Porat to Sibernik
Hmmm. Where to go today? Well, ultimately my need is South now, so it seems a shame to go back North to go over the bridge- and I'd already done that Northern section of Dalmatian Coast running down from Rijeka.
I sit outside for a breakfast of Coffee, Bread and Jam. 'Here you are' says the young girl. 'Would you like anything else?' she asks. 'Is there anything else?' I ask. 'Well, ah, no' she giggles. 'In that case put me down for nothing'. She giggles and wanders off.
I attack the jam but so do the wasps. Remember: if you splat one, ten come to the funeral. I shift everything on to another table and look at the map.
Porat harbour from the top box..
There's a lady from Dublin and her Austrian husband sat at the opposite table. She sees my England rugby t-shirt and comes and says hello. It's a very pleasant holiday conversation in good humour. Over time they say they've been to other parts of Croatia and they like Sibenik. 'Aha!' I say, since I needed inspiration that's where I will go, and with a little internet I work out I can take a ferry to the Island of Rab and then another ferry on to the mainland. Excellent.
The ferry is taken from just a few KM from Porat. I fill up at the OMV station by the ferry area. There are two ferries- one for the island of Cres, which is very busy, and one for Rab, much less so. That works for me as folks will get turned away from this Cres crossing for sure. There's a lot of stressed looking tourists cooking in their cars.
Aboard the little ferry for very peaceful hour and a half crossing and I sort out some photos and miscellaneous bits and bobs on the laptop.
We arrive at Lopar on the Island of Rab just after 1pm. It is a nice island, I'd say nicer than Krk; quainter, less busy, which would figure as it's harder to get to, duh. I float down into Rab town, and there's a barrier to get in. The fella just waves me around with a smile. That's cool.
Rab town is very nice indeed. Think sort of Rhodes old town without all of the sales pitch cretinous folk. Not as old of course, but it has definite charm, and one to revisit.
I can't find any stickers, encountering more of 'what for?' questions to which I explain and get laughs and 'no sorry'.
I stop for lunch. Pizza with fiery peppers, just by the beach in a shady tree lined spot. Lovely. I'm starting to get a bit paranoid about the GS and all the weight, as it's so hot. Creative use of straps moors it to a church sign. It was a good move, the tarmac had started to melt time I got back. I just can't easily get it on the centre stand loaded, and my attempts thus far have almost knackered the sole of my right boot..
You can probably just make out the inventive use of the straps
I head again South briefly to get a ferry back on to the mainland. As I descend towards the ferry I see it arriving, so a rapid turnaround for ticket for a just a few Hrvattys and I'm on.
There's entertainment in the ferry Queue..
The splendour of Croatian archipelago, from the ferry rails..
A quick crossing and then I'm back on to the Glorious Dalmatian Highway.
Of course, given it was July, and the amount of cars I'd seen on Krk I was expecting it to be Chaos on the coast road. Well.. nothing like it. I think I saw two cars which I quickly passed and twenty or so minutes later I'm back in Karlobag, where I stayed back in June. I've still got the hotel Wi-fi remembered on the laptop, so I stop, have coca-cola and water several times around and put up a couple of updates I've written.
Up pulls a fella on a Spanish registered 1100GS. We chat. His name is Francesco. 'Frank' he says, to compensate for my clumsy mispronounciation of what I think is actually 'Franthisco'. A nice guy on his way to Athens from his home town of Pamplona. He's done a massive hit and is here in two days. Credit to him. He's a good guy to chat to. He stays at the hotel, I advise him he shouldn't be worried about going to Albania and give him a few more tips. It's all well received. 'When you are in Spain in September look me up' he says 'I will be glad to help' and gives me his e-mail address. A handshake and he's off to the hotel.
Frank's GS with what he summarises as a 'questionable' 39k KM's. Looks pretty tidy though. I like his passenger.
I try and sort out a place to stop in Sibenik, but I have one of those kind of brain freezes I do occasionally and things are taking much much longer than they really should. Indeed. Frank has re-emerged in his sports gear and is off for a jog. By the time I'm sorted with lodgings in Sibnick it's late- Garmin suggests an arrival time of 21:38. Sigh.
Of course, Professor Piehead has ignored the 'LAMPF' message, having his two little GSA Xmas tree lights available and using them as has put things off with all of this other enjoyment stuff going on. This will be touch and go. I have a quick fiddle but no joy, and decide that I'll best use the light available and crack on.
A view of what a quiet evening on the Dalmatian Highway has to offer..
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SoD5bqi82xA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
So I crack on. I have the most wondourous evening riding, I kid you not. It's cool, quiet and I float along. There's some side wind blasts, which this area is famous for. Not optimal but nothing scary. I get flashes from oncoming cars and back off. Policja. I tootle past, hopeful for no enquires vis-a-vis lighting arrangements. Good, they're not interested.
The highway ends for now and it's on to the A1 to make for Sibernik. The light has gone now, but fortunately the GSA fogs are doing a decent job, so I'll wrap up things tonight with these. The Croatian motorway is splendid and it is an easy 40 mins to Sibernik, even with my feeble fairy lighting and it isn't pitch black.
Here's a suggestion: If you need to munch distance in hot climes, then think seriously about doing it at night. It is quiet, peaceful, easy peasy and damned pleasant at 29 degrees when compared to the approaching 35 degrees of the daytime, and of course that sunshine.
'LAMPF'. FFS.
I get in to Sibernik and eventually find my rooms lodging. It's really very pleasant, big double bed, balcony, helpful land lady.
Out for a couple of ales at the local Pizzeria. The local ale appears to be 'Pan'. It's great, so I don't mind being one of Pan's people, not at all.
Back to base; I might just stay and explore tomorrow, sort out fecking 'LAMPF' too.
