piran is beautiful, a picturesque harbour with colourful buildings surrounded by the sea.



Left: Harbour at Piran
Right: View of Piran from the castle walls

I walk the narrow, winding alleyways and find a route up to the castle walls, where you find a splendid view of the town, the coastline and Italy. The town's dominating feature is the St. George's Church, while on the other side, hills and coastlines fade into the distance and a local football team are doing their training. Walking down to the town is a maze of small streets with clealry no structure to the layout, little shops, market stalls and on the seafront, cafes and restaurants, you can easily get lost wandering around, but you know it is so small you will eventually hit the seaside again on one side or the other.



Left: St George's Church, Piran
Right: Boys warming up for the world cup in old Piran



The mazey street of Piran