Tag: Croatia

  • Day 11: The bonus round – When GPS goes rogue and borders play hard to get

    Day 11: The bonus round – When GPS goes rogue and borders play hard to get

    The unplanned grand finale Day 11 – a bonus day that was completely unplanned! I decided to split the last day to take it more relaxed, which turned out to be the best decision since deciding to start this madness in the first place. Morning person? Not again I planned to start early at 7:00…

  • Day 10: The art of strategic retreat (or how I learned to stop worrying and love half-days)

    Day 10: The art of strategic retreat (or how I learned to stop worrying and love half-days)

    The 5:30 wake-up call from hell Day 10 of cycling started with what I can only assume was Bosnia’s final attempt to break my spirit. Someone, and I use that term loosely because no actual human would do this, decided that 5:30 AM was the perfect time to fire up a leaf blower. Just in…

  • Day 8: Back on the road – Bosnia bound

    Day 8: Back on the road – Bosnia bound

    The numbers game Day 8 of cycling, but day 9 of the trip, though who’s counting anyway? Started from my hometown and finally heading to visit the last country on this adventure: country number eight, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where I’ll be staying for two more days until reaching the final destination. Mountain reality check This…

  • Day 7.5: Rest day – The calm before the final storm

    Day 7.5: Rest day – The calm before the final storm

    Natural alarm clock Day 7.5 – the rest day! Nothing happened, finally. A long-needed rest, though in the morning I got naturally woken up by my body based on the last few days’ routine. I didn’t sleep much longer, maybe 45 minutes more than usual, but I took it very slow in the morning as…

  • Day 5: The medieval marathon – When your body writes the real story

    Day 5: The medieval marathon – When your body writes the real story

    Aviation morning ritual In the morning, I had a little bit of bonus entertainment because the airport had an event and there were some helicopters parked actually in front of the entrance to the hotel. So after exiting, I walked around a little bit just to see them up close, I had to satisfy my…

  • Day 3: When the cycling gods finally smile – Perfect weather and Potsdam’s bike paradise

    Day 3: When the cycling gods finally smile – Perfect weather and Potsdam’s bike paradise

    A chilly fresh start After last night’s cats and dogs downpour, the morning air was crisp and clean, a refreshing 10 degrees that had me questioning my clothing choices. The rain had washed away yesterday’s misery and left behind that perfect post-storm clarity. Of course, getting out of my warm bed into that cool air…

  • May: How a devastating crack nearly destroyed my ultimate journey

    May: How a devastating crack nearly destroyed my ultimate journey

    As previously mentioned, May became my official “month off”, which in cycling terms means I barely touched my bike for two weeks and called it “recovery.” After April’s Mallorcan torture session left me questioning both my life choices and lung capacity, my body staged a well-deserved rebellion. The great bicycle boycott of early May Most…

  • From Spanish rain to surprise half-marathons

    From Spanish rain to surprise half-marathons

    Hello, dear readers! It’s time for yet another monthly recap of my failed successes. But wait, this time I’m actually on schedule with my monthly update! Let’s dive into my past mishaps and the future ones I’m eagerly planning. The Spanish Rain Festival (That Was Supposed to Be a Cycling Camp) I never mentioned my…

  • Splashdance: Riding the Croatian wave

    Splashdance: Riding the Croatian wave

    I may have spoken too soon in my previous post, as the day morphed into an unexpected escapade. Friends on the same island, in a village nearby, nagged me into visiting, arguing that biking 18 km with a 3 km hill was somehow easier than driving. Thus, I dusted off my bike, only to discover…

  • Dive hard: A Croatian Odyssey

    Dive hard: A Croatian Odyssey

    I’ve been scuba diving for a few years now. Initially, I dived quite actively, but after moving north, my participation has decreased drastically to about 10-15 dives per year, only during annual scuba diving camp. Cold water isn’t my forte, which limits my opportunities further. This year, my entire cycling trip was planned around scuba…

  • Blackout on two wheels

    Blackout on two wheels

    The grand finale of my epic ride arrived, but not without my sunscreen staging a coup, drenching both bag and gear. Thus, what began as an early morning quickly morphed into a mundane Friday. While on a fruitless quest for a breakfast that never was, I was intercepted by a fellow Slovenian cyclist. His brisk…

  • Pedals, pooches and peaks

    Pedals, pooches and peaks

    It finally happened, I got an early start before 8:00, aiming for some serene pedal time before the sun claimed the day. The morning was refreshingly cooler, but a new challenge trotted onto the scene: dogs. Apparently, in Croatia, letting guard dogs roam free to chase random cyclists is still in vogue. Throughout the day,…