Yes I hadn't heard of Gospic either. Its over the hills from the Adriatic Sea half way down Croatia.
I left Rovinj with great plans. Found my way inland to the oldest village in Croatia, situated on a hill ( aren't they all) with some modest fortifications.
The history of these countries defies understanding. The peoples came from other parts, many years ago, and have been fighting to stay there and not be controlled by a foreign power ever since. What a struggle in a harsh environment. It must have been tough wherever they came from. Thousands of years to fighting to defend their "place". Its a good thing the Maori have never been outside New Zealand because they would have little reason to bitch endlessly that the world owes them something more than the wonderful life they have. These people have been fight for thousands of years. This little town I am in tonight still has houses with bullet holes in the walls. These poor people. But they are not unhappy people they are welcoming and friendly.
So after my small village I headed to the grand coast. Its not the riviera, nowhere else is, but its pretty good. The other thing is they still make things, like boats. The gulf is littered with Islands. Lots of islands. It must be great boating here in the summer. There are still fish, the water is clear and the water temperature today 18c I was told.
The sign to Lukova had me fooled for a moment. We have them on high roads as well and call them a Lookout
The coast was great, but soon I ran into strong winds. A local phenomenon apparently. They call it the Bura and it blows like hell for several days. The sea was white with foam. I changed plans and headed further south and after a patch of calm, there it was again so over the range I went looking for calm and got cold instead. Very cold.
Still I am here in Gospic and pleased to be despite the bullet holes that remain in the walls of some of the buildings. Life has been harsh here.
nzl04
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday 24th Oct Pula to Rovinj
Rovinj was the town I wanted to get to last night. So I bought a map and went back there.
It is a popular resort with good reason. What a delightful place. Waterfront with lots of boats, church on the hill, cafe's .....and it was warm.
So I found a place for the night and had a great afternoon. Washing, walking, riding a pedal bike, relaxing.....it was great.
Even the old guy in the small boat baiting his long line for tomorrows fishing gave me a good feeling. What a great place.
So I dined on Bass and spinach and thoroughly had a good time.
Didn't get far toward my destination however, in fact I regressed. Never mind.
nzl04
It is a popular resort with good reason. What a delightful place. Waterfront with lots of boats, church on the hill, cafe's .....and it was warm.
So I found a place for the night and had a great afternoon. Washing, walking, riding a pedal bike, relaxing.....it was great.
Even the old guy in the small boat baiting his long line for tomorrows fishing gave me a good feeling. What a great place.
So I dined on Bass and spinach and thoroughly had a good time.
Didn't get far toward my destination however, in fact I regressed. Never mind.
nzl04
Thursday 23 Oct Leinz to Pula in Croatia
After the usual breakfast, fruit cornies yoghurt, bread sliced meat and cheese, I can say
the ride out of Austria was a joy. Two passes, steep descent (15 hairpins), then the valley floor opening out to the north Italy plains. Lots of grapes, lots of hoticulture, then on to the border with Slovenia.
I was soon back in the pretty rolling hills, a blaze of autumn colour. Red gold scarlet green yellow orange.... of Slovenia.
Fuel dropped 20 cents (euro) a litre and the people were friendly, talkative, and asking where I was from and wishing me well. That was a very warm reception. So I visited the small town that I came to visit with a 16th Century Church with the interior painted depicting biblical scenes. I liked the one showing us all ( child, man, banker, lawyer, king,queen, pope,) all in a line to meet the grim reaper ! And he was grim. Even in the 16th century they knew what life was about....we all and up the same...dead. So my take on that is, better to be happy now.
