Chapter II · The Arrival
The Real Arrival
Day 03 · Sun, June 14, 2026
Rovinj · Istrian coast · Croatia
The route, drawn quietly
Yesterday was the road and the salt. Today is the first morning that belongs to nowhere else. Coffee on the deck, oaks above, the bay through the trees. The little boat across to the old town when you feel like it — not before. Clay sleeps on the wood. The holiday actually begins here.
Same bed, second night
Maistra Camping Amarin Glamping
The Planned Day
Written before the day was lived. Held lightly. Will be replaced as it happens.
The shape of the day
A one-hour drive south into Istria. Rovinj appears like a postcard nobody bought yet. We sleep at Amarin — a tent under oaks, just north of the old town. The water taxi from the resort drops you at the harbour wall. Walk in for dinner, ride back across the bay in the dark.
What to do
- 01First swim straight off the Amarin beach — pebble shore, calm water.
- 02Take the resort's free water taxi into Rovinj at golden hour.
- 03Climb to the Church of St. Euphemia, then dinner in the old town. Ride back across the bay in the dark.
A loose rhythm
- MorningSlow coffee on the bungalow deck at Amarin. Oaks, the bay through the trees. No driving today.
- Early afternoonCheck in at Amarin. Drop bags in the tent. Clay off the leash, into the shade.
- Late afternoonSwim off the Amarin beach. Long shower at the tent.
- EveningWater taxi into Rovinj. Climb to St. Euphemia. Dinner. Last boat back.
Why this day
This is the first letting-go. Sleeping outside the old town — under trees, near the sea — is what makes the day land. The shoulders drop here.
How it will feel
Like the holiday actually started today, not yesterday. Salt on the skin, pine in the air.
Practical notes
- · With Clay: the main Amarin beach is no-dogs (Blue Flag). Walk five minutes south along the coastal pine path to Kastelan cove — the dog beach, quiet, shaded. That's where Clay swims.
- · When you want the main beach or pool together, Clay can be left in the cool of the bungalow for up to two hours — no longer.
- · The free Amarin water taxi to Rovinj harbour runs roughly every 30 min in season — check the last evening crossing.
- · Driving into the old town is pointless — pedestrian only. Park, walk, or take the boat.
Awaiting the day
Photos, essay, food, music — to be added when this day is lived.