Hmmm. Where to go today? Well, ultimately my need is South now, so it seems a shame to go back North to go over the bridge- and I'd already done that Northern section of Dalmatian Coast running down from Rijeka.
I sit outside for a breakfast of Coffee, Bread and Jam. 'Here you are' says the young girl. 'Would you like anything else?' she asks. 'Is there anything else?' I ask. 'Well, ah, no' she giggles. 'In that case put me down for nothing'. She giggles and wanders off.
I attack the jam but so do the wasps. Remember: if you splat one, ten come to the funeral. I shift everything on to another table and look at the map.
Porat harbour from the top box..
There's a lady from Dublin and her Austrian husband sat at the opposite table. She sees my England rugby t-shirt and comes and says hello. It's a very pleasant holiday conversation in good humour. Over time they say they've been to other parts of Croatia and they like Sibenik. 'Aha!' I say, since I needed inspiration that's where I will go, and with a little internet I work out I can take a ferry to the Island of Rab and then another ferry on to the mainland. Excellent.
The ferry is taken from just a few KM from Porat. I fill up at the OMV station by the ferry area. There are two ferries- one for the island of Cres, which is very busy, and one for Rab, much less so. That works for me as folks will get turned away from this Cres crossing for sure. There's a lot of stressed looking tourists cooking in their cars.
Aboard the little ferry for very peaceful hour and a half crossing and I sort out some photos and miscellaneous bits and bobs on the laptop.
We arrive at Lopar on the Island of Rab just after 1pm. It is a nice island, I'd say nicer than Krk; quainter, less busy, which would figure as it's harder to get to, duh. I float down into Rab town, and there's a barrier to get in. The fella just waves me around with a smile. That's cool.
Rab town is very nice indeed. Think sort of Rhodes old town without all of the sales pitch cretinous folk. Not as old of course, but it has definite charm, and one to revisit.
I can't find any stickers, encountering more of 'what for?' questions to which I explain and get laughs and 'no sorry'.
I stop for lunch. Pizza with fiery peppers, just by the beach in a shady tree lined spot. Lovely. I'm starting to get a bit paranoid about the GS and all the weight, as it's so hot. Creative use of straps moors it to a church sign. It was a good move, the tarmac had started to melt time I got back. I just can't easily get it on the centre stand loaded, and my attempts thus far have almost knackered the sole of my right boot..
You can probably just make out the inventive use of the straps
I head again South briefly to get a ferry back on to the mainland. As I descend towards the ferry I see it arriving, so a rapid turnaround for ticket for a just a few Hrvattys and I'm on.
There's entertainment in the ferry Queue..
The splendour of Croatian archipelago, from the ferry rails..
A quick crossing and then I'm back on to the Glorious Dalmatian Highway.
Of course, given it was July, and the amount of cars I'd seen on Krk I was expecting it to be Chaos on the coast road. Well.. nothing like it. I think I saw two cars which I quickly passed and twenty or so minutes later I'm back in Karlobag, where I stayed back in June. I've still got the hotel Wi-fi remembered on the laptop, so I stop, have coca-cola and water several times around and put up a couple of updates I've written.
Up pulls a fella on a Spanish registered 1100GS. We chat. His name is Francesco. 'Frank' he says, to compensate for my clumsy mispronounciation of what I think is actually 'Franthisco'. A nice guy on his way to Athens from his home town of Pamplona. He's done a massive hit and is here in two days. Credit to him. He's a good guy to chat to. He stays at the hotel, I advise him he shouldn't be worried about going to Albania and give him a few more tips. It's all well received. 'When you are in Spain in September look me up' he says 'I will be glad to help' and gives me his e-mail address. A handshake and he's off to the hotel.
Frank's GS with what he summarises as a 'questionable' 39k KM's. Looks pretty tidy though. I like his passenger.
I try and sort out a place to stop in Sibenik, but I have one of those kind of brain freezes I do occasionally and things are taking much much longer than they really should. Indeed. Frank has re-emerged in his sports gear and is off for a jog. By the time I'm sorted with lodgings in Sibnick it's late- Garmin suggests an arrival time of 21:38. Sigh.
Of course, Professor Piehead has ignored the 'LAMPF' message, having his two little GSA Xmas tree lights available and using them as has put things off with all of this other enjoyment stuff going on. This will be touch and go. I have a quick fiddle but no joy, and decide that I'll best use the light available and crack on.
A view of what a quiet evening on the Dalmatian Highway has to offer..
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SoD5bqi82xA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
So I crack on. I have the most wondourous evening riding, I kid you not. It's cool, quiet and I float along. There's some side wind blasts, which this area is famous for. Not optimal but nothing scary. I get flashes from oncoming cars and back off. Policja. I tootle past, hopeful for no enquires vis-a-vis lighting arrangements. Good, they're not interested.
The highway ends for now and it's on to the A1 to make for Sibernik. The light has gone now, but fortunately the GSA fogs are doing a decent job, so I'll wrap up things tonight with these. The Croatian motorway is splendid and it is an easy 40 mins to Sibernik, even with my feeble fairy lighting and it isn't pitch black.
Here's a suggestion: If you need to munch distance in hot climes, then think seriously about doing it at night. It is quiet, peaceful, easy peasy and damned pleasant at 29 degrees when compared to the approaching 35 degrees of the daytime, and of course that sunshine.
'LAMPF'. FFS.
I get in to Sibernik and eventually find my rooms lodging. It's really very pleasant, big double bed, balcony, helpful land lady.
Out for a couple of ales at the local Pizzeria. The local ale appears to be 'Pan'. It's great, so I don't mind being one of Pan's people, not at all.
Back to base; I might just stay and explore tomorrow, sort out fecking 'LAMPF' too.