We are just back from a fabulous week biking and boating the "Dalmatian Highlights" of Croatia. Two of my regular cyclist who join my Breeze Rides, have each done a tour, and highly recommended it. So, we booked! The tour company Inselhupfen suggested e bikes..... no point arguing then! 😉
Since we couldn't get a flight on the day of embarkation in Dubrovnic, we flew out a day early, and stayed one night in the Hotel Splendid just a few minutes taxi ride from the Dubrovnic Port of Gruz. Great location.
(I have a lot of photos for this blog! A mixture of Go Pro screen grabs, phone shots, and Lumix camera) I filmed a lot on the Gopro, and will make a film when I get the time, to share with the many lovely fellow cyclists we met from around the globe during our week on Harmonia.
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| Our hotel grounds. |
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A walk the following morning along an excellent path at the opposite side of the bay.
Our hotel is opposite in this photo. |
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| And a light lunch! We were due to board the boat at 2.30. |
FRIDAY JUNE 23rd Our guide Kristofor was waiting on the Quayside to meet us, and once settled in to Room 2, downstairs on the boat, an introduction from Kristofor and Matija (Mat). They accompanied all 29 of us on the public bus into the old part of town, where they left us with a local guide. We were also advised how to find our way back to the boat! 😊
Old Dubrovnic...
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| Our guide leads the way, and she was on the look out for shade. |
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A very nice meal on our boat first evening, and lots of chat with fellow passengers, trying to remember names.😕 Fellow guests were from Canada, America, South Africa, Australia, Lithuania, and Iceland. We were the only Brits. Each evening after dinner, Kris or Mat would give us information on what time the Captain would "start the engine". Tomorrow it would be 7am! WOT!!!
SATURDAY JUNE 24th
Our first island hop was to MLJET (pronounced MNET), to the port of SOBRA. It was a 3 hour crossing. I had wrongly assumed that the islands were just a short distance apart, and since my sealegs are not the best, I was now a little concerned. 😟 But it was fine! Almost everyone was up to watch the boat leave Dubrovnic at 7am, before we all had breakfast at 8am. The youngest guests Ryan and Sam from Capetown, had even been for pre breakfast run. (Are they mad?)
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Dubrovic, Gruz Waterfront, as we leave.
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| Getting ready to leave in Mljet. |
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| A 2km trial run on Mljet, to check that our bikes were all ok. |
Then back onboard for lunch, before our first proper ride, as the boat moved to the other side of the island to meet up with us later.
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It was quite a climb away from the sea. Ebikes were a good decision!!
4 riders used peddle power. Hats off to all of them. Well done guys, and gals. |
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| Mljet views. |
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Team photo taken by our guides.
I will attempt to name everyone! Front Row Steinsson, Allen, Michelle, John, John, Darlene, Donna, Kurt, Christine, Sibba, Karyn, Linda, Kestutis, Vaidoths, Wendy, Jim, Jane.
Back Row 2 Icelanders husbands! Heidi, Anne (me), Julie, Bev, Peter, Fred, Jolita and friend, Ryan, Sam, Glen. |
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We stopped here for a few minutes waiting for everyone to
catch up, then we headed into a National Park. (Tickets provided) |
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A swim in one of the two salt water lakes within the National Park. It was very warm.
Getting changed behind a bush was interesting as a walking group went passed me.😂 |
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| This canal channel joins the two lakes. |
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| On our way back out of the National Park. |
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| Back to the boat, now moored in Pomena at the other end of the island. |
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| Pomena. A lovely little port. |
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| A great end to our first cycling day. |
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| Our boat alongside the sister ship, which we would see each night in different ports. |
Dinner onboard, with the news that the Captain would start the engine at 6.30!! After dinner, we had a little walk into "town" with Australians, Peter and Karyn.
