Day 19 - Split, and unseen Knin

Venturing off the beaten path to the interior...

 



Bit of a climb, then free to explore :)

 

The old city, as described to me a retiring Roman Emperor built the city for his pleasure. May need to check this when I get home and or spare time with WiFi :)

Stunning, original architecture:

Goodness that guy had big hands, maybe that's why they made a statue of him? ;)

My coffee shop friend 'Tina' who gave me some holy trinkets to keep me safe, after chatting through my experiences of Montenegro. They are now of great value to me especially the one I wear around my neck, thank you Tina :)

Stunning mountain roads with lots of wildlife :)

Away from the busy coast the interior seems huge and unspoilt!

The old 'fort' above the town

Day 18 - First rest day

Rest day, lots of time catching up with friends and completing some work sat outside my room over looing the beach :)



 

 

 With a kitchen area, I indulged in a little cooking, and shared some with the local cat:

Even found time to have a look at some routes through the Alps

Day 17 - Broken Frame

Ride cut short by the frame breaking!


Amazing coastline...

... with a private beach house, only accessible from the Sea. Amazing :)

Frame snapped on the drive side chain stay, I suspect this was cracked in the Montenegro incident (less than 200mile ago) and finally failed whilst climbing.

Rescued from the roadside by two friendly firemen Darko and Pajo who pull on the knowledge of the local community to find a same day solution. The welder need the frame stripped down so Anka kindly provided her husbands garage! Wonderful experience, the kindest most helpful people you could ever hope to meet... I will still be smiling about this in London :)

Work in progress

This seems a lovely place for my rest day :)

Local dish made from scratch including wood fire just for me! After dinner wine made by the landlord Robert and consumed with my new German friend Bernd :)

Day 16 - Uneventful

 Just what I needed an uneventful day! 

 

 Back to the EU, and Croatia's formal name which I still don't understand?

 

Oranges, oranges everywhere at least you know they're local as all the land is committed

Crikey that's less than the Tax in the UK, more than 7 bottles worth for around £8!

Looks a nice place to stop

Day 15 - Dubrovnik and friendly faces at every turn [17th May 2014]

Historic Dubrovnik then into Bosnia :)

Cliff and Maryann, on a motorhome summer tour... may see them in my local come July :)

Incredible walled city

...areas of damage during the war.

Beautiful centre :)

Not sure why he has a shiny nose ;)

Lunch by the sea

I love the Dalmatian coast :)

The motley crew, my friend and veteran cycle tourist Laurent from southern France two German girls heading to Israel and a Croatian guy heading to Istanbul, maybe.

Cant read this without thinking Dracula, and getting to me destination before night fall.

Ston castle and its beguiling curtain wall weaving over the hillside

New friends at my overnight stop in Bosnia, I buy them a goodbye drink and settle my bill and but am unable to leave until we are all staggering drunk!

Day 14 - Survived Montenegro

Made good my escape and found a lovely guest house just outside Dubrovnik.

Packed and ready

Game face on, no fear (quaking inside)

No time to thoroughly check out the damaged wheel, but it runs freely enough so tube change and go.

 

 

Stunning scenery...

 

Away from the towns, the roads are quiet and I start to relax...

Then I see this, and think a photo without crash barrier might be nice...

Some how forgot, the roads where full of wanton killers.

 

A diver heading down the hill decided it take me out using the car coming the opposite way, by deliberately swerving across the line just before he drew level! I looked him square in the face as the other inched past me wondering if I would survive such callousness and all I saw was anger - bizarre! Back feeling worse than last night.

 

Chatting to a friend later, moments later he sent me this:

 https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/europe-eastern-europe-the-caucasus/topics/driving-in-montenegro-a-guide-for-the-unwary

 

During the day I had another 2 incidents, one with another truck pulling a punishment pass this time hitting the handle bar and another with a car hitting the rear pannier as they over take. I am astounded that I have managed to stay on the road! and in one piece!

 

Really quiet road and find another problem with the bike thanks to the noise of a busted mudguard, roadside repairs.

Final section of stunning scenery, with a ferry and despite being the country's only port the waters a crystal clear.

At last the border :)

So pleased to see this sign!

That's a big pig ;)

Huge dinner with great service, even I cant finish it!