Pula - Rovinj - Pula

Off to Rovinj today which is a small town on a peninsular 40km North of Pula.  

Football at Rovinj Stadium or a kids school.

On the way into town we saw some lads playing football (the world game) and our lads joined in.  
Thank goodness we found these kids because Harry is driving me bonkers asking every day whether we can play or not or look for a field or just kick the ball about.  

I like soccer heaps but not to the point of driving me around the bend day after day. 

Rovinj.

On the way into Rovinj.

Rovinj is a cracking little town with tiny streets and a massive church sitting on top of the hill in town.  (It looks like being God has it's perks as He always seem to have the best views in all these places.)  

I'll go into a bit of detail here for the next bit because it's fascinating stuff.  Especially for a paid up member of the Australian Skeptics like me.

Church of St Euphemia.

The church is dedicated to St Euphemia which is some sheila that was martyred 1700 years ago in a town in Asia Minor.  The Romans were guilty this time and after the requisite torture and cruelty she was fed to the lions.  

The lions refused to eat her, so the story goes, so the local Christians had her entombed in a marble sarcophagus and then transferred to Constantinople and into a church dedicated to her.  (Presumably as a celebration to being non-compliant lion food.)

Old town Rovinj.

Anyway fast forward 500 years to the year 800 AD and apparently the tomb (a 5 tonne marble sarcophagus mind you) with her remains in it then found it's way to Rovinj by sea after a massive storm.  Where, Excalibur-like, a child with two cows dragged it up the hill after all other efforts failed.  

It has sat in the church built after this 'miracle' ever since.

You couldn't make this stuff up - Well you could, it's called religion.

Anyway the church was impressive as they all are in Europe with a long history.  (Then again maybe the crap ones just aren't on the tourist maps.)

We wandered through the streets enjoying the ambience and marvelled at the seemingly endless parade of elderly Germans around the place.  

Some gelatis of course and then home to our Aunty's (3 generations in the one house) for a big family dinner with my other cousin, her husband and kids making an appearance.  

A great big lunch/dinner of the local delicacy which are called cevapcici's.  A little skinless sausage which taste great washed down with a few coldies.

BBQ - Croatian style - Cevap-Cici's over the fire.
From left - Master Chef, Master baiter.