Arrival, Stella Maris Resort and Umag

At two o’clock in the morning, the alarm clock rang, after I had spent only about two hours in bed. The evening before had ended late due to a company party, but since we were heading on holiday, tiredness played only a minor role. We quickly got dressed, packed our luggage into the car, and off we went.

A few minutes later we were on the motorway, which was pleasantly empty at that time of night, so we made good progress. After just over 2.5 hours we reached the Slovenian border, and another hour later we arrived in Trojane. We had actually planned to have breakfast there, as we always did when traveling this route, but unfortunately, the restaurant was still closed.

So we settled for a short bathroom break and then continued our journey.

It wasn’t until just before the Croatian border that we found a small bar, where we were finally able to satisfy our needs for caffeine and fill our stomachs.

When we finally reached our hotel, it was still early in the morning, so we couldn’t check into our rooms yet. We parked the car in the hotel’s own parking lot and set off to explore the area.

We had been to Umag and the Stella Maris complex many times before. There are hotels, apartments and bungalows of all sizes, categories, and price ranges. What they all have in common is that they are located by the sea. The sprawling resort also features several very large pools, plenty of sun loungers, numerous restaurants, cafés and ice cream parlors.

We walked along the sea and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was surprisingly warm for the end of April.

Along the way, we treated ourselves to a light lunch, another coffee, and enjoyed finally sitting in the sun again.

Later, we continued our stroll along the seaside promenade all the way to Umag. This lively little coastal town in northern Croatia, on the Istrian peninsula, has managed to preserve its original charm despite the many tourists who visit every year.

The old town, with its medieval houses and narrow alleyways, is reminiscent of a bygone era, while in the modern harbor restaurants and souvenir shops line up side by side.

Umag is always beautiful, even after almost 25 years in which I’ve probably been here at least ten times. The town is also an ideal starting point for exploring the surrounding villages.

After wandering aimlessly through the town for almost two hours, we took the tourist train back to the hotel.

There we were finally able to check into our large apartment, which extended over two floors. Downstairs there was a kitchen with dining area, a living room and a terrace; upstairs we had two bedrooms with a view of the sea.

We quickly unpacked our suitcases and changed into our swimwear. Shortly afterwards, we were at the pool. By then, it had gotten really hot. A dip in the ice-cold sea—and also in the pool—was very welcome.

So we spent the next few hours relaxing on the sun loungers, in the water, and in the sun.

In the evening, we visited the restaurant closest to our apartment. There we ordered crispy pizza and deep red wine and let this beautiful day fade out in the light of the setting sun.