Roman Pula and our first day riding

June 7, 2025

The boat whisked us from Cres to Pula on the Austrian Peninsula. On the way it anchored in a bay so that we could swim in the Adriatic Sea from the boat. Then it was on to Pula where we could see the Roman Coliseum from our dock. After lunch we took off on our bikes, headed out of town and stopped in several small villages visited a cathedral, swam at a white pebbled beach and made our way back to Pula. After a quick shower we headed in to town for a walking tour with a local guide to see the many Roman ruins.

It was chilly but felt good once you were in

Along the shore one of the many ruined churches

The coliseum in Pula as seen from the boat

Bike fitting, checking seat height, making adjustments

One of the villages and narrow street that we rode through

Love the pink and white flowers that were prolific in Vodnjan

This is supposed to be the narrowest and shortest street

Lots of interesting angles and conglomeration of buildings throughout the village

Looking for the way to the cathedral, this wasn’t it…

The cathedrals tower 60 meters tall one of the tallest in the area

The water was refreshing after a hot ride

Some folks opted to get cold drinks rather than swim

The hulk of a ship not sure what it is or why it’s there

The Pula coliseum is the 6th largest Roman coliseum and it is the coliseum with the most intact exterior

The Romans reused stones from other structures you can see upside down legs

Here you can see what might have been a decoration around a doorway in another use

Pula had a network of tunnels under the city that were used as bunkers in the war and to store provisions food and ammunition

Here you can see the Roman wall at the bottom with later walls built on top

Fairly plain on one side and intricate on this side

After WW2 and the bombings they discovered this Roman mosaic that had been buried

The shipyard cranes across the harbor from us

Today's ride: 17 miles (27 km)
Total: 132 miles (212 km)

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