Jelsa to Hvar Town on the island of Hvar

Monday 30 September

Raining. No riding today which will no doubt gladden the hearts of some.

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but no, I was wrong! The boat was just pulling out of port at about 10.30 a.m. and the sun was trying to peek through the clouds. The option was put to us that we could ride - and everyone raced to their cabins to change and off we went. And what a pretty ride it was!

We rode along the coast under the cover of pine trees, past rocky coves and  into the village of Vrboska with pretty bridges over a canal.

On we went; rain started and we put jackets on and rode along a gravel road with big puddles to Starigrad. We cycled through the Stari Grad Plain which represents a comprehensive system of land use and agricultural colonisation by the Greeks in the 4th century BC. Its land organisation system is based on geometrical parcels with dry stone wall boundaries (chora).

Starigrad is one of Croatia's oldest towns (dating back to 385 BC); it was first colonized by Ionian Greeks from Paros in the 4th century BC.

There is bougainvillea everywhere.

We stopped here for a coffee and visited the monastery which houses a museum which has a lovely Tintoretto: Pieta - The Mourning of Christ; some of the other art exhibits here are highly prized including some works by Jacopo Palma the Younger and a rare Croatian hymn book dating from the 14th century.

We rode on a little further along the picturesque harbour to our boat for lunch. My Friend will take a break here rather than do the steep climb (and descent!) to Hvar Town.

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After nice cooked lunch onboard, we left for the big 7 km ride - all uphill - passing through the villages of Grablje (known for its wine and olive oil) and Brusje. Had a coffee at the top while the mist swirled round, then an undulating ride across the top until the 8 km descent took us down to the magnificent Hvar Town. (My Friend sailed round to Hvar Town with some others in the group who did not want to tackle the climb).

As we arrived in Hvar Town, the overcast sky lifted and as I crossed the enormous St. Stephen's Square, which is their main plaza/piazza/trg (and supposedly Dalmatia's biggest), there was a beautiful sky and the Old Town was lit up in late afternoon sunshine.

 

Leaving Brač for Hvar

Sunday 29 September

We are just setting sail. The weather has come in and the sea is choppy. I have taken an antihistamine in anticipation - the one I asked Kathryn to send from the UK (these are meant to be good for motion sickness, so we will sea/see!).

We are meant to be staying the night here at the port of Bol on Brač Island but the captain is ‘making tracks’ for a more sheltered berth for the night - we are moving on to the island of Hvar.

We have just come on board from a coffee in Bol (on the other side of the island from Milna where we spent last night). I managed to quickly squeeze out yesterday's blog while at the café where there was wi-fi.

We (the group) rode over to here from Milna (45 kms with all bar 8 kms of it climbing - a total of 880m climbing; a fair day's work). It has been an overcast day that has not improved and gusts of wind have picked up as well.

We rode through Bobovišće where I had ridden to yesterday.

Then uphill all the way from there. Lots of drystone walls dividing the rocky hillsides into plots used for crops or herding. As I arrived at the top, there was a mountain rescue helicopter landing in amongst the trees - I was wondering what My Friend had got up to now! But all was OK - they were just doing some practice exercises. (Mind you, he told me later he had fallen off his bike whilst riding around on the flat back at the port!! - can't take him anywhere!!).

We stopped for lunch at the 35 km mark at Gažul. It was a great setting in the middle of nowhere amongst stone dwellings.

Lunch was very traditional: cooked over hot coals - a roaring fire with all sorts of meats and lots of roasted veggies.

We sat at a long table under pine trees with pots of local wines as well - the red was quite good although I could not have much of this as there were still 10 kms of riding to go.

My Friend got a lift up when the boat moored in Bol (organised by Damir our bike leader - very nice!). So he was able to join us for lunch and ride along the top after lunch (some undulations) then the 8 km descent into Bol. This is his photo:

The ride was very well organised with Damir leading and Ivana at the back, keeping everyone together and with designated spots organised to meet up, if you went ahead. There was good camaraderie, especially noticeable at lunch. Some struggled with the climbing but most made it, with just 2 or 3 getting lifts near the top.

At Bol, before the boat departed, we enjoyed a coffee and caught some wi-fi briefly. My Friend checked out that his washing wasn't being blown away into the sea while we were at the café!