So on I journeyed to Piran, had a beer at an english pub called the Lord Byron. Even in Slovnia you cannot escape it. So in the absense of a Hotel I could find I looked to Garmin and headed south. Big mistake. Garmin does not know Kroatia is in Europe so there was one road to Pula. That was it so I went to Pula in the dark. I located a Hotel with foyers and staircases that were imense in the old fashioned style. A quaint city with the distinction of having a huge Roman colluseum still intact. The interior had gone but the walls remained.
nzl04
the ride out of Austria was a joy. Two passes, steep descent (15 hairpins), then the valley floor opening out to the north Italy plains. Lots of grapes, lots of hoticulture, then on to the border with Slovenia.
I was soon back in the pretty rolling hills, a blaze of autumn colour. Red gold scarlet green yellow orange.... of Slovenia.
Fuel dropped 20 cents (euro) a litre and the people were friendly, talkative, and asking where I was from and wishing me well. That was a very warm reception. So I visited the small town that I came to visit with a 16th Century Church with the interior painted depicting biblical scenes. I liked the one showing us all ( child, man, banker, lawyer, king,queen, pope,) all in a line to meet the grim reaper ! And he was grim. Even in the 16th century they knew what life was about....we all and up the same...dead. So my take on that is, better to be happy now.
So on I journeyed to Piran, had a beer at an english pub called the Lord Byron. Even in Slovnia you cannot escape it. So in the absense of a Hotel I could find I looked to Garmin and headed south. Big mistake. Garmin does not know Kroatia is in Europe so there was one road to Pula. That was it so I went to Pula in the dark. I located a Hotel with foyers and staircases that were imense in the old fashioned style. A quaint city with the distinction of having a huge Roman colluseum still intact. The interior had gone but the walls remained.
nzl04
22 Oct Italy to Leinz in Austria
Yes bloody Garmin I was having so much fun riding the mountain passes that I did not check well enough that I was going in the direction I wanted. I had a hell of a good ride however. One pass with 29 hairpins going up. The mountain views are breathtaking. I love these mountains.
Not a lot to say after that really.
So I spent a night in Austria, by mistake ! Could have ben worse but there are some passes that I missed that I have to come back for.....
nzl04
Not a lot to say after that really.
So I spent a night in Austria, by mistake ! Could have ben worse but there are some passes that I missed that I have to come back for.....
nzl04
21 Oct Konstanz to somewhere near Silandro in Italy
I went from Konstanz to Lichtenstein and south to Davos and there the passes started. 2000 metres and simply breathtaking. Lots of them but I wanted more. Its a magical place to ride a bike. The co-ordinates are for Lichtenstein where all I could do was have my lunch made specially by the lady in the bread shop. So it was into the mountains. Past Davos and into Italy.
The ADAC put out a huge lever arch file of maps of moutain passes to ride.....cant wait to get back here.
Anyway it was good fortune that I found a hotel right on dark. I do not enjoy night rides. As well this time of the year as the sun goes down so does the temperature and its gets very cold in the mountains. Those magical awesome mountains with fresh snow sprinkled on them.
The area is full of fruit trees and vinyards. Tractors hauling apples everywhere The thing that amused me was that the place I stayed was "german" in that it was Italy but the village spoke German. There are possibly others but I found it unusual.
nzl07
The ADAC put out a huge lever arch file of maps of moutain passes to ride.....cant wait to get back here.
Anyway it was good fortune that I found a hotel right on dark. I do not enjoy night rides. As well this time of the year as the sun goes down so does the temperature and its gets very cold in the mountains. Those magical awesome mountains with fresh snow sprinkled on them.
The area is full of fruit trees and vinyards. Tractors hauling apples everywhere The thing that amused me was that the place I stayed was "german" in that it was Italy but the village spoke German. There are possibly others but I found it unusual.
nzl07
20 th Oct to Konstanz
I got off to a bad start with Garmin sending me on a wild goose chase to find a ADAC (the German AA) only to find the office had closed some years ago, 30k wasted, so I kept checking as I progressed across Germany across a flat cultivated land. I had left the Rhine gorges behind and was in tractor country.
