A Sunny Afternoon in Izola, Slovenia

On Saturday, after a morning storm, the skies cleared up.  We went to Koper to rent a car, and then our host Antonio took us to a sleepy little fishing town nearby, called Izola.  This place has a very interesting history, having been claimed by various empires and countries over the centuries.  In fact, it used to be an island-- which explains the name.  You can read the history here.  To me, it felt super laid-back and Mediterranean.  Since the sun was shining, people were out enjoying the day along the waterfront. 

We went to a wine bar that Antonio has connections with, to enjoy some orange wine.  Have you tried orange wine?  It is a more traditional type of ferment, which incorporates the white grape skins in the maceration process, adding the orange-ish tint to the final product.  This technique has been used through the years in Armenia and Georgia, and has become more popular now in Slovenia and Northeastern Italy.  It was nice!  I didn't take a picture, though.  While we enjoyed our wine, the kids ran around and played in the streets.  I loved that it was quiet enough for them to do this-- you would be hard-pressed to find a place in our area where adults can enjoy a glass of something and kids can run around and yell.

I found Izola to be extremely charming. I loved how weathered the buildings are, and everything is semi-sunbleached.

There was a really laid-back atmosphere, which also really loved.  I *almost* got a picture of an 11 year old boy riding a motor cycle through the alleyways.

After we finished our drinks, we walked toward the sea front. 
It was gorgeous and oh-so Mediterranean.

There was no sand anywhere, but plenty of rocks for kids to pick through.

Watching these two, so insperable from the moment they met, made my heart swell.

Walking back toward where we had parked, we wandered through these super-charming narrow streets.  I would have been happy to wander around them for several hours.

I have a real soft spot for shuttered windows...

I loved this set, in particular:

And then we tore ourselves away from this sweet, sunny town, to go meet another one further down the Slovenian Coast-- Piran.

Thanks for coming along!  I can't wait to show you two more places we visited on this trip...

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