An Everyday Slice of Life

Day 352
Poreč North Loop
Time: 3:25:00
Distance: 51.2 kilometers
Avg Speed: 15.0 kph
Terrain: Rolling

One of the things I like most about bicycle touring is the chance to observe everyday life in the places we travel through. Today we went on a ride and for most of the three hours I didn’t find anything remarkable about our route. It wasn’t until we rode through a quaint little village that I was snapped out of my daze. As we pedaled through the town center I noticed a group of men and a few bicycles and then was content to look at the colorful shutters on various stone buildings. As we passed the group of men I became immediately immersed in their space. They were a lively bunch, all probably in their mid to late sixties, discussing everything. Some were speaking loud while others were motioning with their hands. All of them were very engaged in the moment. It was their daily gathering that led to my reflection about the way Chris and I travel the way we do.
Tomorrow we leave Croatia and Eastern Europe. I’m so glad we decided to throw caution to the wind and start the last leg of our adventure in Poland. We’ve seen some amazing landscapes and interacted with some wonderful and fascinating people. The riding was fantastic and we got to see a region of the world where the bicycle is very much integrated into everyday life. Interestingly enough, these countries through which we have traveled are very much developed and have access to most of the modern conveniences that we do at home. It has certainly given us food for thought.

See you in Italy,
LK

Afterward:
Didn’t make it to bed without having a shot of schnapps. Chris settled up the bill with Mr. Biba and then had to come get me so that we could all drink together. What a great host! He is even having an early breakfast for us so we don’t have to travel hungry on the ferry. If you’re ever in Croatia and have a few days to kill, make sure to book yourself a room at Pension Biba.

Fun in the Sun

Day: 349 and 350
Poreč Rest Day 1 and 2

We are taking a few rest days in Poreč before heading out on some day rides in the countryside. Yesterday our day was really simple. Laundry, drying of laundry, sunning of bodies at camp, sunning of bodies at the beach, lunch, dinner, sunset and finally ice cream. The sunset was exceptional with the giant orange orb sizzling as it hit the water.
Today was moving day for us since we were moving the operation down the road to the Pension Biba. We figured we couldn’t check in until the afternoon so we had a slow leisurely morning eating brekkie, packing up our gear and checking email. We finally got on the road around noon and headed into town for a little lunch and a roll along the water front. Leslie drew shopping duties today and came rolling out with a few items in a shopping cart. To the casual observer it would have appeared that it was empty, but to people living out of bags, it was a refrigerator full. We ate our lunch in a little park by the historic basilica in town (more on that later in the week) and had fun watching a little boy play soccer with his mom. After we got all packed up again we rolled along the big stone waterfront making note of all the little sunning spots for later in the week. Finally it was time to head out to Biba’s. We got there and our host quickly showed us to our room, told us dinner was at 7 and let us be. They (the locals) take a siesta from 1-5 in the afternoon here and I think we rolled in on the middle of it. Leslie and I took refuge at the pool and after a quick dip to cool off she grabbed some sun and I grabbed some shade. I like to fancy myself as a professional sun worshipper, but I really like the shade more. Leslie and I grabbed our siesta from 5-7. I thought I had better get registered and grab some drinks that we had put in the fridge downstairs so I ventured out to find the host. I handed over our passports and he thought I looked thirsty and offered me a drink. The grappa (homemade wine) here is great and I have taken a liking to the white variety. As we were sipping our wine he thought that I needed a shot of schnapps as well (homemade also) so I had a shot of that. After that I made a slip out of the bar and got upstairs before he handed me another. Leslie laughed at me and added ‘that he really had to twist your arm to have those drinks’. OK, not exactly twist, but I thought it would be rude not to accept. Dinner was at 7 and fish was being served. I figured that it would be a fillet each with some potatoes and that would be that. We had a salad bar, followed with more wine, followed by a platter with potatoes, spinach, and 5 fish. This was our platter. The other tables all had similar platters with just as much or more. I would love to tell you the fish we ate, but the only one I recognized was a mackerel and I not even sure that is right. All I know they were all good. Yes, I said all, because we ate them all.
The end of rest day 2 has ended with promise. Now it is active rest until Italy.
Fishy, fishy coco pop.
CK