The Europeans have a way of keeping old roads so intead of upgrading they build a new one and keep the old one. That makes for some great bike roads. Also they build feeder roads, little one lane roads that run alongside two lane roads for local traffic, walkers, bikers, tractors, prams, the lot and they are well used.
So I found myself in Konstanz, and pretty city too, only to find the ADAC was 30k back so off I went again to get my Insurance. Third party insurance is hard to find but the German ADAC does it. So another lost 70k, thanks Garmin.
While on my favorite hobby horse Garmin are one of those American Companies that are totally devoid of moral responsibility. Buy our product....rely on our product......but its so often simply totally wrong, in fact dangerously misleading....but do they care....not a bit, because I give them a lot of "feedback".......as you can imagine.
And yes the Americans are electing a new Ceasar to preside over their inevitable downfall, and not a moment too soon, their total lack of commercial morality has ruined the world economy. About the time the Ceasars were exiting a star rose in the east ( I think) and I wonder if the star of Islam also rising in the east......
nzl04
The Europeans have a way of keeping old roads so intead of upgrading they build a new one and keep the old one. That makes for some great bike roads. Also they build feeder roads, little one lane roads that run alongside two lane roads for local traffic, walkers, bikers, tractors, prams, the lot and they are well used.
So I found myself in Konstanz, and pretty city too, only to find the ADAC was 30k back so off I went again to get my Insurance. Third party insurance is hard to find but the German ADAC does it. So another lost 70k, thanks Garmin.
While on my favorite hobby horse Garmin are one of those American Companies that are totally devoid of moral responsibility. Buy our product....rely on our product......but its so often simply totally wrong, in fact dangerously misleading....but do they care....not a bit, because I give them a lot of "feedback".......as you can imagine.
And yes the Americans are electing a new Ceasar to preside over their inevitable downfall, and not a moment too soon, their total lack of commercial morality has ruined the world economy. About the time the Ceasars were exiting a star rose in the east ( I think) and I wonder if the star of Islam also rising in the east......
nzl04
19 Oct Vaals to Frakenthaller
A day to remember as I rode down the Rhine. The best bit was knowing it was coming but suddenly there it was.
I had ridden down an alley in a village looking for lunch and ended up beside the river. A number of river boats passing, restaurants, and across the river in the sunshine a castle syrrounded by grape vines of a multitude of colours.
The colours of autumn were everwhere and simply so vivid as to be overpowering.
Even the bad things were good, a car accident blocked the road, so the traffic was diverted. I found a side road and over the hilltop and back down to a small village called Bacharach. If you are evr on the Rhine, stop at this town and be amazed.
The river with its barges, houses, castles, grapes, trees, cliffs, are memorable.
Sadly I had to leave the river and made a stop in Frankenthaller a place that I hope never to have to visit again. It was so bad I had a big mac for dinner and went back to the smallest room I have ever shared with a toilet and a shower.
nzl04
I had ridden down an alley in a village looking for lunch and ended up beside the river. A number of river boats passing, restaurants, and across the river in the sunshine a castle syrrounded by grape vines of a multitude of colours.
The colours of autumn were everwhere and simply so vivid as to be overpowering.
Even the bad things were good, a car accident blocked the road, so the traffic was diverted. I found a side road and over the hilltop and back down to a small village called Bacharach. If you are evr on the Rhine, stop at this town and be amazed.
The river with its barges, houses, castles, grapes, trees, cliffs, are memorable.
Sadly I had to leave the river and made a stop in Frankenthaller a place that I hope never to have to visit again. It was so bad I had a big mac for dinner and went back to the smallest room I have ever shared with a toilet and a shower.
nzl04
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
18 October Zeebrugge to Vaals
Yes I had not heard of Vaals either. The cold start at Zeebrugge got me going, and I was soon in Holland to make sure I qualified for the Netherlands flag I was to stick on the pannier. I could tell it was Holland by the single land road and the two lane cycle track, but it was pristine and unremarkable. Then back to Belgium, which was different immediately. Its an odd experoence to cross a border and have the same physical landscape but used in a different way. It was evident many times on this tour.