[Big swell happening. Will stop here.]

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We docked safely in the safe harbour at Jelsa on Hvar Island after a rough crossing - but I didn't get sick! We walked around, had a good meal of pasta and fish onboard, walked some more as our tummies were full, and am now in bed. Lightning flashing in the distance.

 

Split - & departure to the island of Brač

Saturday 27 September

[no wi-fi for 24 hours ...]

We left Trogir after breakfast - our B&B has been very nice. This is the breakfast room:

And took a local bus into Split. Driver spent the first third of the trip on his mobile phone ...(!!)

Quite muggy - the usual dismal morning advanced by late morning into a big glarey day. 

We found our boat - finally, after much walking back and forth in the hot sun! "Tuna" (what a name) will be our home for the next 7 days while we sail the islands of the Dalmatian coast. It is a small sailing vessel - I think there are about 30 people all up; a good sized group. And the crew seem very nice, friendly, helpful and organised.

After the formalities of passports, etc. were completed, we raced off to find the laundromat I had read of on a forum - I think it may be the only one that exists in these parts (they simply don't in Slovenia and Croatia - at least,  not a self-service laundromat like we have at home). We had a very tight timeline to get the clothes done and back in time for the departure, but we just made it. What a joy to have clean clothes after 3 weeks (hand-washing just doesn't match a good machine wash after a while).

We departed the very busy port of Split with the famous Roman Diocletian's Palace dominating the waterfront. It all looked better from the vantage point of the boat - away from the tourist clutter. Split is a must-do tourist destination and as yet, we have only seen the port and the laundromat, but we come back here at the end of our cycle-boat tour.

After lunch on board, we sailed to the island of Brač, berthing at Milna. We started to meet other guests who are predominantly our age, with just a smattering of young people.

After choosing a bike, we cycled along the waterfront and I left My Friend ambling along the flat while I hit some hills which rise steeply and quickly from the sea.

I cycled almost to Bobovišće, a little hamlet set on the western side of Brač just under the mountaintop, overlooking the sea. It was quite hot! The descent back was a relief with a cooling breeze.

Just as I arrived back into Milna, My Friend was paying for his drinks at a café and we cycled back together along the waterfront to have a swim (although he slipped on the rocks which wasn't useful; he seems OK but I hope there are no repercussions!).

We joined some others for dinner at a local restaurant - Jill from Brighton in Melbourne, Chris (he's a triathlete), Gail from Ballarat and an American couple (Marie & Steve). They are all very nice. Steve is a serious rider just back from doing all the major climbs in France and has cycled big passes in Nepal ...

The walk back to "Tuna" was lovely - the lights glittering from all the boats that have arrived into the harbour this evening as the sun was setting. Milna is very picturesque with its natural stone houses bordering the deep bay.

My Friend is up on deck playing cards with his new-found friends.

 

Trogir

Friday 27 September

Pronounced Tro-gear apparently. I have been saying Tro-jeer.

We are sitting in a waterside bar here at Trogir watching boats go by and the occasional plane fly low as it approaches the Split airport which is only 6 kms away. We arrived here late morning to drop off our car having left at a leisurely time from Skradin after one last walk via the nice trg and the marina.

Then checked out the bullet holes that peppered the buildings around our hotel (evidence of the political realities in this area in the 1990s).

And drove the quite pleasant 60 kms to arrive in Trogir with a market in full swing, the place teeming with people and the Old Town impossible to manoeuvre around by car; so we beat a hasty retreat to a parking lot and walked (not far) to our very pleasant B&B right behind the main piazza (=trg in these parts) and church (I wonder if the bell rings every hour throughout the night?) - and after fortifying ourselves with a coffee and a sit-down to look at some of the views of the place, we drove to the nearby airport to leave the car. Caught the bus back (much to the chagrin of the taxi drivers who flocked to get our trade).

Hmmm - just got suckered into buying a linen embroidered tablecloth from a passing merchant. Oh well, it WAS on my list!

My Friend meanwhile has perked up from wanting an afternoon sleep by being entertained by the harbour master who is riding his bicycle back and forth urgently chasing off any boats that are not supposed to dock here. It's hilarious.

So, Trogir? Another very attractive port with a medieval maze of twisty marble-stoned lanes typical of these port towns; it is actually an island wedged between the mainland and a bigger island connected by bridges. We watched school boys play on a soccer field squeezed between the imposing watchtowers of the fort.

