There’s nothing quite like the shimmer of the moonlight over the Adriatic. The soft white light glistens over the gentle ripples of the sea in seemingly infinite distance. After years of only short visits during the winter months, I finally had the chance to spend a few hot summer nights on the Adriatic coast again. Riding down from Ljubljana, the Slovenian coast seems like a whole different country. The old Venetian and modern Italian influences are palatable, and the people enjoy a relaxed Mediterranean attitude.
It never ceases to amaze me how the waiters in restaurants in the Slovenian seaside town of Piran can seamlessly transition between Slovenian, Italian, German, English, and Croatian as they hurriedly carry trays of beautiful seafood to waiting customers. As a big calamari fan, I always take the opportunity to enjoy as much of it as possible while at the coast: fried calamari, grilled calamari, and even calamari stuffed with cheese and ham. I also savored some grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass one evening along with grilled prawns. The night could have happily gone on forever with the wine flowing, fresh seafood on the table, and a gentle sea breeze cooling us off in the hot summer weather.
The days of Piran being a secret destination for American tourists seem to be over – there were quite a few Americans enjoying the pleasant atmosphere of this small seaside town. Down the road in Portoroz, things were hopping as the weekenders from the city arrived in hordes to enjoy the hot sun and cool water. Over in Izola, a collection of old VW Beetles and some collector Buggies passed through the old town tooting their horns. Almost overnight the cold weather and solemn personalities of the early months had given way to the heat and excitement of summer.
Tonight, however, the twinkle of the moonlight over the sea will lull me to a peaceful rest, and I will dream of the journeys left to come.