Wednesday in Represent, around 11 AM I get an email from my colleague Ana, informing me that, unfortunately, she cannot go on a scheduled trip with a client due to health issues. There’s no other solution but for me to set off to Slovenia tomorrow morning and stay there for four days… The MD calls me… I’m arranging baby-sitting in no time and informing my husband about the situation, it’s work-related… He replies: “Just go, do whatever is needed, that’s important for you, we’ll manage.” That’s what I needed to hear – aaaaand there we gooooo!

15 days earlier…

Our long-standing client, the owner of the Kempinski Hotel Palace Portorož, is a partner of “Barcolana”, the largest sailing regatta in the world. This unique event has a long tradition and this year it’s organised for the 51^st time in a row. Thirty journalists from the region, agendas, interlocutors… everything was prepared in advance for a trip with my colleague Ana… However, you should never say no when the destiny calls you. Under such unforeseen circumstances, I am the one to go on the trip. The suitcase is packed and we set off…

Portorož (eng. Portorose) – “Port of Roses”

So we are heading to Portorož, a high-end holiday resort, also known as Slovenia’s Monte Carlo. We are staying in the famous Kempinski Palace Hotel, which is virtually breath-taking. This luxury 5-star hotel was built back in 1908 and holds the title of a cultural monument. Some of its renowned guests included Yul Brunner, Marcello Mastroianni, Orson Welles, Josip Broz Tito (with the presidential suite named after him) and many other celebrities…

From a room with an amazing view to the Adriatic Sea, a welcome card personally signed by the hotel director, a crystal room echoing with the sounds of Viennese Waltz and past times, I am snapped back to reality by a reminder that journalists are coming and that we should welcome and accommodate them. No problem!

Direzione Italia!

And then we set off to the famous “Barcolana 51“ sailing regatta in Trieste. Everyone mainly knows Trieste as the city where our parents (baby boomers) went to buy jeans… When I think about how my mom would now have to pass three borders to get to Italy and buy a pair of bell bottoms, she’d probably come to terms with the fact that she’ll wear some no-name jeans bought from a local “supplier”…

Nevertheless, the reason of my visit to Trieste is Barcolana, as my client is one of the sponsors of this prestigious event. We are heading from Portorož to Italy, the sun is shining, the sea is calling, the journalists are smiling, everything is the way it should be… Trieste is beautiful, crowded with tourists, we are having a macchiato… I had no idea that Italians are appalled if you have long espresso with milk after lunch. “Non capisco“? I don’t understand, what do you mean coffee with milk after a meal? No, nooo, definitely nooo… After lunch, Italians always have espresso, and we follow their example…

A prize ceremony follows for the winner of the “Go to Barcolana” race from Portorož to Trieste, and that is a Montenegrin crew of the “Shining” boat, headed by skipper Miloš Radonjić from Kotor. Naturally, we cheered for Miloš with all our hearts… Serbia has no sea, but it does have a heart…

Sunday is a day for a break… a spa, perhaps a massage, relaxation, we are editing the material from the event, I am looking at the Adriatic Sea, with Dejan, a cameraman from Slovenia sitting next me, who says: “Hey, I have an anecdote of my crew to tell you about, it like from some joke.” Ah, yes,“ – I reply in a semi-interested voice… I know that some commonplace follows…

Ex Yu flashback

I am probably infected by the ex-Yu nostalgia, while on the other hand, I’m happy that, out of the blue, I went to the seaside in October and had the feeling that the summer was still there… Until next Barcolana… greetings from Violeta Opačić.