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| Pomena. I took this shot, thinking I might base a painting on it tomorrow. 😊 |
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| Artistic impression! |
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| I only just got started. Must try to finish it. |
SUNDAY JUNE 25th
6.30. A definite swell on the sea this morning for our 2.5 hour crossing to LASTOVO.😵. I was up early to sit and concentrate on the horizon, but just knew that I didn't feel right. After about half an hour, threw up over the side. I then heard that Linda (Canadian), was also not feeling great, so as everyone else went to breakfast, we both sat on deck trying our best to get through the journey. A plain croissant was about all we could face. Wendy (Canada) heard that we were unwell, and very kindly offered us a "patch", a miracle cure hopefully. It seemed to work! Or did the sea just calm down? I stuck on the patches every day until I got home, just incase. 😊 Thank you Wendy!
Our ride today was a "there and back" ride from Lastovo to Pasadur, just 16 miles, but a few hairpin bends on the way. 46 small uninhabited islands make us the archipelago of Lastovo.
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| Lastovo harbour. |
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| Interesting start and end to this ride! |
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Quite a few of us pushed our bikes up the first steep section, since a car was coming down,
then hit the hairpins. |
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| Looking back to the harbour. |
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Our tour guide in Korcula town. Beautiful town. The stones all so clean with regular
water cleaning. |
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Dinner in town tonight. We opted for a roof terrace and this
was our view. We were next to a very loud church bell tower which rang
every 15 minutes!! Great meal.
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MONDAY JUNE 26th
NO cruising today! (she says slightly relived!) We cycled from Korcula town, the entire length of the island, to Vela Luka. I got a new badge from Garmin today, for my biggest climb every. 2,800feet. (ok, with ebikes not too difficult, but I'll take the badge anyway.) The ride was 36 miles, our longest of the trip. Not too far, but it was 39 degrees, infact my Garmin peaked after lunch at 42.2. 😨
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| Big mountains today! |
As we stopped to regroup mid morning at a shop which had ice cream, some news that one of our riders had fallen. Someone had seen an ambulance, but thankfully that was just a coincidence. We waited for further news, and learned that it was Sibba (Icelandic lady). She managed to cycle to where were waiting but her ride was over. Mat, Sibba and husband Steinner got a taxi to a doctor. What a shame. We later learned that she had a broken finger, and fractured sternum. Ouch.
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Re grouping in some shade.
Alan volunteered to be our "back" man, since Mat had gone off with our casualty. |
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Loads of vineyards as we rode into this town where we stopped for a drink.
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| Parking up for our cafe stop. Linda and Jane . Fred taking a photo. |
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Very welcome shade! With farmers Jim and Fred.
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And later lunch and a swim at this pretty spot at Prizba.
Slippery rocks under the water, but beautiful to swim.
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A bit more undulations, and great views before we dropped into a tree lined avenue in BLATO, where a few popped into a supermarket, before we continued our journey.
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The LINDEN TREE lines this avenue in Blato.
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John enjoying the shade in Blato, as some riders pop in to a supermarket.
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| continuing. |
HOT! 39 degrees at this point.
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| Meeting our boat in Vela Luka, Kortula. |
Dinner on board tonight. Sibba arrived later with her arm in plaster. Kris produced his guitar and we sang Happy birthday to one of the ladies from Lithuania (and her friend the next night!) Whilst his guitar in hand, Kris then gave a couple of strums and we all recognised it as "Hard Days Night", and joined in. 😂 Another celebration later in the week was for John and Darlene for their 42nd wedding anniversary. Some lovely cakes were presented to all those celebrating which was a nice touch from the crew. A walk and drink with Peter and Karyn after dinner.
TUESDAY JUNE 27th
Engine started 7am. So..... up early again.
This morning we cruised to Hvar. Its a busy ferry town, so the boat was only allowed to stop briefly to unload the bikes. Our guides looked after the bikes whilst we had some time to look around beautiful, colourful town of Hvar. I could have spent a fortune here. Loved the colourful clothes shops.
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| Hvar town. |
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I dont understand why Hydrangeas do so well in this heat. They must
water than continually. |
At 11ish we set off, but pushed the bikes through the main square in town, before we hit the climb. Which went on , and on and on.
