Ukraine surrenders, soon, page-848

@mogga - I know it is Rijeka - and I probably booked for a holiday in Rijeka, but my escort, who incidentally 'rescued' me from some rather coarse Croatians - called it Fiume and it stuck with me, or at least that's how I remember it.
It was a beautiful hotel - all done in dark-red velvet - huge curtains - wonderful large bed - I felt like royalty - and it was my very first self-paid holiday- it was definitely a remnant from Habsburg days.

To this day I remember the moment when the tour bus came out from a pine forest - !! and there was my first glance of the ocean - I was so happy - it was so beautiful. I just went for a short dip each day, because there was a constant surf. The waters are incredibly blue all around the coastline. . . . and my gentleman friend took me all over the place in his 'government car' plus chauffeur and my constant wishes for 'ice' were duly complied with

he even came to visit us in Vienna - and my Mum was saying 'if I were younger . . .' - he was a good deal older than I. probably in his forties when I was just 17. I owned a white dress which I took on my holiday with me - and have found out since, that all Southern Europeans love white, its even part of their national costume in various parts of Yugoslavia.

When I think about it now, I would not have allowed my three daughters to go on a holiday in a foreign country aged 17, but then: I had already held down a job for 1 year and paid for the holiday myself . . . .
Ciao
Taurisk