03/11/2012 - Oslo to Israel. Day 48

Distance cycled: 65.2km from Rab to Pag, Croatia
Average speed: 15.5km/h
Moving time: 4h12m
Total distance: 4312km
Border X'ings: 15
Money spent: €13

View 03nov12 in a larger map

Not much distance was covered today this is because I joined Romain with Pierre and Marion the latter two being quite slow cyclists. It was still an enjoyable day with good laughs and fun times.
To start things off we had to get a taxi boat off Rab island to the correct island to continue to Zadar. This was relatively difficult to organize because it was off season but after some running (or cycling) about we managed to get a captain of a boat to take us for 300 Kuna (€40).
The road wasn't difficult with lots of rocks filling the what perhaps was farmers paddocks but who knows, the land doesn't seem fertile for crops to grow.
With long breaks we only did 65km including the 5km boat trip but in Pag, Romain and I separated from the other two frenchies and continued on.
We met a bus load of Austrians where one of which gave us €10 for accomplishing so much and told us to get a drink to celebrate. I happen to have a flat tire from cycling over some glass so we joined them for a drink in the town of Pag.
Like I mentioned before the days are getting really short so by the time I was done with the repair and drinking Romain and I sketchily cycled further to an abandoned roadside concrete hut where we spent the night.

in the morning next to where we camped.

The boat over to Pag island

Cycling through Pag island and saying farewell to Pierre and Marion because they are slower than Romain and myself

Where Romain and I had a break overlooking Pag, also where the bus load of Austrians gave us beer and 10 Euro and where the Frenchies caught up with us

02/11/2012 - Oslo to Israel. Day 47

Distance cycled: 84.9km from Crikvencia to Rab, Croatia
Average speed: 17.6km/h
Moving time: 4h50m
Total distance: 4246km
Border X'ings: 15
Money spent: €10

View 02nov12 in a larger map

The last two days spent with Sanja, Dalibor and Toma were as comfortable as things get and especially being out of the rain for this period I really could not have thanked them enough for all their hospitality.
I got to cycling around 10am in the very mild climate where the dark rain clouds lingered and tormented me from above running parallel to the rocky coastline for the majority of the day. Fortunately it didn't rain and I had a splendid day of cycling where I caught up to a French couple who had been cycling for a couple of months around Europe. Pierre and Marion joined me for lunch at a rest stop ontop of a 350meter climb on the coastal road, this was only the third instance where I have met touring cyclists on this entire trip and when packing up our stuff another cyclist from France showed up also having cycled some considerable distance over the past months. Romaine, like the other two and myself were all headed in the same direction so we decided to convoy it along the road to a port town where we could hope over to an island where we would cycle and camp to continue our way south to the major city of Zadar.
Romaine, who was leading the way accidentally took us to the wrong port town where we boarded a ferry to the island, it wasn't until we got there we realized that there was no road access to Zadar from this small island. After chatting to some locals we figured we could get a water taxi to the right island the following day. So, into the dark we cycled to the outskirts of Rab where we pitched our tents in a olive orchid beside a ocean inlet, where we cooked, ate and drank some random liquor that we had accumulated. It was so good to meet and hangout with other touring cyclists, sharing stories and experiences of our travels, especially not having met many on this trip.

The Croatian coast

Meeting Pierre, Marion and Romain whilst climbing a coastal mountain.

Fantastic scenery

ON the ferry to Rab, not knowing it was the wrong island.

As the sun was setting on Rab

01/11/2012

Today I did not leave Sanja, Dalibor and Toma's place at all because the weather was worse than I had ever seen it on this trip with lightning, thunder and the clouds just bucketing it down, I was incredibly grateful to be inside at this time.
I cooked up lunch for the family that they all enjoyed and just sat around getting along well with Sanja in the kitchen, listening to music, smoking, cooking and chatting away.
She even gave me a frisbee which is something I have been looking for since I met Bernard in Switzerland, this may sound strange but Bernard told me that one of the most useful things for cooking whilst traveling is a frisbee - being able to use it as a container, chopping board amongst other things including using the frisbee as a.. frisbee. But this only works if you have a partner to throw it to… :(
Anyway, the family were great; looking after me as if I were part of the family and if I ever get the chance to visit Croatia again (in the summer) I'll be on my way to visit them again.

31/10/2012 - Oslo to Israel. Day 46

Distance cycled: 80.4km from somewhere in Slovenia to ..., Croatia
Average speed: 19.8km/h
Moving time: 4h03m
Total distance: 4162km
Border X'ings: 15
Money spent: €10

