Jonathan and I have officially had our first summer road trip in Austria! Our sweet friend Laura planned the whole adventure. We all met up in Salzburg and drove for six hours to the charming Croatian town of Pula. The camp grounds where we set up our tent was on a small peninsula that jutted into the sea. The beaches were made up of rocky cliffs that gradually slipped into the water. There were fragrant pine trees all around and blue skies as far as the eye could see. For the entirety of our trip the sun was out and we never once had to worry about rain. It was so lovely to catch some rays, cool off in the gentle waves, and eat tasty camp food cooked by Mr. Jonathan himself. His boy scout skills were definitely showing and we ladies were very grateful.
Part of our time was also spent checking out the downtown area and trying some of the local food specialties. We quickly discovered that Pula has a Colosseum! Turns out it is a sister arena to the one in Rome. It also came to our attention that in the evenings there are reenacted gladiatorial fights. All of us were definitely curious and decided to check it out. Quite a few other tourists had the same idea...approximately 3,000 other tourists. Needless to say it was a packed house. We learned about the various classifications of gladiators and some of the background information about the Colosseum. Of course there was also the mock battles. The crowd was instructed to cheer for whatever gladiator they wanted to win. Sometimes we also had to vote at the end of a skirmish if the defeated opponent should be shown grace or should be executed. Even though I knew the whole thing was fake, during the fights a little part of my mind was thinking "Oh man please don't poke somebodies eye out! Be careful!". I guess we all have those motherly instincts.
After three nights our time in Pula came to an end and we packed up the car and headed home. Just as we were nearing the end of our six hour return drive traffic suddenly came to a complete dead halt. Cars were piling up behind us as far as the eye could see. We found out that a semi truck had gotten stuck in the mountain tunnel up ahead. Everyone could sense that it was going to be a long wait. Many were outside their cars grabbing a smoke, talking with other drivers, and stretching their legs. Initially we just munched on some snacks and chatted. Then Laura and Abby got the brilliant idea to put on some good tunes. The first in the line up was the unforgettable, always groovy "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie. Immediately we all started to dance because who can resist dancing to a song like that?! The volume was fairly loud and with our windows down the rest of our traffic neighbors were getting quite the show. Some faces were amused and others confused. My favorite moment was when two young boys from the vehicle in front of us jumped out of their seats and started dancing too! They were such schnazzy individuals. We continued the activity through the Macarena and "Wannabe" by Spice Girls. We had such a blast bustin' our best moves. I don't think I've ever had so much fun before while being stuck in a traffic jam. Laura summed it up perfectly by saying "When life gives you lemons, make juice!".
It was so glorious experiencing nature, relaxing, and enjoying awesome relationships.
Love you all!
-Rach
Part of our time was also spent checking out the downtown area and trying some of the local food specialties. We quickly discovered that Pula has a Colosseum! Turns out it is a sister arena to the one in Rome. It also came to our attention that in the evenings there are reenacted gladiatorial fights. All of us were definitely curious and decided to check it out. Quite a few other tourists had the same idea...approximately 3,000 other tourists. Needless to say it was a packed house. We learned about the various classifications of gladiators and some of the background information about the Colosseum. Of course there was also the mock battles. The crowd was instructed to cheer for whatever gladiator they wanted to win. Sometimes we also had to vote at the end of a skirmish if the defeated opponent should be shown grace or should be executed. Even though I knew the whole thing was fake, during the fights a little part of my mind was thinking "Oh man please don't poke somebodies eye out! Be careful!". I guess we all have those motherly instincts.
After three nights our time in Pula came to an end and we packed up the car and headed home. Just as we were nearing the end of our six hour return drive traffic suddenly came to a complete dead halt. Cars were piling up behind us as far as the eye could see. We found out that a semi truck had gotten stuck in the mountain tunnel up ahead. Everyone could sense that it was going to be a long wait. Many were outside their cars grabbing a smoke, talking with other drivers, and stretching their legs. Initially we just munched on some snacks and chatted. Then Laura and Abby got the brilliant idea to put on some good tunes. The first in the line up was the unforgettable, always groovy "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie. Immediately we all started to dance because who can resist dancing to a song like that?! The volume was fairly loud and with our windows down the rest of our traffic neighbors were getting quite the show. Some faces were amused and others confused. My favorite moment was when two young boys from the vehicle in front of us jumped out of their seats and started dancing too! They were such schnazzy individuals. We continued the activity through the Macarena and "Wannabe" by Spice Girls. We had such a blast bustin' our best moves. I don't think I've ever had so much fun before while being stuck in a traffic jam. Laura summed it up perfectly by saying "When life gives you lemons, make juice!".
It was so glorious experiencing nature, relaxing, and enjoying awesome relationships.
Love you all!
-Rach