Before entering the Balkans I had to finish crossing Italy. To go up from Bologna to the north and in Padova to turn east. It was time to see again people I hadn’t seen for a long time before entering the unknown Europe.
As always it was hard to say goodbye to Ari. We’ll see each other again soon. The flu was still chasing me and I didn’t have much strength. I wanted to cycle to Ferrara and then take the train to Padova. But I ended up taking the train earlier because I didn’t want to arrive in Padova at night. The knee behaved and that was a good sign. The rest of the muscles were starting to work. In Padova I was welcomed by Francesco, a good friend of mine from the Erasmus I did in Nancy, France. It’s always a pleasure to see him again and spend time together.
The next day it was time to say goodbye to Francesco and Padova. I took the opportunity to take a last walk through the market in the piazza delle Erbe.
A few kilometres after setting off I was stopped by Maurizio. He had cycled from Tangier to the North Cape in Norway. We cycled several kilometres together and he gave me a handful of tips, very friendly. He wanted to take a photo with me as a souvenir and he writes to me from time to time.
In Italy I was often stopped by cyclists and asked about the trip, something that didn’t happen to me in France, only once. I arrived in Treviso and it’s quite a nice but small city. You can see that there’s money there. While waiting for Teresa to come out of the hospital after work I went to the NidaBar in Treviso for a beer. The place was very cool and just as I was about to leave an Italian-Colombian couple wanted to buy me another beer and I had to turn them down to make sure I wouldn’t have any trouble getting to Teresa’s house. It’s a pleasure to meet people like that.
I hadn’t seen Teresa for a long time and it was great to see her again. She’s also a friend from the Erasmus in Nancy. The next day it was time to continue cycling through the northern Italian plain between the sea and the Alps. It’s very boring and I don’t recommend it to anyone, but it’s quiet. The only remarkable town was Sesto al Reghena and its abbey.
I was hosted by Antonella in Bagnarola, a small village in the province of Pordenone. She gave me some advice for Istria but in the end I couldn’t go because of bad weather. I also discovered that Friulian has similarities with Catalan and Spanish. She gave me some contacts that would be useful later on. I was lucky that I always had the mountains in the background going towards Udine because it was still very boring.
A lot of dust and dirt and I even had to get wet, who would’ve thought. Luckily it was a sunny day.
Michela welcomed me in Udine. The city was really beautiful. I even had time to go up to the castle.
Michela lives in a beautiful house. I wasn’t the first cyclist she hosted and almost all of them stayed in the attic. When I saw it I understood why, and it was all for me.
The next day I decided to skip the last boring stretch and take the train to Monfalcone. The town was rather ugly. Most remarkable were the shipyards where huge ships were being built.
Luckily the coastal stretch to Trieste made it a bit better. There was a lot of traffic but at least the views were nice, too bad the fog didn’t let me see much.
Nicholas was waiting for me in Trieste and treated me like one of the family from the very first moment. I also met his daughters. The next day I went for a walk around Trieste and the cathedral of San Giusto Martire was a highlight. What surprised me the most is that you have to pay to have the dome illuminated, only in Italy could this happen.
I continued walking around the city and in the Cavana district, which is quite beautiful, there is a Roman arch in the middle of the city. There are also many imperial buildings from the Austro-Hungarian period that I personally don’t like very much. But I’m sure some people will find them beautiful.
And the Orthodox influences start to show. The first big Orthodox church I saw on the way and full of parishioners. After Croatia I will see a few more of them until I reach Turkey.
In the afternoon Nicholas invited friends of his to his home and they were explaining the history of Trieste and its language to me. They spoke Triestine dialect among themselves and I could understand it, We came to the conclusion that most of the languages spoken in the larger port cities of the Mediterranean are very similar, and that people had to understand each other back in the day when they were trading. Cities like Trieste, Genoa, Marseille or Barcelona are some examples, and during this trip I’ve been able to see it with my own eyes. One day I would like to study it.
The next day I woke up early to go to visit Ljubljana by bus, as I had wanted to do so for a long time. As soon as I arrived I went to eat a Burek. It had been recommended to me and it didn’t disappoint. It is a kind of fried dough that can be filled with meat, spinach, cheese, potatoes or other things and it is really good and it costs very little. It’s typical in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Balkans, so it won’t be the last time I eat it.
Then I went up to the castle and on the way I found the symbol of the city walking along the street so calmly and it reminded me of the song “Fera ferotge“ by Ovidi Montllor.
The most beautiful part of the city is the river and its views, even in winter.
In other districts, the influence of the communist years can be seen in the city with large concrete blocks that serve as buildings.
And in another corner you can see the squatted Metelkova area where the former military barracks of both the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia were located. There are museums and other cultural centres within the grounds.
In the end I decided not to sleep in Ljubljana and to return to Trieste to continue cycling towards the Balkans. I will definitely come back to see the city in spring or summer when it’s more lively. I wanted to get ahead of the rain that was forecasted for Croatia in a few days.