View 31oct12 in a larger map

Having camped at 550 meters in altitude last night I was definitely cold and did not rest well because of the uneven ground I slept on.
It was a wet and miserable morning but I knew that I would be cycling downhill to Rijeka, Croatia by the coast where things would be slightly warmer.
Croatian roads as well with the roads in Slovenia are certainly not as well maintained as it is in Western Europe with me experiencing sudden jolts from cycling over potholes and gaps in the asphalt. But at least I was greeted well when crossing the border; all smiles and handshakes I received from the border control and currency exchange.
A Swiss soldier in a truck exchanged my left over Swiss change for a note giving me a chocolate bar for my achievement of making it this far; free chocolate is good, but free Swiss chocolate is even better.
Arriving in Rijeka after filling up on food in Lidl (oh yeah! Lidl is here too) I went to a hostel where the woman working there, Hanna let me use the Internet and have a shower, I fed her some of the leftover curry I made last night and I set off without having to pay for any of it, she was just glad to have some company in the low season and having to work there all day every day.
Continuing on, I hit the coastal road that would guide me all the way south to Bosnia that incidentally had next to no shoulder where cars, trucks and buses rushed by definitely exceeding the speed limit; no wonder people think I am brave to do this trip...
Knowing that the dark clouds above would soon be dumping 41cm of rain overnight I found what I thought was a vacant,'closed for the season hostel with a sheltered area behind that would protect me from the storm, I pitched my tent inside and cooked up some food. Whilst laying there typing away this blog, the hostel manager exited the building with her barking dog seeing me and giving her quite the shock, it is Halloween after all; she, without hesitation invited me inside where I met her family. Sitting around the kitchen table we chatted and drank plenty of tea and Sanya let me sleep in one of the many vacant rooms of the hostel.
My experience in Croatia thus far has been pretty damn great.

Entering Croatia.. the weather could have been better.

Bakar, Croatia

The coastal waters are crystal clear

30/10/2012 - Oslo to Israel. Day 45

Distance cycled: 90.4km from... Italy to… Slovenia.
Average speed: 17.2km/h
Moving time: 5h15m
Total distance: 4081km
Border X'ings: 14
Money spent: €2.50 on coffee

View 30oct12 in a larger map

Last night I rested for a good 12 hours, I would have had a better nights sleep if it wasn't for the annoying barking dog nearby but today I felt I was well rested.
I had a bit of amusement this morning when getting back onto the road at a T-junction where a motorist did not indicate which way he was turning and when I accidentally cut him off he was pissed, jumping around the steering wheel shouting at me and flailing his arms about, I couldn't help but laugh in his face as it was very funny.
I passed though Trieste which is the last major town in Italy I'd be hitting up, it was a pretty and hilly town on the coast with plenty of large roman buildings and coffee shops. I made use if the Internet here and made my way towards Slovenia.
I made the same mistake I always do and that is to disregard my GPS route and take a bicycle path thinking and hoping it takes me in the right direction. Sometimes this is a good thing and gets me off the no-shoulder roads but unfortunately today I was taken on a shitty and bumpy gravel mountain bike path that made me have to detour about 10km.
Also getting into Slovenia I was taken up into the hills and before I knew it, it was getting dark and cold at 500 meters +. I had my hopes that soon I would be going downhill so I could camp somewhere just a little bit warmer and closer to the ocean but as these winter days are getting shorter I had no choice than to camp beside the road at 550m.
With me being able to see my breath I wrapped myself up tight and tried not to freeze. Although things could be worse, lets hope it doesn't rain.

A French couple i met who had been cycling for the past 8 months. heading North wouldnt be my recommendation.

Arriving in the coastal city of Trieste, Italy

climing into the mountains where i should have stayed on the coast

29/10/2012 - Oslo to Israel. Day 44

Distance cycled: 127km from Scorze' to 30km from Trieste, Italy
Average speed: 21.5km/h
Moving time: 5h55m
Total distance: 3991km
Border X'ings: 13
Money spent: €20

View 29oct12 in a larger map

Flat, flat, flat!
That's all today was, I did not climb any substantial hills and the weather was much better than the last days in Venice.
I tried taking advantage of the good weather by cycling more than normal. I had a bit of a side wind but that really didn't bother me.
I found myself swearing at the locals today, not only because of the constant staring which really bothers me because it doesn't take much effort to approach me and ask a question which doesn't bother me at all.
Anyway, some of the money I spent today was on some socks and tights, it was only after I purchased the tights I realized they were for women as there was no room for movement, if you know what I mean; I ended up stretching them out and now they are good.
Not much else to say today... Seeing the Alps from where I cycled today I am very pleased that I got the weather I did for when i cycling over them because now they are covered in snow.
I found a decent camping spot in a somewhat muddy but secluded area beside the road i cycled on but annoyingly I have a barking dog that won't shut up nearby.
It's going to be a cold one tonight, at least it's not raining like it did yesterday.

Adriano’s place

The snowcapped mountains of the Alps in the distance

When there are bike paths they are rather irritating… as you can imagine. This doesnt mean that i stopped at every stop sign.

28/10/2012

Having not done anything yesterday evening I did want to wander about Venice once more before leaving but the weather was shocking.
I could have gone out and got drenched and make use of the expensive 24 hour water service ticket but I ended up just chilling in the hostel on the Internet.
I met two American girls that brightened up my experience cycling as they were intrigued by my cycling trip, this is the reason why I like to go to hostels to tell people about my experiences over the past 7 years; this gives me incentive to continue just so that I can have more stories.
So, I had to leave the hostel and make my way back to Adriano's place by bus; I made it back having no troubles other than getting a bit wet in the miserable weather.
When returning I cooked Adriano and his son dinner, just a simple pasta dish they they both loved.
It was very difficult to communicate with either of them so I pulled out some cards and entertained them with a few magic tricks before going to bed.

Venice, on such a nice day… flooded streets and freezing and wet weather

Teaching the father an son magic tricks