Zima u Rovinju Winter in Rovinj

A month in Rovinj during the winter time has been the new experience for us. 

 We wanted to see what this beautiful touristy town might look like when there are no tourists, no crowds, no events, no shops full of people buying things, restaurants with lines of people waiting to be seated, packed up beaches etc. 

Many told us we won’t like it, it will be like a ghost town where everything is shut down. The weather will be rainy and cold and there will be nothing to do or places to go to.

Before I share our experiences, let me give you a bit of context…

 This trip of a lifetime was designed around two of us and our very own different preferences: Neb prefers summer and I love winter more! Having two property gems in Europe, and ideally suited for both seasons we have the best of both worlds! 

Since immigrating to NZ, it took us 10 years to come back for the first time, and with 4-6 weeks of annual leave max, one of us always had to compromise. We either got to enjoy summer or winter. This time we said a big NO to a compromise and wanted to enjoy both seasons and everything in between, we wanted to travel a lot and to spend time in our own cute places even more.

 Although I inherited both, we have invested so much time and money, over the years, to maintain both properties, and that’s been very tough since we came to NZ from nothing, to nothing and with nothing. We did it with a hope that one day we will get to enjoy it, our children and grandchildren would love to come and learn about their heritage and culture. I promised to my Dad we would take care of both places, and we simply love coming and living a different lifestyle while here.

We have never done all this work with the intention to move back permanently, we are philosophical about it and I’d say we are pretty self aware. We know we have changed a lot since we have immigrated to NZ, we know we are global citizens who belong to the world and not specific place or nation, we know our home is where our friends and loved ones are and where we feel happy.

 We love it here and we love New Zealand, and believe both countries have a lot to offer that is meaningful and important to us, and for the years ahead of us. Philosophical, right?! 🧐

 So, what lessons did we learn living like locals in Rovinj for a month during the winter months?

 As you know we enjoyed the beautiful summer in Rovinj for 8 weeks and left on 30/9 to go to Iceland. We did this purposefully to be able to see the whole of Iceland before the winter time settles in, but we also thought the summer here would be over and we would have had enough of Rovinj by then. 

Well, I cried when we left Rovinj on 30/9, this was too early to leave Rovinj! The Indian summer was so good, it continued till mid November. The truffles season, tourism festival and a number of other events took place in October. This was the time to be in Rovinj, full stop.

 Lesson #1 - plan off shoulder season travels from mid November, and book Europe trips from here. 

 It’s true, Rovinj looks completely different now, in comparison to summer! Although it is pretty quiet, we like it, especially after 7 weeks of non stop travel. It suited us to be quiet and relax for a bit, to create a space for the memories to settle down, and to enjoy the nature beauty at a different time of the year. The Golden Cape forest and biking around trails fulfilled us with utmost joy! 

 And let me tell you Rovinj is more beautiful than we thought! How could that be? 

Simple really, we have more time to observe things around us. We are in no hurry to get to the beach, in no hurry to get home for dinner, in no hurry to get out in the evening, life is very busy here during summer months!

I have more photos of buildings, beaches, sunsets and many little things I have never noticed before. When the town is full of “ šušur” ( good busy vibes) you barely get to see the world around you. I totally love it during summer, but it’s not boring now, not for us who decided to spend a month here. 

The main locally owned shops and restaurants are open, and it’s fair to say there is heaps of construction going on. This is the time of the year when the town gets revamped and renovated. Everywhere we go there is something being built, I can’t wait to see the end results!

 We have gone for a walk and bike ride every day when it wasn’t raining, and when I tell you that we have had 4 rainy days in a month you won’t believe me, but it is true! I would get up in the morning, look out and say, omg it’s sunny again! This now means a good breakfast and the action starts! Out and about walking on average 15,000 steps, biking around for hours, reading books at the beach and a enjoying a coffee at Mulini beach cafe. Yes, it gets cold here when the wind “Bura” comes in, but these days are my favourite. Cold, crispy, blue skies, stunning sunsets, and calm sea, so so serene and beautiful.

 The town got dressed up for the Advent, and it looked so nice. Just a few locals, a few tourists, and us. A few Konoba ( local restaurant) are open, a few patisserie shops open, everything you need you can find. 

Advent in Rovinj & Opatija Photo Album

Interestingly, unlike Split old town that’s empty, here people still live in the old town area. A number of apartments are also converted into AirB&B but there is life here in the winter too. 🎄🤶

 On a flip side, we never expected Jahorina to open the winter ski season on 26 November! Last year they didn’t have enough snow till February and this year they have already opened the ski season! It’s crazy how unpredictable the weather has become. 

 Lesson #2 - leave December free of pre booked holiday, be flexible in your plans and ready to jump from one location to another depending on what the Mother Nature brings.💦❄️☀️

 Lesson # 3 - it’s ok to feel anxious driving in the snow conditions, practice makes it easier. Get winter tyres on from 1 November and drive to conditions! ❄️🚗⛓️

 Lesson # 4 - it takes a week to settle into a new daily routine and it’s ok to feel a bit disoriented after the days on the road. I have found that coming back to Rovinj in the winter time was a bit confusing, not feeling busy kind of paralysed me and unhelpful thoughts took over. Once we established a routine it was perfect! I guess we function better when there is a set routine rather than random things happening around us. 👟🥾🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️ 

And come on Draženka it’s ok to do nothing for a day or two! 😉

 Lesson # 5 - driving a manual car comes with some “ must do things” that we have forgotten since we’ve been driving an automatic car in NZ. Luckily our good neighbours sent us for a car service to the right place and everything got sorted before the next road trip and with no damage to the car. Phew! 🚗

 Lesson # 6 - when I am on the road non stop  travelling means reading a book is almost non existent! I get so excited with the history of the places we are visiting, plus all the activities we want to do and see that simply there is no time for a book in a quiet cosy place. Can you believe that after six months of travelling I’ve read only two books! Yet another reason why it’s actually been so good to have a bit of quiet time, winter in Rovinj has been perfect to catch up on books! 📕📗📘read :)

 Lesson # 7 - if it ever becomes boring in winter here in Rovinj we have a perfect place to go to - here we come Jahorina 🎿🚠⛷️

 Our next adventure starts in a few days, until then enjoy the winter photos from beautiful Rovinj, the place we will be leaving soon only to come back to another time❤️

Rovinj Photo Album

Wishing you all the very best for the festive season, and will we continue with our blog in the New Year!