Travel to a new area opens both eyes and minds. It builds perspective and empathy. It can even build fitness. At least that was the idea behind my recent bike-and-boat trip to Croatia on the Adriatic Sea — my 3rd overseas trip involving bicycles and 2nd involving both a bike and a boat.
But this was my first one using an E-bike. A bike with a motor. Hmm. Would fitness really be involved? I wondered if I would give in to laziness and hit the motor more than necessary. Turns out I got plenty of exercise. During our cruise to four islands in the Adriatic, plus a peninsula, we encountered a lot of hills. Steep hills. And I wasn’t the only one pushing myself to peddle up them with minimal motor-assist. We 60-somethings (and a few older) evidently had something to prove…something like, “We aren’t old yet!” But we also didn’t mind motorized help once in awhile. In our group of 24, all but two used E-bikes. It’s interesting that the oldest member of our group, in his 70s, stuck it out on a road bike. As for me, I’m sold. I’ll get a E-bike before long.
The story begins below….
We began in Split and ended in Dubrovnik, hitting four islands in between. It looked a lot like Italy, and no wonder–Italy is just 100 miles or so across the sea. Croatia is home to four million people, about the same as Los Angeles. For a small country, it has a very complicated history. So many wars…
We left Munich (Germany) for Split on this prop plane. I haven’t been on one of these in years.
Preparing to land in Split, we got our first glimpse of that amazing blue of the Adriatic. We would see a lot more of that in the coming week.
After a half-day tour of historic Split, we boarded the boat that would be home for eight nights. “Jadranksa Kraljica” means “Adriatic Queen”…26 years old and 41 meters (135 feet) long. My girlfriend and I shared a tiny cabin. We didn’t spend much time in it!
We started each day with a brief on the stern, given by one of our two local guides. We needed two because of the complicated logistics of joining bicycles with bicyclists. We were island-hopping, and this boat did not carry the bikes on board. This meant that one guide had to move the bikes from one island port to the next by ferry while the other accompanied us on the boat.
And each evening, our guide would post the next day’s schedule. Most of us took a picture and carried it with us in case we got separated from the group. (I did that deliberately sometimes, as I like to ride alone.) It’s especially important to know when the boat is going to move!
We usually started the day wearing a light jacket, which we stuffed into bike bags as the day warmed up. We were blessed with wonderful weather the entire week — sometimes even hot!
Our first ride, on the island of Vis, introduced us to the steep hills and sweeping vista that would become almost routine in the days ahead.
We were also introduced to the first of many charming harbor towns that combined the old and new, such as these ancient buildings screened by modern sailboat masts.
We soon learned to appreciate the “chase van” that provided snack breaks along the way and picked up any ailing bicycles or riders. This trip was organized through Vermont Bike Tours (VBT), and this is one service that is worth the extra cost.
Celebrating the end of the first ride. We rode from 15 to 30 miles a day, totaling about 100 miles.
Several of us took a dip in the chilly Adriatic. It wasn’t bad compared to Lake Superior (where I was raised) but definitely woke you up. I went in four times during the trip and the water seemed to warm up during the week. I would love to scuba dive here some day…so clear…
The flag of Croatia on the left, the European Union on the right. Croatia joined the EU in 2013. Overseas travel has changed a lot since I first began it in the 1980s…a single currency for most of Europe, and English spoken everywhere. That makes it easy for American tourists — who have certainly “discovered” Croatia –but I can’t help but think we’ve lost something, too.
During day-long rides, we stopped for lunch at some charming seaside town where the blue/green waters peeked through the ubiquitous narrow “streets” (sidewalks?).
And the glorious views just kept coming. Pedaling up these hills was work, and riding down them was sheer joy…at least for me. I went faster than I probably should have, standing on my pedals and enjoying the wind in my face. The switchbacks made it even more fun!
During a bike-and-boat trip, we ride to the next destination while the boat sails to it. It’s an odd thing, at first, to watch your hotel room sail off with your belongings (and passport) on board. We got used to it pretty quickly. More about our Croatia adventure to come…
Wow. What a wonderful trip. I’m so glad you’re there enjoying Croatia. I know little to nothing about it except the terrible struggles there decades ago. It looks like a beautiful place.
For Many Moons 
Wow. What a wonderful trip. I’m so glad you’re there enjoying Croatia. I know little to nothing about it except the terrible struggles there decades ago. It looks like a beautiful place.
I wouldn’t mind trying a E bike.
Beautiful photos, too, Mary.
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Thanks for recording the trip! It was a great time!
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