Well the morning came way too soon for me today as I had agreed to accompany a friend on a trip to Crkvinica, a small town about an hour drive south of Rijeka.
After stumbling out of bed at 5:30am and a good cup of coffee we were off taking the state roads that wind around the coastline like a ribbon. I’m no stranger to this as I traveled most of this coastline from Dubrovnik to Senj and all the windy roads around in between (before the pay toll express road was built) but that has been a few years with only a couple visits to the coastal towns of Zadar and Šibenik during summer visits since.
This was nice “uncharted territory” for me and though a short trip it was a nice little experience and one of the first times to “live blog” the Adriatic coast with these pictures since this blog kicked off last August.
The reason or trip started so early was that we had to be in Crkvinica by 7:00 am to acquire fresh fish when the fishing boats came in to harbor in the morning. I’m not a fish fan but I do appreciate it as part of the Adriatic experience and loving the sea so much I have acquired an appreciation for it’s creatures too and barbequed fish on a open grill on the seaside is not really a bad way to spend an afternoon.
This particular part of the coastline is full of coves, peninsulas, strands and bays all woven together into a fabulous and enchanting interknit treasure of natural beauty but unfortunately not spared the scars of modern development and pollution as the industrial revolution and development during the socialist period placed industry and factories near and around populated and natural resources often imperiling the heath of both man and nature at the same time. One such example is the oil refineries in the heart of the city of Rijeka and other oil depots and smelters near the town of Bakar that we passed by today. This particular smokestack can be see from across the bay of kavarner on a clear day even from Opatija, nearly the 30 kn away and a disturbing backdrop for the old and historic boat building town of Krajevica.
All in all it was a great trip and I hope to be able to visit and explore more of it during my stay in Rijeka.
Some more pictures from the day
Poison in Paradise- notice the gray sky coming from the smokestack and refineries in contrast to the picturesque blue sky and beautiful harbor and castle.
The devil loves candy strips, though it looks like a candy cane it’s not so sweet but just as deadly.
The Dry docks of Kraljevica, since 1729, and said to have been Tito’s first job.
The town of Bakar,with the white line in the hill being the main road we were on and only the guardrail in the foreground from taking an unwanted “drop down” to the town.
