Day 7 - The Day the Sky Went Crazy

We had heavy storms the night before and it was still raining hard in the morning, but more on and off, so we headed to a great breakfast place between bursts of rain and wind ... we had the best apple pie/cake : )

We finally decided to leave when we realized the rain was not stopping ... and off we went, into some of the heaviest rain I have ever had the privilege of riding through on my long motorcycle riding career ... Wow!

After two hours of Armageddon-style rain, we made it to Split and stopped at a great local restaurant called Lola. 

It was still raining cats and dogs ... flooded roundabouts ... cars stranded in four feet of water ... traffic completely stuck ... we had to lane-split our way around the cars, and mini-lakes, in the heavy rain.

When we got to the restaurant, Pam’s boots had had enough ... they disintegrated ... the sole of one of her boots fell off as she was crossing the street in the rain to go inside.

Boots were kaput. We had to buy new ones.

We were leaving puddles of water in the restaurant, so a few towels, plus taking our rain gear and helmets outside to some benches, solved the problem.

First order of business: mint hot tea to warm our bones. Then some nice risotto.

Luckily, all our Taichi gear held up relatively well. We were mostly dry inside and, more importantly, we had no short circuits on the bike, the Sena communicators, Pam’s air vest, my phone, or the GPS ... very lucky.

After lunch, we headed to a motorcycle apparel store and bought Pam some nice comfortable new riding boots ... problem solved.

It was almost time for our 5 p.m. ferry to Korčula, so we stopped at a bar by the ferry terminal and had some final cappuccinos before getting on the ferry.

The ferry ride was three hours long ... and, finally, as we left Split, the rain stopped ... and as the sun was coming out we joked “What is that bright yellow thing in the sky?” : )

It was so nice to see the sun again against the deep blue sea and the beautiful islands we were sailing past.

I ended up taking a massive nap on the boat. Trying to avoid hydroplaning for two hours is tiring. :)

We arrived in Vela Luka, on the island of Korčula, at 8 p.m. It was still sunny and beautiful. We rode the last 45 kilometers on a Zen-like road ... no traffic, perfect pavement and traction, dry, and ocean and island views everywhere.

As the sun was setting, the sky turned the deepest pink for a while, like a pink aurora borealis. Pam and I were mostly quiet, and every once in a while, after a bend here or there, one of us would just say our typical, “Wow.”

We arrived at our hotel as night set in. We found our room and some of us went down to dinner and others to bed. A long but interesting day.  

The hotel looked amazing, but we really did not understand how beautiful it was until the next morning ... another big wow.

We did not take a lot of pictures today because of the rain, but here are a few.

Leaving Zadar - still raining after big storms last night

We made it to Split to Lola for lunch ... soaked to the bones ... hot mint tea please!

Accidental picture ... but no short circuits anywhere yet

Made it to the ferry to Vela Luka on the island of Korcula ... nap time!

The view of the islands outside as the sun began go come out ... finally

The view of the horizon from the ferry

The pink aurora borealis

A late dinner for some of us at our hotel

Day 6 - The Coast, Motorcycles, and the Rhythm of Life

After an early nice walk along the seaside outside the walls of Krk, we had a nice breakfast at our hotel ... avocado toast with an omelette on top ... good idea.

The highlight today was riding the famous Croatian coastal road after crossing the bridge that connects the island of Krk to the mainland.

The coastal road runs right next to the water, carving turn after turn as it follows Croatia’s rugged mainland coast ... lots of motorcycles everywhere ... lots of motorcycles with couples ... lots of fast sport bikes too ... some even dragging knees here and there ... perfect pavement, perfect weather, magnificent views ... and great company :)

We made a few stops along the way ... in Senj for cappuccinos by the waterfront ... and in Karlobag for lunch by the water ... there were lots of motorcyclists there too ... a well kept secret for this crowd apparently.

The ocean was cold ... but Jason and I managed to go for a nice swim ... very nice .... after the initial shock.  There is nothing like swimming in the ocean.  In my mind, it is the closest you can get to being one with nature, because you are in it ... literally.

We arrived in Zadar, a great fortified city that dates back 3,000 years, and checked into our hotel inside the city walls. Lots of tourists, souvenir shops, and… what is the deal with gelato stores in Croatia? There is one on every block ... and they are all busy.

We walked around seeing the sights, then sat outdoors at a nice restaurant on the main plaza, surrounded by ancient buildings, and had the best caponata and potato gnocchi.

After that, we walked to the cathedral and climbed the hundreds of steps to the top for a great view of the surrounding area ... the Dalmatian mountains in the background on one side ... islands and the Adriatic on the other ... and the fortified city below all around us. 

Then, we headed to the northwest corner of the peninsula to see the Sea Organ ... a series of pipes built in the ground of the waterfront promenade that ocean waves push air through, producing random notes ... and music? 

That point is also known as the best place to see the sunset and to see the round solar LED array on the ground that turns on after dark.  It was overcast so we missed the actual sunset.

Tomorrow, we head to the island of Korčula.

Our hotel in Krk inside the walled city

The harbor around the walled city in Krk

First cappuccino stop in Senj along the Croatian Coastal Road ... Spectacular!

We are all riding the coastal road together

Our stop for lunch and a swim in Karlobag

Great feast!

