Ride Coordinator: Warner Griswold
Report by: Daniel Krechmer
“You never have the wind with you — either it is against you or you're having a good day.” (Daniel Behrman) Warner Griswold with Alen, Damir and Ivan of Sitnica, our Croatian touring company, ably led us. Features of the trip included the spectacular scenery of the Istria Peninsula, seven of Croatia’s amazing and varied coastal islands, the farm country of the coastal mainland, old walled cities and the canyons and waterfalls of the Krka National Park. There was much climbing (40,000 feet over about 530 miles). Grades rarely exceeded 10% but there were lots of extended 8-10% climbs. Downhills were steep as well, a blast for some of our more aggressive riders, a bit scary for the more cautious. Shoulders do not exist in Croatia but most roads were in good condition and had very little traffic. Drivers generally gave us adequate room. Most days were sunny with perfect temperatures in the 70s. A couple of forecasted rainstorms never materialized during the day, only in the evenings after we had reached our destinations. We did occasionally face the “invisible opponent” however. The north “bura” wind hit us for a couple of days on Cres and Losinj Islands, and for a few short stretches forced us to walk our bikes. On our final day the southern “yugo” headwind blew for much of the day -“the more you curse it, the harder it blows in your face”. September 20thwas notable as “wildlife” day. One of our riders watched as a car nearly wiped out a couple of wild sheep running across the road, a dead bird dropped on to the handlebars of another rider and the house across from the restaurant where we ate a lunch of slow-cooked lamb had a pet rescue deer. The majority of our group were BAC veterans who throughout the tour provided a treasure trove of information on bicycling options across the planet. Three of the 20 riders celebrated birthdays during the trip, adding to a festive atmosphere.
Our group met up in the beautiful seaside City of Trieste, Italy. On our first night on Croatia’s Istria Peninsula we enjoyed a fantastic kickoff dinner in a country hotel and brief warmup ride. Cres Island was where we fought the bura across a spectacular landscape and enjoyed scenic CresTown. After crossing Krk Island we came to the town of Basha where we boarded the “Moby Dick”, a private boat that, against all appearances, managed to hold 20 riders and 20 bikes. Following were trips to Rab and Pag Islands, with the latter presenting an unusual “moonscape”, where the bura strips the ground into a desert-like state. A day off in Zadar allowed us to discover the beautiful Venetian walled city and its Roman ruins. As we moved inland through rural areas impacted by the civil war of the 1990’s, Alen gave us an informative history of this tragic conflict. From the resort town of Skradin we rode a loop that took us through the spectacular canyons and waterfalls of Krka National Park. In Split, Croatia’s second largest city, we had two evenings to explore the fascinating Diocletian Palace, or Old City, newly famous as a Game of Thrones locale. The trip continued to Brac Island and spectacular Korcula and then on to the Pelajsic Peninsula, famous for its red wine. We had our farewell dinner in Mali Ston, noted for its oysters. Our last leg was by bus to the walled city of Dubrovnik where we reluctantly said goodbye to Croatia and each other.
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