I started early morning, anticipating longer riding time in the hilly Balkans. I said Arrivederci to Italy, I didn’t say anything to Slovenia and Croatia as I don’t know a single word in either language. Once again in one day, actually within 3 hours, I set my foot in three countries.
The road was nice, well paved, with pleasant views. It ran through the Dinaric Alps but it wasn’t too difficult to ride. The ups and downs would alternate with consistency, like a washboard. The area was scarcely populated with occasional village here and there, and with as many if not more currency exchange kiosks, as Croatia isn’t part of the eurozone. The majority of cars passing by were from other European countries going to the Adriatic Sea.
The main city on my way was Rijeka in Croatia. It’s a city with a port occupying practically the entire seashore, a pedestrian area, and dozens upon dozens of gold pawn shops. Nothing to lay an eye upon. I left it very quickly for the camping about 20 kilometers south and forgot about it as quickly.
It’s Saturday, so the camping area is bustling with people. I took advantage of a relatively early arrival and enjoyed the pleasantly warm sea water. The backdrop, unfortunately, was Rijeka’s oil refinery. But soon, the soothing effect of the water made this mirage disappear.
Today in numbers:
100 km – distance covered
5h28m – riding time
30 – days on the road, a whole month
