I am going back to Motovun in a few hours, in time for another court hearing in Pazin early next week. But this time I am going by bus that goes to Umag on the Istrian coast. This will be my first bus trip between my two homes. The bus leaves Zagreb just after three in the afternoon. If the timetable is to be trusted, I will be at the crossroads under the hilltown around seven in the evening. It will be well after dark by then, and the road up the hill is poorly lit, but the walk to my house will still take me no more than thirty minutes. If all goes well, it will not be snowing. At any rate, the adventure strikes me as exotic enough. Who cares that there are no buses from the Croatian capital to Motovun itself? Who cares about the freezing cold that has gripped the country in time for Christmas? Who cares that the hilltown will be quiet like a graveyard by the time I reach it? Adventures would not be adventures without a touch of adversity. And a touch of mindless daring.

Addendum I (December 18, 2009)

Everything went as I expected it would. Smoothly, perfectly smoothly. I was wrong about the road up the hill being poorly lit, though. It is not lit at all. There is not a single lighting fixture along the way, that is. Instead, Motovun streets are poorly lit. Portions of the way up through the old town are outright perilous on account of the poorly maintained cobblestone pavement. Luckily, I had a good torch with me. So, adventurers, come to the most picturesque hilltown in Istria very well equipped.

Addendum II (November 28, 2016)

It is a joy to come across this piece and the first addendum on one of my uncharted journeys through my writings. Over the years, I must have taken the very same bus at least fifty times over all seasons and weather conditions. And in both directions. By now, I am no less than a pro. But I had forgotten when it was that I had taken my first bus trip between my two homes. Behold, it was seven years ago! For some reason, I would have bet that it was longer than that. Say, eight or nine years. Which only goes to show that bus trips between my two homes can be pretty grueling. And especially in the dead of winter. Walking up the Motovun hill in the dark while it rains or snows involves a bit more than a touch of adversity. It is for adventurers only, to be sure.