After breakfast we walked to the bus station and caught a bus to Koper for the day. The journey along the coast was very beautiful. As we arrived at a bus station near Koper the bus driver stood up and announced that the stop was the nearest one to Koper centre. More than half of the people on the bus stood up and got off.

There was a large map next to the bus station so we were able to find our way into the town quite easily. Our route took us along a narrow shopping street and into Tito Square which is surrounded by spectacular architecture. The most spectacular building is the Praetorian palace; it houses the tourist information office and it is possible to take a guided tour of the building. Unfortunately on the day we visited there was a meeting which meant the rooms were occupied and it was not possible to take the tour.

The nearby Cathedral Church of St Mary’s Ascension was also closed, however Mr C was able to visit the bell tower. In his haste to climb the tower he forgot to check the time and arrived at the top just as the bell struck 12.00. He encountered two Americans looking rather shell shocked due to their being in the bell tower when the carillon bells started to chime.

When he descended from the tower we followed a walking route that took in Koper’s points of interest concluding our tour with a visit to The Monastery Church of St. Anna. Along the way, we noticed the bathing area next to the shipping port and thought the concept and reality were quite unpleasant. We retraced our steps to Tito square and the small shopping street where we had a refreshing drink to cool us down before returning to the bus stop to catch a bus back to Piran.

We walked through the narrow alleyways to the seafront and sat looking out over the bay until it was time to return to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. Over dinner our waiter engaged us in interesting conversation regarding the former communism and politics of the region and after this we sat outside in Tartini square enjoying a night cap.