So, the next day I took the bike, said goodbye to Nicholas and continued my journey to Pesek where Monica and Matej welcomed me. It was almost 500 metres of elevation gain in just over 10 kilometres, but almost all of it on a very nice bike path called “pista ciclopedonale Giordano Cottur”, which I highly recommend. The views were beautiful even in foggy weather.
In Pesek I was met by Matej, Monica and her parents, who had come to visit and who had brought some very good homemade food. Monica was an acquaintance of Antonella from Bagnarola and she really saved me. So I was able to split the stage to Rijeka into two days. Monica’s parents had friends in Santpedor (Catalonia) and they called them and we chatted for a while, who would have thought! After her parents left, a couple of their friends came and we had a barbecue for dinner, I missed it.
The next day it was time to cross two borders, first the Slovenian border, where there was no one.
And where just after crossing the border you don’t understand anything.
And then the one in Croatia. There was no one there either and it was empty.
Even the currency exchange offices, as from January 2023 the official currency of Croatia has become the Euro and the Kuna has disappeared. Everyone I have met in Croatia has told me that prices have doubled with the change of currency.
I followed the main road and there was a lot of traffic. Trucks carrying oil were going back and forth all the time. Where are they going?
On the way down to Rijeka I came across some absent-minded people who were returning home after having seen the sun rise after the carnival night.
The city of Rijeka is not very nice. Very industrial and with a lot of big ships.
In Rijeka I was hosted by Jan, who works as a pizzaiolo in the summer on the island of Cres and loves to cook. In fact, he prepared a typical dish from the Zagreb region and northern Croatia, where he comes from. The dish is called Zagorski strukli and consists of a baked egg and cheese stuffed dough covered with bacon, caramelised onion, chopped garlic and yoghurt sauce. I loved it although it’s quite heavy as a dish.
After Rijeka it was time to go to the islands and the first one was the island of Krk. There is a bridge to cross, which is noticeable in the traffic. The island is full of people who work in Rijeka. Before going to Antoni and Jelena’s house in Punat I took the opportunity to walk around the city of Krk.
On the way to Punat, there was not much going on, only ships moored in the harbour and others sailing aimlessly.
I arrived at Antoni and Jelena’s house and I felt at home from the beginning. It’s lovely to come across people who give you everything without asking for anything in return. Their dog Don also cheered up my day.
And I wouldn’t want to forget Masa who slept in bed with me all night.
The next day it was time to get up early to catch the only ferry of the day to the next island, Rab. This is the problem with Croatia and especially the islands in winter. As everything is focused on tourism, the connections in winter leave a lot to be desired. And when I say early in the morning I mean at 5 o’clock in the morning, as the ferry left at 7:45 and from Punat I had an hour and a half bike ride to the ferry. Luckily with Antoni and Jelena everything was easier. They wanted to get up with me and we took a selfie for the memory that for being at 5 o’clock in the morning we came out quite well.
They also gave me encouragement which is very much appreciated, especially in these cases. I’m sure we’ll meet again sometime!
In the end I made it to the ferry but I still don’t know how, my legs were going on their own.
Once in Lopar (Rab) I decided to take it easy. A much quieter island, full of sheep and olive trees everywhere and in my opinion more beautiful than Krk, although this is a very subjective opinion.
In Rab I had 5 hours to wait for the next ferry I wanted to catch, but I still decided to go to the tourist office to ask just in case. There I was thwarted in my plan. The ferry I wanted to take was actually a catamaran that didn’t accept bikes on board and half an hour ago a ferry had left for Pag, the next island, which was not indicated on the websites.
I had to cycle 15 km to the end of the island of Rab, cross with a ferry to the mainland, cycle 20 km more and cross again with another ferry to the island of Pag.
In total I exceeded 1200 metres of positive elevation gain for the first time and with all the weight I carry on the descents I’m going like a shot, I exceed 55 km/h. I ended up arriving in Pag at night around 18:30 and I had to go to the supermarket before looking for a place to pitch my tent. I decided to pitch it under a “roof” in a little beach house in a discotheque area, which in winter is very dreary. During the night a car arrived and a light pointed at me, it was the police. Luckily it was a young guy who spoke English. He took care of me and let me camp without any problems.
The next morning it was full of people doing work in the discotheques but luckily I had already dismantled the tent when they arrived. It was time for the last stage to Zadar before stopping for a few days to rest and seek shelter for the rainy days that were coming.
It took a long time to get to Zadar. Endless straights and headwind. Pag is the most deserted of the 3 islands I’ve seen and it was also full of sheep everywhere. In fact I was told that the sheep cheese from the island of Pag is famous and has won international awards. I passed by the factory but didn’t stop.
To leave the island of Pag it’s necessary to cross a bridge to the mainland and crossing it gave me courage. Besides, the landscape looked more like that of a Middle Eastern country.
At the entrance to Zadar, chaos awaited me. North of the city they are building towns and cities from scratch because on the coast they are running out of space. They have half of the streets cut off and the other half are dirt roads and it’s hell for cycling. There is no trace of asphalt yet. In a few years it will be all concrete.