I was back to Belgium to sort the last of my bits and to make sure nzl07 was safe with my friends there. She was. So I was down the road toward Germany, it is cheaper than Belgium my friends advised. So just short of Aachen as night was closing in I spied a Hotel and stopped. Something was different so I asked and was told that I was actually in Holland. So I had gone from France to Holland to Belgium and back to Holland. I was offered a park in the basement which I accepted and noted a couple of rabbits in a cage, which I figured were pets. Flemmish giants possibly. I am getting better with menu's in foreign languages but one thing had me stumped, so I asked whats this and he replied, "you see dem in de basement.." so I had pets for dinner, and jolly good too.
I had travelled some of this road in July on my way to Nordkapp, but the difference was unbelievable, what was previously lush and green was now gold, with falling leaves and harvested fields. A month ago there were grape pickers in the fields. Now pruning has started. In fact the cultivation for planting had begun. The real joy of this was the marked season. Unlike the green always green of New Zealand, here there are coloured seasons which makes it far more interesting.
nzl04
I was back to Belgium to sort the last of my bits and to make sure nzl07 was safe with my friends there. She was. So I was down the road toward Germany, it is cheaper than Belgium my friends advised. So just short of Aachen as night was closing in I spied a Hotel and stopped. Something was different so I asked and was told that I was actually in Holland. So I had gone from France to Holland to Belgium and back to Holland. I was offered a park in the basement which I accepted and noted a couple of rabbits in a cage, which I figured were pets. Flemmish giants possibly. I am getting better with menu's in foreign languages but one thing had me stumped, so I asked whats this and he replied, "you see dem in de basement.." so I had pets for dinner, and jolly good too.
I had travelled some of this road in July on my way to Nordkapp, but the difference was unbelievable, what was previously lush and green was now gold, with falling leaves and harvested fields. A month ago there were grape pickers in the fields. Now pruning has started. In fact the cultivation for planting had begun. The real joy of this was the marked season. Unlike the green always green of New Zealand, here there are coloured seasons which makes it far more interesting.
nzl04
Friday 17 October London
The Visa process is complete apart from Iran which I have to apply for in Istanbul. Apparently it will be quicker than waiting in London according to the embassy spokesman.
So its now pack and go so its down the road through Kent to the Chunnell. I did not book online so its cost 80 pounds ! Wow !
The trip is quick but I loose an hour at the France end so its dark as I head for Brugge up the coast.
Stayed the night in Zeebrugge in an Formulae 1 Hotel. Cheap but usually clean and efficieny except that in Europe the facilities are down the hall.
Never mind. Its a cheap sleep, and I am on my way south.....at last.
nzl04
So its now pack and go so its down the road through Kent to the Chunnell. I did not book online so its cost 80 pounds ! Wow !
The trip is quick but I loose an hour at the France end so its dark as I head for Brugge up the coast.
Stayed the night in Zeebrugge in an Formulae 1 Hotel. Cheap but usually clean and efficieny except that in Europe the facilities are down the hall.
Never mind. Its a cheap sleep, and I am on my way south.....at last.
nzl04
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
10 October. London
The ride to Spain is ended and nzl07 is back in the garage.
I now wait for the visa process to let me through Iran Pakistan and India.
Myanmar seems to be a definate no go. So I am looking at freighting the bike out of Nepal, or shipping from India.
Disappointing really but that seems the way it is.
The concerning part is that I am stuck in London ...........waiting.
nzl04
I now wait for the visa process to let me through Iran Pakistan and India.
Myanmar seems to be a definate no go. So I am looking at freighting the bike out of Nepal, or shipping from India.
Disappointing really but that seems the way it is.
The concerning part is that I am stuck in London ...........waiting.
nzl04
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