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| John and his friend Glen pushing to the start in Hvar. |
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Leaving the town, where we take a right turn and start the climb, which is 7 miles.
Think Glen, on peddle power, might have lost his sense of humour this morning. 😊 |
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| We are usually bunched up to start with, but soon spread out. |
At the top of our climb, Lavender, with slate used to section off each owners area of land.
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| Still glad I'm on an ebike! |
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| Our rendezvous point, just as we start to drop down from the top. |
A fabulous 6 miles weaving our way down hairpins into Stari Grad, where Mat has a "surprise" for us. It was entry to an old Castle called Tvrjald, with it's fish pond and private gardens.
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| photo from Wikipedea (cant find mine!) |
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Then time for a delicious lunch of Ravioli.
Fellow diners. One to paint?
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| Stari Grad |
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| Stari Grad |
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| Stari Grad |
Then from sea level, another climb, before our ascent into Jelsa where our boat is waiting. But not before Kris and Mat insist on buying us all an ice cream. I opted for the recommendation of Lavender Ice Cream. Very nice!
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| Jelsa Ice Cream at the end of our ride. |
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| Another golden end to our day in Stari Grad. |
WEDNESDAY JUNE 28th
Breakfast whilst we cruised to the island of BRAC (pronounced Brash?) It was pretty windy, but thankfully not too choppy! This is the highest island in the area, so another day of climbing.
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| The gulls following in our wake enroute to Bol, Brac. |
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| Allen, Steiner, and Kestutis, with Mat behind. |
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A much cooler day as we stopped off for a break Pucisca, famous for its Limestone.
(the original plan was to moor here for the night but a problem with electricity, so
we continued cycling to join our boat at Postira.) |
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| This Limestone sculpture just outside of the Masonery school in Pucisca. |
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| Loved the trees her. Some variety of Spruce? |
Then, an uphill climb once more, to an area with loads of Olive Trees. We learned that 1/3 of all the Olive Trees in Croatia are on this island. (this afternoon's ride was to have been our final morning trip tomorrow. It would have been a perfect ending, all downhill... after the uphill!)
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| Photo by John just to prove that I WAS there. |
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| Top of the early afternoon climb over Brac. |
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| On our right as we dropped in to Postira. |
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| Postira Waterfront. Another beautiful setting. But a bit cool for swimming today. |
Since we had couple of hours of free time, Kris offered a history lesson at 5pm, which about 14 of us joined. It was very interesting, and his passion for his country certainly came across.
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| Views from our boat in Postira. |
We had a walk around the bay, including a long path which passes the new "View" hotel complex. Its horrible! Its meant to look like a cruise ship, and does not belong in this picturesque harbour town.
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| Google image. How did they get permission to built this here?!! |
THURSDAY JUNE 29th
Due to a change of docking plan yesterday, our ride this morning was from Positera to the ferry port of Supitar. A there and back ride of about 14 miles. It was however a busy road for much of the journey, so not the most relaxing of our rides this week. Infact we split in to 3 groups on the return trip to try to keep the drivers happier.
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| Mat and Kris. Our final ride with them. |
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| Supitar. |
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Hot, hot. In Supitar. A lazy hour with a drink before we headed back.....
for a swim. |
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| The beach which was a bit "grey" looking yesterday. |
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| Bliss. |
Lunch on board, whilst we cruised to SPLIT at 2.30, with a city tour planned for 4.30. Amazing old palace in the old part of town. (The ground floor had been rediscovered after 100s of years of being filled in with rubbish!)
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| Our captain delivering us smoothly to our final port in Split. |
An excellent 4 course dinner for our final evening on board, and lots of chat amongst new found friends. And a final ring of the bell from Darlene.😉 We had a walk along the Promenade area, with 1000s of others in the evening, most of whom seemed to be young!
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| Ding dong Darlene before the final Bla bla bla. 😊 |
FRIDAY JUNE 30th
We had to vacate our rooms by 9am, but left our luggage on board until 11. Another stroll around town, before a taxi to the airport for our early afternoon flight back to Heathrow. A wonderful holiday.
