Dear Pen Pal...

CHAPTER 10

The Pula Arena is the sixth largest Roman amphitheatre in the World. And while it may be a little frayed around the edges, it's remarkably well preserved. I hope I look as good when I'm 2000 years old! I arrived in Pula in the early morning, so my first proper view of the amphitheatre was before sunrise.

One of the greatest sights of the world. You can go around it or pay for the inside visit. In July and August it is open until 24:00. The very bad point was to find parking place and after it to find coins somewhere to drop to the parking machine. They should be more informative about where is the changing machine located. It is in front of the arena, in the fenced parking area.

October 20th, 2018

03:34 PM

Halo! (This is hello in Bahasa Indonesia :) )

I'm Sheila from Surabaya, Indonesia. I'm 21 and I'm currently working on my research in English Department. I love to read fiction and literature books, write a story in Facebook notes and tumblr, watch movies, visit a hobby con, and drawing in my spare time.

So, have you made a pen pal before? What do you do in your spare time? what's the weather look like in your town? Will be here waiting for your letter! Have a great day! Take care!

Your pen pal,

Sheila

RESPONSE:

October 22th, 2018

12:50 AM

Pozdrav! ^^ (Greetings in Croatian)

It is very nice to meet you Sheila :) I'm Bruna. I'm 19 and I'm currently studying economics and business here in Croatia.

What are some of your favorite books? I loved Narnia Chronicles, Fall of The Giants (also Chronicles), and The Great Gatsby. I also often rean Russian and Croatian Literature :)

In my free time I love to listen to music, watch movies or TV series, and ride a bicycle or go out for a walk. Wow, you know how to draw? That must be nice, I always wanted to be a Painter but unfortunately I am not very good at drawing :(

Yes, I have made few pen pals before, They come from all around the world. Some of them are from here (Balkan), and some are from U.S., Asia, etc :D How about you?

Well, weather here is perfect, it is not too cold and not too hot; ideal!

How come you choose to study English?

Hope for your response,

Bruna

Excellent place for concerts of which the best one for me was legendary Leonard Cohen. This is one of many lovely remnants of Roman empire we have in Istria and Dalmatia. Much smaller then one in Rome it is well preserved and 6th largest in the world. It was very often used as source of stone for other buildings but fortunately they were not building too much around. For me is very interesting that during rule of Venice they wanted to transfer it to Italy but it was rejected as it was build on the hill and that complicated eventual transfer anywhere else fortunately. The arena resembles the Colosseum in Rome, though slightly smaller. I was amazed of the details around the building. It is currently being restored, though uncertain of the plans.

After a delicious lunch in the city, I began to wander over a small hill where we found a path into the city centre. From here I saw some wonderful copper red and bright blue views of the city buildings and the harbour. The Amphitheatre could also be seen in the far distance, although for some reason I couldn't distinguish it at first! Just around the corner, we discovered the ruins of an ancient Roman Colosseum. Although this was nowhere near as well preserved as the Amphitheatre in the city centre, the visibility of the foundations and broken-down concrete made a astonishing view. The path then led down into the town where I began to admire the rusty, peeling paint of some of the houses and the broken-down, old wooden shutters. Some street art also caught my eye at this point, and the narrow walkways, roads and old-fashioned houses were truly remarkable.

Upon arriving in the city centre, I found myself looking at a large, circular 3D map of the city. The map was gorgeous made and pinpointed all of the distinctive tourist spots in the city. It even included a fountain! Next, I decided to stop off at the harbour and have a look around, as I had less than an hour until our bus home. The marina was fascinating, and we even spotted a starfish on the seafloor! Lastly, I headed into town to find souvenir shops and ice cream before heading back home. After looking through multiple shops, I finally managed to find my usual souvenir with the image of the city of Pula on it

I concluded my last day with a mediocre half-board meal from the village where I was staying, before starting a night of silly drinking games and dancing. Overall, this was definitely my favourite day of the trip, as the views were so lovely and I was able to wander wherever I wanted.