In Zadar I was hosted by Amparo, to whom I owe a lot for hosting me for a whole week. She’s a teacher of Catalan at the University of Zadar and she really made me feel at home. The next day we went for a walk around the old town of Zadar, which is a peninsula and has very beautiful corners although it was bombed by the Americans during the Second World War and was quite damaged. It also has an organ that makes music with the waves of the sea. In winter though it’s quite empty compared to summer.
A curiosity of Zadar is its cats that live in total freedom in the streets and not only.
Some have made themselves kings of the city.
We took the opportunity to cook a dish that I had missed and even more so when it’s so good.
It rained for several days and when I had to leave because the weather was finally good, I got a puncture in my lower back that left me out of work for a few days. In the end I stayed for a whole week and I’ll be eternally grateful to Amparo for having taken me in.
The conclusion I’ve drawn is that I have to include stretching as part of my routine, especially if I have to cycle for a few days in a row. Also that rest is important both physically and mentally. When I resumed the trip I felt discomfort in my lower back but I was able to continue. Following the coast I passed by the beach of Pilatusa near Pakostane and I recommend it, now in winter it was empty. I would like to take this opportunity to say that Croatian, like other Slavic languages, had other alphabets that have unfortunately disappeared over time, one of them being the Glagolitic alphabet.
The area between the lake and the sea between Pakostane and Pirovac is very beautiful. The problem in winter is that it rains a lot and sometimes torrentially. It even hailed, but luckily only for half an hour. I continued on to Vodice where I slept in an apartment because the ground was soaked.
The next day it was time to continue cycling south and arriving in Sibenik I started to see several references to Drazen Petrovic, whoever likes basketball will know who he is.
The town of Sibenik is beautiful with stone houses everywhere. The cathedral of St. James is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and I wanted to spend a few more hours there. But it was 80 km to Trogir and I wanted to be faster than the rain.
I decided to go down to the old town but I had the bright idea to go down the stairs and I almost lost control of the bike a couple of times and ended up like the bike in the picture.
The bike computer stopped working after so much rattling. I continued along the coast and everything was idyllic until it started pouring in Brodarica and didn’t stop until I got to Marina. 3 hours of rain in a row, which I don’t recommend to anyone and where my shoe covers broke, they didn’t last long. It is a quieter part of the Croatian coast but I couldn’t enjoy it much. In Trogir I took another apartment because I needed a hot shower and to rest, I felt that the cold was knocking at the door, I did well. Luckily the sun came out in Trogir and I was able to enjoy the city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and rightly so.
It has beautiful corners and all the houses are made of stone. Now in winter it’s quite empty but in summer it must be horrible with all the luxury yachts moored in the harbour.
I took the opportunity to sleep as much as I could, about 10 hours. I had to hope for good weather the next day, and so it was. I had 3 long stages to get to Bosnia. When I woke up the next day, the sun was shining and I had to make the most of it. I continued towards Split crossing very ugly industrial areas and I took the opportunity to visit the Roman ruins of Diocletian’s palace and its surroundings.
The old town has some very nice corners but you can see that it’s a very touristy city and that it has grown a lot. The traffic at the entrance was quite heavy but not as chaotic as elsewhere.
I continued on to Omis which is quite a touristy town for both rock and water adventure sports. It’s pretty but small.
However, the advantage of the tourist sites is that people offer to take pictures of you that I can’t take myself.
It was time to cycle on to Marusici where I stayed at the Dalmatia hostel for one night. The hostel itself was closed because Dean and Steffy were on holiday and it wouldn’t reopen until April, but there were volunteers looking after the dogs and they were very welcoming. Two French, Vassili and Cynthia, and two Germans, Philip and Sarah. The place was very welcoming and they made me feel at home.
You can tell that a lot of travellers and cyclists have been there. I missed sharing the journey with other people and it was a great decision. It made me want to keep cycling. I will be back for sure!
The next day was a long and steep stage along the coast to near Ploce. It was the last stage before crossing into Bosnia. The views were beautiful and the day was spectacular.
The first pass of the day in Pisak served to wake me up and also to enjoy the scenery and the Croatian islands from a distance.
Once in Gradac it was time to head inland, towards the area of the Bacina lakes (jezero in both Croatian and Bosnian). It’s quite a beautiful area but I couldn’t enjoy it as much because it was getting dark and I still had to cycle for a while.
I could’ve camped but I wanted to force myself to cycle to Ploce in order to reach Mostar (Bosnia and Hercegovina) the next day. The rain was chasing me again and I had to hit the pedals. So I slept in another apartment (they are very expensive in Croatia) and continued on to Bosnia and Hercegovina. I started at 8 o’clock and still the rain would catch me before arriving in Mostar. I crossed the first real border of the trip outside the EU and had to wait for 20 minutes for the document control. After waiting patiently I finally entered Bosnia and Hercegovina after 2 weeks in Croatia!
This post isn’t finished yet in theory. I would have to add my time in Dubrovnik after leaving Bosnia and before entering Montenegro, but I’ll do it in the Bosnia and Hercegovina post. See you then!
