My last stop in Croatia was Pula, on the Istrian peninsula. I was only going to go for two nights, but ended up staying three because I was at a great hostel run by the most adorable old lady ever. Gordana was around all the time, making coffee for us, chatting, sharing knowledge about fun places to visit or about politics in former Yugoslavia. Also, I finally found some sun!!! The beaches around Pula are stones (not nearly as good as sand...maybe if the stones were very small pebbles it would be nice, but but stones are just hard and uncomfortable to lie on). They are on the incredible Adriatic sea, though, so they are obviously gorgeous.

Because a lot of the beaches are kind of secluded, they are very popular with naturists. I'd never seen a nude beach before this, but I have now seen my fill of naked people sunning themselves. And not just young, attractive people either. That's kind of what is so awesome about it - old, kind of ugly people freely bare all. So, confession, I tried it! And unfortunately (or maybe fortunately??) I'm too conditioned against public indecency. It was not freeing; lying in the sun naked felt uncomfortable and much less relaxing. My swimsuit will remain on and firmly tied.

I also got to visit the town of Rovinj, a 40min bus ride from Pula. And it was the cutest place I've ever been. It felt a lot like parts of Italy I visited in 2008 - stone streets lined with tall shuttered buildings hung with the day's washing. There were small cats that ran around everywhere, and a huge fishing port, mounds of gelato for sale in every shop, and art galleries hidden between cafes and huge window boxes of flowers. Really, Rovinj is my idea of idilic. But it's also kind of gross. Like, it walking around the streets enjoying ice cream and taking way too many photos, it seems so easy to forget that any thing else in the world exists. Outside this perfect bubble of self-indulgence people are starving or fighting for their lives. So I find myself struggling with a familiar conflict between enjoying life and feeling guilty that my life is so good. Does everyone struggle with this, or are most people just better at having a good time than I am? Anyway, the point is that Rovinj is incredible.

Kind of related to that last thought is the book I just finished reading: The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. It's about inequality and its damaging affects to society, and it's the best, most inspiring book I have read in at least a year, maybe EVER. The authors present all of their research about how much better societies function, in every aspect, when people within a country (not between countries) are more equal. And it just makes so much sense; there's no way you could argue against it unless you are selfish and evil. But the gap between academia and popular thought is so frustrating! Aaaand I'll stop with the tangent, because it would only be remotely interesting if one had read the book.

Next stop: Ljubljana, Slovenia!