The cheaper the beer the more I shall drink!

Hello people, the first thing I should say is that I am really starting to have a bloody good time on this trip!I shall attempt to tell the tale of what has occurred since last Saturday which will be a bit of a test for the memory. Saturday night defiantly deserves a mention, I met a crazy Dutch guy in the hostel and ended up going out in Bologna. I knew it would be good as it was a Saturday night in the biggest student populated city in Italy but it truly was awesome. There were 3am raves in the middle of the main square, outdoor bars, loads of people, it truly was memorable! on Sunday with no sleep and a hangover I headed to Venice, the first day was a non event as I was pretty wiped out from Saturday. I explored the city the second day but felt that the tourists spoilt it slightly for me. It is still a great city and so unique and different from anything I have ever seen before. In the evening I met with my Brazilian friends from Florence which was great and I shall probably see them one last time in Dubrovnik. The next day I left Italy after a great 3 and a half weeks, as I could not find any direct buses, thanks for that Lonely Planet, to Pula in Croatia I elected to get a 5am train to Trieste where I hoped to find buses to Croatia. By the way Anna if you are reading Trieste is where they make Illy coffee! After I had sorted this out I was in Croatia by teatime and self catered that evening where to my delight I found tuna in the supermarket and a massive bottle of beer for under a pound, good times! in my first full day in Croatia I explored Pula, it is supposedly a city but feels far more like a small town. Just outside of the town is the 1st century Roman Ampitheatre which was like a smaller and less busy version of the Colosseum in Rome, I sat there in the sun for a while and felt very relaxed! in the evening I went for dinner and beers with Amy from Oxford, had a pizza for 4 quid and a very enjoyable evening. I arrived here in Rijeka around mid afternoon yesterday. The city is a fairly busy port city with a modern centre and a few highlights such as the imposing castle I am going to hike this afternoon. Last night I had some traditional Istrian cuisine, Istria is the region I am currently in. i went with a Dutch guy who has cycled here from France and a lively Canadian guy who was a great storyteller. We joined a couple of German girls and a chap from Turkey at an Irish bar and more beer was consumed. I am meeting the German girls in Zagreb tomorrow for more of the same! so that is everything about up to date, I think things are picking up now as I am meeting more travelers rather than tourists and people on holiday. It is also remarkably cheap here compared to Italy and after initially worrying I am now confident that the money can stretch the 2 years. Next up I have Zagreb for 3 nights with a trip to nearby Samobor sandwiched in between. The adventure continues...