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Well, the day started innocently enough, breakfast at 7:00, but only brewed coffee, so we thought we would get something along the way. As it turned out, there was a bar in the hotel lobby that had espresso so why not get one here before we leave? So we did, 1 espresso and 1 cappuccino. Big or small cappuccino we were asked, big said Jean. It arrived in a normal size cup, half full. 38krona. That's close enough to $10 and it was terrible coffee. In fact we found all the prices in Rovinj were much higher than anywhere we had encountered in Croatia. Almost Venice prices. Elsewhere a coffee was 7 krona, for example, the same with food. Still, it all balances out in the end, so we collected our bikes and hit the road.
The ride along the coast was easy enough, cycle paths through the woods and at times right on the edge of the sea. Then through the innumerable camping sites, vans and Winnebagos the size of tourist busses, some with annexes like a small carport, festooned with satellite dishes and flower pots.
We had seen "water parks", "kids parks", "fun parks" so when we came to a "nature park" (written in German as it happened) we didn't give it a second thought. After all, it would be all about trees and flowers, right? Wrong!
What we had noticed was the propensity for many bathers to do the towel wrap when changing from bathers to clothes, some with less modesty than others. So it didn't seem out of place when I caught a glimpse of the back of a naked man disappearing into a tent as we were riding through, then there were a number of people that were in no danger of being attacked, sprawled out on the rocks, and yet more naked people just standing and chatting, or generally enjoying the sun. It was by now that the term "nature park" revealed its full meaning, so to speak.
After a good 20mins of this, mostly on a gravel or dirt track through the trees, we reached a point where we had to agree that we had wandered off course, quite unintentionally I can assure you. Quite probably due to having to concentrate on the poor surface of the path rather than on the surrounding flora and forna. So with no-one really to ask there was nothing for it other than to back track to the last known reference point on our map and start again. Said point found, which was within the aptly named park, we traversed much of it again for a third time, this time going even slower to make sure we didn't miss the next turn, which was referred to in our notes as a "narrow wooded path that is best walked rather than riden". Now a reasonable interpretation of this could be a path along an elevated wooden structure, made to protect the ground flora, but again no, it was a rocky, barely distinguishable track through the woods, barely wide enough for a bike and surface difficult enough to walk and impossible to ride. So much so when passing an oncoming , somewhat large cyclist, there wasn't much room, we stopped, she didn't and fell backwards into the undergrowth. Fortunately she was fully clothed!
Pushing on and back into the clothed world, and after a world of pain after kilometres of loose gravel and rocky bike trails, we hit a sealed road. With no such reference in our notes to such a road, we concluded that either the maps were inconclusive or the remote chance that we were off course. Not lost, because I still had google maps, so we turned right toward the coast and enjoyed the smooth feel of asphalt once again.
By now we had been going for about 3 hours and water supplies were low and then at the top of a hill there was a roadside fruit and oil stall, a perfect place to stop. The woman owner beckoned us to sit down at a table set up under a tree which we gladly did. As a bottle of olive oil would do little to quench our collective thirst, we opted for some fruit, peaches were the preferred choice and they were big and juicy and full of flavour. Better than water. In yet another opportunity to expand my Italian vocabulary, we chatted with her for a while and in so doing, determined our location and with the aid of a couple of maps she gave us, and the accompanying verbal instructions, we were once again set to go. She did in fact have some water so we refilled our bottles and said our goodbyes. Another act of spontaneous generosity from a stranger in a time of need.
More gravel roads and then we were back on the coast for the last 15 kms into Pula, our destination for the next 4 days, but not before enjoying lunch under the umbrellas of a waterfront cafe at Fazan along the way.
We are staying in a little hotel, 100m from an almost complete Roman amphitheatre, where, as it happens, the Foo Fighters were performing, but even with our window open, once we hit the pillows, we did not hear a thing.
With the riding over, it's now time to once again, wander the narrow streets and climb the omnipresent stairs in search for that perfect photo, or cafe, or more importantly, where we are going to eat tonight.
- comments
Christine Coles Fabulous reports Jean and Richard !! We are enjoying every part of your travels and don't have the huff and puff to endure !! Treat yourselves big time now the riding is over ! We loved Pula too XX Chris