Croatia - Opatija

The ship pulled into Opatija, Croatia at about 8am this morning. Gavin and I were already out running on the jogging track on the pool deck - 8 laps is 1 mile so we had to do many laps to make it worthwhile. It was very necessary with all the food and drinks they are constantly offering you - some people take full advantage of it and start on the cocktails fairly early in the day and don't seem to slow down!

After breakfast we got the tender from the boat to shore, it only took a few minutes. We had planned to walk around the town as it used to be a very elegant and fashionable seaside resort in the 19th century, favoured by minor royalty and people like the Hapsburgs and Gustav Mahler. However it was so very hot at 34C that after strolling along the coastal path, the boys stripped off and jumped in the water (we did not think to bring swimming trunks) and I got hotter and hotter just standing there watching them - I was not going to swim in my underwear! This is a view of the coastal path and one of the hotels, they all seem to have private beaches. I have also added an extra of the boys with the boat in the background.

It was just too hot to do anything so we went back to the boat and had a swim before lunch. After lunch we lazed about and then set sail again at 2.30pm, now heading for Dubrovnik.

Tonight is a formal evening and so we will have fun dressing up for dinner. It is also Thomas' last night with us as tomorrow he has to fly back to London and then fly out to Biarritz with the rest of the squad for the school rugby training/tour. I don't think the rugby coach realises what a sacrifice he is making to go on this rugby tour - he feels obliged to go but would obviously rather stay with us on holiday. The tour finishes on the 28th, but as it is Adam's 21st birthday on the 27th we have requested that he can leave the rugby tour early to come back and join us for Adam's 21st birthday. It has been quite a headache trying to organise his journey from Biarritz back to Portofino where the boat will be on that day. 

I am trying to catch up with journals where I can, but I don't really have time to reply to comments made on my journal - I am reading all of them and I appreciate all the lovely comments. The wifi is very hit and miss on the boat which also slows everything down considerably.