Thursday 1st November 2007

We both decided that we wanted to take it easy today. We had arrived at Pula two days earlier than anticipated, so there was no rush.
We were surprised to find the camp site was very busy. Stupice is rather a confusing site, huge but difficult to find flat pitches with convenient electric points. Given the number of vans on the site last night, it took quite a long time to find a good spot. As it turned out, we picked a very good one being one of the few that was reasonably protected from the vicious wind. We had arrived during the 8th Hallowind Premantura Windsurfing Weekend competition at Stupice and today was the first day. The event is always held around Halloween because they can almost guarantee windy conditions and it had certainly worked this year! It was truly international with a very large number of vehicles from Slovenia, Austria, Germany and Italy and we also spotted two from Hungary and one from Serbia .Cars, campervans and motorhomes continued to arrive all day and the sea was full of windsurfers racing along at breakneck speed. Meanwhile, other would-be windsurfers were holding their wind speed meters in the air and looking at the readings. I didn't need a meter, given that I was struggling to walk upright, I knew that it was b****y strong. All of the spectators were wrapped up in layers of clothes, thick coats, hats and gloves. Meanwhile the windsurfers were wearing dry suits with bare arms and feet and zooming around for hours over, and often in, the sea. It looked exhilarating, but rather them than me! I watched a slalom race but it was difficult enough trying to work out who had started the race and it was impossible to see who was winning given the large number of windsurfers travelling in every direction.
My excitement for the day was going shopping in the village and taking photographs of the windsurfers. The latter was preferable!
Photos: 18th Century bakery at Premantura; A close slalom race.