Was a good 24 Km of downhill to the seaside town called Opatija after crossed the Croatian border, the town looks amazing from high up and so good to the sea again! the sea is very calm, more like big lake.
Had really good pastries and people very friendly speaks good English and even thought I was from Germany! Had good vibe about the country and a seed of staying a bit longer in Croatia start to grow in my heart.
Had the first taste of heat wave, it was so hot that I can feel my skin start to burn, so we stopped and decided to cycled to first village near the sea, it was amazing – nice and calm sea, a round bar with straw parasol, it was like paradise!
Tooked a ferry to Pag island because someone told us Novalja is really good, the island felt like Mars when we got the ferry, it was all brown mountains, big stone and no green plants at all. but on the other side of the island its the amazing Novalja.
Novalja is a small tourist town with nice beaches, it is so good that we took the first rest day of the trip! Had whole day laid on the beach and enjoy the beaches and sun. Went out for drinks and met a group of German tourists.
I decided to spend more time in towns/cities and follow the coastline of Croatia, but Sam want to meet with others in Istanbul on schedule and go inland a bit, so we go separate route after Pag island.
Stopped at a hostel in Biograd na Moru, it’s really big and everything looks very new, but I’m the only one staying that night because the holiday season is not start yet. Had chat with the girl worked there, I don’t know how to stop her politely and she kept talking for very long time, but its good that she told me the same story of hard to find job here and people only work a few months during the summer, and young people want to go to another country etc, its good to heard other side of Croatia.
It was late evening by the time I made into Split, was hungry and picked the first hostel on the list, turns out Sam staying at the same hostel as well, it’s a coincident, because I knew Sam is in Split, but I didn’t think I’ll made into Split and I didn’t know which hostel Sam checked in. Sam left the next morning, but I took another rest day in Split, so we split again.
Split is amazing city, the old palace was amazing! wondered around and climb up the hills next to the city. Somehow part of the old city got block by Police because there was protest or something.
A day in Croatia consists of cycling, nap and swim. it felt so good to be able to swim everyday and some good food as well, it was very enjoyable and relax time!
Arrived in Dubrovnik and stayed in a hostel, the owner Anna was very friendly and I thought it was a family home or something when she show me common room area, everyone just like relaxed and very friendly, I was thirsty and she offered me a big bottle of beer, I figure I have to down it otherwise it might be a bit rude.
Dubrovnik is amazing, but Anna told us it got bombed 20 something years ago and she was having a baby during the bombing, everyone was hiding in the basement, they shared everything and look after everyone – it was very good day if there is chicken shared between 30 people!
Burried my Brooks saddle somewhere near the border of Montenegro, I recorded the GPS coordinate, maybe I’ll go back and pick it up.