Then had a time-out having a drink and watching the ‘goings on’ at the port - which turned out to be a good thing: as time went on, more and more boats came in and the place was positively buzzing with activity. Also the harsh light softened and we walked around taking some nice shots.

It's Friday night and there are bands playing everywhere. We had dinner at the restaurant attached to our B&B & then a band started up at the bar next to that - all of whch is under our bedroom window! Fortunately "our" band - one guy on guitar with a wonderful voice and the other on drums - are GREAT, so should be nice going to sleep with them accompanying the zzzzzz.... s! Or not ....

 

Krka National Park

Thursday 26 September

Limited wi-fi here.

Left early - 8.00 a.m. Mist high up on the mountains today.

Lovely countryside.

Nice coffee at a very pleasant café at Gračac - at 14 or 16 kunas for two coffees (generally), it's cheap (= approx. $A3) - and broke up the longer drive this morning (200 kms).

Bought a delicious warm filo pastry & cheese burek to have on the way, which we did, while looking out over a view further on. Yum!

Super day today! Lots of rural sights:

Visited Krka NP - amaaaaazing. Beautiful lakes & waterfalls. Roški Slap first which was lovely and quiet and where we got good info. for the park. Walked to the main falls here and then a 30 minute walk around a series of cascades. Have to say this park is good - has excellent boardwalks and interpretive displays (in English!).

Got a "fix" on My Friend's snake from yesterday: horned-nose viper (poisonous apparently).

Then drove on a spot for views over the island Visovac with its Franciscan monastery. It was about 1 p.m. and we really didn't have any lunch with us, but I did have some stale bread from 2 days ago plus a bottle of olive oil from dinner the other night at the agri-turismo plus a big tomato. Made an excellent picnic with the view out to the monastery. A bit "loaves & fishes" ....

Drove onto to Skradin where we are staying the night. Apparently a bit of a "fave" with Bill Gates and you can see why. Lovely port, narrow cobbled streets, very picturesque.

We walked up to the fortress with its stunning views of the town and the port.

Park entry included boat trip to Skradinsky Buk (the waterfalls which are highlight of the park).

 

The Plitvice Lakes

Wednesday 25 September

Started the morning with a heart-starter (sic) with THE DREADED "LOSS" OF THE CAR KEYS scenario. Now, let's be clear: this happens on a regular basis at home, but here! No spares, where could they be?, are they really lost?, what will we do?, where do we start looking? etc.

Half an hour later, they were found. In his backpack ...

Anyway, we were finally on our way. Filled up with petrol. A peloton of riders just like our Wednesday riders swept past. Stopped at a Plodine supermarket to get groceries for dinner tonight. It was an amazingly HUGE shopping complex - with no shoppers. Anyway, I had plenty of choice and swept on out of there.

More driving today. We are working our way around the Bay of Kvarner to Dalmatia - but via the inland to the national park of Plitvice.

It is here that the first shots were fired in the Croatian Conflict in 1991 when the Serbs gained control of a large swathe of Croatia and embarked on a campaign of what became known as "ethnic cleansing": it was a land-grab by driving Bosnian Muslims from the homes through violence and terror in order to obtain an ethnically-pure Croat state. It is hard to believe: we tend to think or refer mostly to the World Wars I & II, but THIS really IS recent history: the 1990s!

Our route took us along the coast until turning inland at Senj. The scenery was lovely; a bit like the Great Ocean Road - there were lots of road works so we had plenty of time to look at the views.

We stopped at Novi Vinodolski by the water for a coffee - hands down the best so far in Croatia. My Friend said to make sure he didn't back into the Ferrari:):):)

Going inland we zig-zagged up high and a George C. look-alike roared past - pity he can't spell! Lots of what they call serpentinas - or hairpins back home.

The trees are starting to turn, reminding us that autumn is not far away. Once the small towns became fewer and fewer, we were able to start making up some time as I was keen to reach Plitvice Lakes while we had good light.

We passed many, many stalls selling honey and large rounds of cheeses as we climbed through the hills. Finally - and only after putting latitude and longitude co-ordinates into the GPS to get a fix on our B&B - we arrived just after 3 p.m.