Our hotel in Zadar inside the walled city

The great tower of the cathedral of Zadar

The view from the top of the cathedral tower

Sunset from the top of the tower

On the way down ... the bells at work ... it was 8pm on the dot

The promenade just outside the walls of Zadar where everybody congregates for sunsets ... and to listen to the ocean organ play some music

Just a beautiful evening

The LED display and show that turns on at night with solar energy from the day

What is the deal with these rubber duck only stores everywhere?

Day 5 - Island Hoping and the Adriatic

Today, we decided on a late start so we could walk around Rovinj. 

After a nice breakfast at our hotel, we set out for a long walk through the walled city and along the harbor.

The temperature was perfect, with overcast skies ... apparently, it had rained all night, so everything was wet ... the churches, the narrow cobblestone streets, the old houses, the markets, the boats ... what a great way to wake up and greet the world!

Today, we had to catch two ferries that do not run very often, so we had to time things carefully.

The road from Rovinj to Brestova, where we caught the first ferry, was magical ... deep greens from the previous night’s rain, small roads through the mountains and little towns, cliffs, fortress-like villages perched on hilltops in the distance, the ocean on one side, fjord-like inlets, and land and islands everywhere. Very special.

The first ferry to the island of Cres took about 20 minutes. On the other side, the roads got smaller, the hills higher, and the views more striking. We also had to ride about two kilometers of gravel ... deep at times ... through a section of road that was being repaired.

After an hour of even better riding across the island of Cres, we arrived at MaMaLu, a great seafood restaurant by the water, tucked deep inside a very picturesque cove. We thought about swimming, but we were running out of time if we wanted to catch the 4 pm ferry from Cres to Krk.

We made the ferry just as a big storm was approaching ... halfway through the crossing, the temperature dropped significantly and the wind picked up dramatically.

We managed to make it to Krk and to our hotel about five minutes before the big storm hit.

After a nice rest, the storm passed, the sun came out, and outside it was as if nothing had happened. Tourists were out, restaurants were open, and the whole town came back to life.

We walked through the streets, saw a Benedictine monastery, churches, the cathedral, the fort, the waterfront, and even went up to the hilltop called “the Little Vatican” because of its long religious history.

Krk is a beautiful, coherent example of a town that works well and has been built over layers of Roman, medieval, Renaissance, and modern history. A very special little town.

After some drinks in front of the ocean with Jason and Heather, and dinner on the patio of our hotel, we called it a day.

Tomorrow, we head to Zadar ... and we get to ride the best section of Croatia’s coastal road!

A view of the harbor on our morning walk through Rovinj

The church at the top of the hil in Rovinj

A view of Rovinj from the harbor

The olive oil and truffle market

The quaint streets in Rovinj

Anothe view of Rovinj

Our hotel in Rovinj inside the walls

Waiting for our first ferry from the mainland to Cres

Yes ... there is space in the ferry

A great day to ride and to be outside

Departing on our 20 minute crossing to Cres

Fjords also in Croatia?

A movie star?

Oceanside lunch at MaMaLu in Cres

A party boat leaving

Our second island hop today - Cres to Krk

The cathedral of Krk

Inside the Krk fort

Mid-afternoon snack ... Dubai chocolate and cheese cake flavors

One of the narrow streets in Krk

Day 4 - The Cascading Lakes

After a nice breakfast at our lodge, we went to the entrance of the Pletvice National Park to be there at 8am ... our stated time slot according to our tickets.

I am going to try to summarize one of the most unique and beautiful experiences with nature in recent memory ... pristine, majestic, unique ... the paths are beautifully laid out in a way not only to experience entirety of the park, the lakes, the waterfalls, the beauty ... but also experience them up close, in a calm, very zen way.  Many of the wood-plank pathways were built on top of shallow waters, ponds, and close to waterfalls as they made their way down all the layers of the park.  Wow.

It was a good decision to start early because things started getting crowded as the holiday weekend visitors started to show up.  We left the park around 1pm, had lunch in the park and headed West towards the coast again.

An uneventful ride ... amazing tiny rural roads with tight tight turns made the whole ride down the mountains very special ... seeing how people live, their fields, their houses, their farms reminds me of  how special it is to travel on a motorcycle going places people do not normally see.

We had a nice cappuccino stop in Ogudin ... as Pam was beginning to get dizzy with so many twisties ... we had another stop for coffee and a snack at the historic port city of Rijeka as we made our way to Rovinj for the night.

Rovinj is a wall protected medieval town with lots of history ... we had to park outside the wall and wait for our hots to come get us in an electric golf cart to take us in ... we all piled in one cart with our bags!

We checked in ... went for a walk ... and had a seafood dinner at a restaurant with the most beautiful view before calling it a day. 

Inside the Plitvice National Park on board the small boat towards our path for the day

Stunning, pristine, cascading lakes and waterfalls everywhere

A great path

A view of the cascading lakes diagram

Nature at its best

More waterfalls

Wow

A nature walk

A view from one of the high walkways

Dragonflies

A coffee rest stop in Ogudin

Another coffee stop in Rijeka

Our private parking area in Rovinj

A ride from the parking area to our pedestrian only access hotel ... all in one cart

On our way

Waiting for our keys

Chillling in the lobby

The view from our hotel in the old part of town

The amazing view from our dinner spot