Tuesday 20th September - Angela goes home to Reading?

Well the day has come when Angela must depart Njivice and wend her way back to dear old Blighty to get her two monthly check-up.

Yesterday Roland dropped the bombshell that he just needed to go to the hospital to get a blood test.  Angela, assumed this was just to add some frisson to the situation to help her already jangly nerves (she is nervous about flying alone).  Roland had already checked out that he could get the test done in Rijecka (by the way the j’s are pronounced as y’s so it’s Re-yeka and Ne-yivice).  We had worked out that the lab at Medico, who would do the work, was open between 07:00 and 14:00.

So today we duly got up early and left for Rijecka arriving at the Delta parking lot recommended by the Medico website.  It was only then that Roland announced that he didn’t actually know where Medico was, just an address, though of course it was near the car park.  We asked a young professional looking lady in the car-park, but it would seem she was one of the few people who we have met that did not have any English at all (why should we expect otherwise?).  Not deterred she called a friend and then proceeded to indicate that we follow her.  We were very quickly plonked in front of the Medico building.  Parting we all shook hands and said our thanks and goodbyes (she had a curiously very firm handshake).

Once inside the building the smiling receptionist beckoned us across and Roland gave a few details and showed his passport.  Minutes later he was asked to sit in the waiting area.  We were prepared for a long wait, when a few minutes later he was called in to have his blood taken.  Roland said that the phlebotomist was very professional and friendly and once she had finished said that the results could be emailed.

We left the car-park at 08:50, which was precisely 35 minutes after we had originally parked the car.  Needless to say Angela was very pleased, as she was worried that we would be tied up the whole of the morning waiting for results.  Roland received the results via an emailed pdf file at 10:05.  And the total cost of the medical procedure – 65Kn or £7.44. Result!

Having now time to spare, we decided that we would have lunch out, which we did in Njivice.  There was a lovely beach-side restaurant where we both had pizzas, which were delicious, enormous and very inexpensive.

We then drove the easy 10km to the tiny Rijeka airport (which is actually on Krk island where we are staying).  We said our goodbyes and Angela reminded Roland, not for the first time, to drive carefully and on the right, which was not a bad reminder as far as Roland was concerned.

Bon voyage and a safe return