We set off immediately (we were staying close to the far side of the lakes) and enjoyed a few hours getting a million shots along the boardwalks that meander between lakes, woods and falls. Again, the autumn tonings contributed to the loveliness. The lakes are a stunning turquoise blue.

As the light started to fade, we returned to have our meal of cold lasagna and salads on a table outside our B&B. No wi-fi tonight so just the TV (which we have hardly looked at since leaving home).

 

Lovran

Tuesday 24 September

Just got internet after 24 hours without. Will be brief for now as we have just arrived at the seaside location of Lovran (via Pula - but more about Pula later).

This is the view from our hotel room here!

Just had the most sensational drive up from Pula on the road, hugging the coast from Plomin (about half-way between Pula and here). Like the Amalfi coast, but without the drivers!

The Lungomare walk from here to the next town beckons! Will continue this blog again later.

But first here's a photo for Sally:

And Fran, you wanted a photo of a "local". Well, to be frank, I don't know how you define a "local" here; there are Croats, Italians and some regard themselves as Istrians almost as if Istria is not part of Croatia. But I could not resist this little old darling today:

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We have just got in from walking one of the three sections of the Lungomare from Lovran to Ičići (don't ask me how you pronounce that!); and then dinner at Wine Bar Loza, hidden away in the Old Town away from the sea. Well, what a sensational afternoon/evening!

The walk was so lovely - so scenic. We passed villas, some still glorious, some derelict; sunbathers; walkers of all descriptions; bars; inlets and marinas; rock pools and beaches; and views out to the Adriatic all the way.

Then dinner - well, wow! The wines were wonderful; the restauranteur so knowledgeable and helpful; the food - divine. We had a primi piatti of stuffed chilli peppers with anchovies and goats cheese to start (which we shared) and then My Friend had a delicious chicken risotto with veg; andme - braised venison in puff pastry.

The wines were Croatian. I have to say they make a good red wine here! My Friend had a Babić Žuki 2008 - and liked it so much he stuck with this. I had (yet another Teran) Cuj & then an absolutely superb Cab Sauvignon & Merlot Boškinac (a Dalmation wine - from the Island of Pag; winemaker Boris Šuljić). Just found this website - it's a good one:

http://myhiddencroatia.com/my-travel-tales/

And this was after drinks at Ičići by the sea and then another drink at Lovran at another bar overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Finished off with a very yummy gelato on our walk back to our hotel.

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Earlier today:

Drove to Pula this morning where the tip had been to park near the station. But where was the station?

After a few attempts to find out failed, even using my picture card of a train and making choo-choo noises(!), I finally hit the jackpot with a younger woman walking her dogs who said to follow her back to her place and she'd come with us in the car to lead the way! So we did - and she did - and then we drove her back home and then re-traced our steps. Sounds complicated, but it worked.

Hence, we set off on foot, having found a place to park the car, to discover Pula. According to legend, the Colchidians founded Pula after the pursuit of the Argonauts and their leader Jason who stole the precious Golden Fleece from the Colchidians.

We spent about 3 hours or more doing the tourist thing including of course the spectacular arena:

And the mosaic floor (in the most underwhelming location almost hidden by a shop selling souvenirs and towels ...); an old Byzantine church in disrepair; and the Cafè Uliks where our old friend James Joyce (who arrived here in 1904 from Ireland before moving on to Trieste) used to teach by the Roman Arch (the Arch of Sergius).

Despite Pula being a sprawling industrial port and the largest city in Istria, the treasure of this city is the amphitheatre (or arena) which is still used for stage spectacles for stars like Placido Domingo and Elton John - and has seating for 5000. It is the 6th largest and best preserved of ampitheatres anywhere.

In one of the exhibition rooms here, there is one of the best amphora collections anywhere. These are the ancient vessels used to store wine and oil.

A German student took this rather charming photo of us:

We drove from Pula (after collecting some groceries to make a picnic lunch on the way) to Lovran, arriving about 3 p.m. On the way, we came upon Plomin ("Fianona" in Italian - it was part of Italy during WWI) which has a huge coal-fired power station, but the real find was the tiny town of Plomin with its fantastic views; it is located at the mouth of the fjord of Kvarnar, perched high up on the side of the Plomin Valley in the shadow of an amazing set of mountains.

 And then on to Lovran.