Hrastovlje

If you need to hide from a threatening mob of marauding Slovenes (or American tourists), you might set up camp at Hrastovlje, a town with a fort-like church that looks out over terracotta-topped houses. While waiting out the attack, you can look at the 15th Century frescoes:



You can also look through holes in the wall for fugitive poets (that’s Wendy looking out at the view):



At night you can lock the door against unwanted visitors.



The best way to get there is in a caravan of rental cars, riding along winding back roads. If you are in the giant white van at the back of the caravan, just try not to drive off the road in an effort to keep up with the zippy Ford station wagon.

Domenic Stansberry, fiction writer, drove the giant white van and I was the co-pilot, mostly contributing such tips as “ummm…a bus is about to drive us off the road” or “watch out for that motorcycle.” In other words, he was there to steer the van, and I was there to keep us alive.

After Hrastovlje, we set off for Koper.