Monday 27 September Portoroz

Up at 07;00 to a glorious morning and breathtaking views. I knew it was pretty here but arriving as it is becoming dark you don't fully appreciate the beauty. You do this morning.
It must have rained in the night as the coach windows are filthy with the grey dust and dirt from the car park. I can't drive through Austria without being able to see through the windows. So I have a quick breakfast and just have enough time to wash the windows before we leave at 08:30.
Our journey today will take us to Innsbruck and over the Brenner Pass into Italy and then south towards Verona, Venice and Trieste before crossing the border into Slovenia and finally Portoroz.
The ride over the pass is as lovely as ever and as we drop down into Italy it starts to rain and rain and rain! All very heavily. In fact the rain didn't stop until we reached Trieste.
Today has confused the sat nav as it keeps telling me to go different ways and around Venice was completely lost as I went onto a new road that it didn't know and showed me alone in an empty space!
This is a slightly longer route than the way we shall return but I thought it would make the journey more interesting.
As we arrive at the hotel the rain must have followed us as it is now raining very hard again. It is a little wet unloading the cases and I'm thankful for Mervyn's help.
Once unloaded I go off in search of the coach park which is in the next village of Lucia by the marina. The hotel send a minibus to pick me up and take me back to the hotel, the Riviera Hotel.
Where we are staying there are six hotels in the complex known as Lifeclass hotels. All are of a high standard and I am happy at the Riviera. As I will be doing a bit of work on my free days Wendy asked for a balcony room at the front and that is what I have. I love balcony's and the views from them especially when looking at the sea.
Dinner is a good buffet and there is entertainment afterwards in the dining room. I go and have a beer in the cafe underneath the hotel and am soon joined by Frank and Val.
It is not very busy and we are the last three in the cafe as they start to pack up. Gradually they turn the lights off leaving the ones near us on. I think they want to go home as our light is soon switched off and we take the hint!