evidence: Piran became all the more special for me because it felt like a culmination of everything that had come before it. The rural landscapes, glistening seas, red-tiled roofs, almond trees and salt beds at Strugnano were just the beginning. [...] As we cruised down into Piran, I properly fell in love with this place. Piran is an old, fascinating and well-preserved Mediterranean city situated at the tip of the peninsula on the Gulf of Piran. It gets its name from the Greek word for fires, ‘pyr’, referring to the fires lit at the very tip of the peninsula , to guide ships to the port at (what is now) Koper. Its old town (centred around Tartinijev Trg) is a gem of Venetian Gothic architecture and alleyways, and tempting seafood restaurants.