Candy

Pula, Croatia has presented something new: Candy stores! Not a market or grocery or convenience store: these are the kinds of places that sell fudge and assorted chocolates. Every manner of gummy, salty, soury, sugary goodness that children of all ages enjoy.
What Pula is lacking, however, are comfortable and shaded places to sit. Where another town may have a park for such relaxations, here you will find some of the most well preserved Roman ruins. Arches, temples, roads, and the Amphatheatre u Puli which is second only to the Collosium in Rome; and in some regards even better. Be forewarned, these are also the gathering places for hordes of tourists.
On this particular day I chose to wear my bathing suit and a shirt that should have been washed several days ago. I thought it more appropriate than ruining another one from the unstoppable self-drenching I will receive in this  unaccustomed to heat.
I could not see for the sweat in my eyes, so against the advisement of my home host I jumped into the harbor. Refreshing though the water was, there was some displeasure in realizing the "harbor" is only one-third water. A third is an oil-gas mixture from all the boats and cargo ships. And the other third are sunken treasures of trash and rusting, discarded industrial parts.
My shorts quickly found a jagged edge and split in two.
I treaded around for another minute before exiting. Though I was out of the water I could feel it layered on my skin like plastic wrap. Nope. Nope. It was actually a piece of plastic stuck to my back. And my 5-day o'clock shadow felt all the more heavy while holding the weight of LSFO lubricant.
I gathered my belongings and spotted a rare empty park bench in Park Franje Josipa I.

And so there I found myself; the shaggy haired, unshaven, sweaty, dirty old man sitting at the edge of a playground holding a bag of candy.