GOING TO "SEA" SALT

Woke up to our second morning in Piran and enjoyed the typical bread, meat and cheese breakfast along with some good conversation with our host. We peppered him with many questions about the area and history including info about the salt pans that brought Piran it's wealth. 

With a trusty map he marked for us, we were off on foot to find Secovlje Salina Nature Park--marked with centuries-old tradition of salt making. 

We like all the different cars we're seeing here and continue to be amazed at the exceptionally tight spaces they can fit into. 

            (Mike and the tiny truck)

It was a good hike to the salt pans and there were many lovely things to photograph on this rainy day...

     (I love these fold down clothes dryers)

        (Dianne wants this house)

We had a cool (literally) walk through "the route of health and friendship": the Lucan Tunnel is 544 metres long on the Parenzana railway line. It was built from 1900-1902 when the region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

  

After several kilometers we arrived at the Lagoon and salt pads. 

Salt is produced in these salt fields incorporating evaporating and crystallization basins and collected by hand with long, wooden rake-like scrapers. The salt is a delicacy to gourmets. 

   (The ducks were walking along in the shallow pans--extra flavor for the salt)

On the way back to Piran Mike spotted a jellyfish floating in the water--I think it's dead...

  

Also spotted this coffee machine along the side if the road--who needs Starbucks?

Mike and I had to take even a partial dip in the Adriatic Sea--it's cold but not freezing. People keep staring at us--I think it's the flip flops we're wearing. Everyone else is dressed for cooler weather. 

And just when you thought the day was done, Dianne takes a quick cat nap and the rain stops. Out we go to explore a drier Piran. Strolled up up up to see Piran from above...

   (Windows decorated for the national holiday we think)

Near the top of our upward stroll was 14th century St. George's Cathedral:

This offerered us some gorgeous views of Piran below:

Then we headed up up up even further to see the town walls:

 (In top right corner you can see the walls--we hiked to these)

            (Views as we came down)

Mike craved pizza for supper and, of course, our host, Barut, directed us to Tartini Square's best joint (Batana). Great pizza; Mike's laden with Karst ham & cheese and Dianne and I shared Gouda, Mozzarella and Gorgonzola (yum!).

On the way back to the B&B, the skies had cleared and the once grey harbour shone.

 

Mike's quotable gems:

1. "What is that a ham sandwich?" As a sarcastic expression for something blatantly obvious. 

2. Regarding one's wallet: "Don't be scared to open your wallet; it's not an onion, it's not going to make you cry."

Slovenian Senses:

1. The sound of birdsong practically everywhere we go. Lovely!

2. The look of the landscape. So much green and lushness--spring flowering trees and bushes that we don't have.

3. The smell of the flowers on those trees and bushes! Delightful! 

4. The sound of church bells.