Croatia
Wow. Did we sleep late. And needed it, too. Awoke to breakfast being delivered to our room.
Our excursion today was leaving Rijeka for the two hour drive to Zagreb. On the way our bus had an overheating problem. After an hour a replacement bus came, but no time for getting to Zagreb. Instead we went to Opatija, our tour guide's home town.
Opatija is a beach and spa town. Lots of old nobility, came there for the water and air quality. Even today heads of state still vacation there. Very beautiful and our guide was very knowledgeable. Opatija is famous for many things: first nude beach on the Mediterranean, birthplace of the inventor of Valium, birthplace of the inventor of the modern pen whose Croation name begins with "Pen" (Penkala, 1871-1922).
Yes, the bus really did break down. The driver said it has never before happened to him. But it was a fortuitous event…
Opatija is a beautiful coastal town. Franz Josef I gave his mistress a hotel in this town and it immediately became an attraction for the well-to -do.
Lovely in many ways.
The inventor of the pen, which replaced the feathered quill.
