Day 414 6th September
34 miles (Snedji Radenci to Homer) Average speed 9 mph Top speed 32 mph
Another truly fantastic day. This river ride on the 918 proved to be one of my favourites.
I was up at 8.30 with Woody woodpecker banging on the tree next to me. Then there were two blue tits enjoying my bike and landing all over it including the chain. I guess it was parked under their tree home so fair enough. I had brekkie of two bits of bread with cheese and tomato but that was not likely to give me much energy for the tough day ahead. I packed up and showered and paid 200 kuna and got 5 euros back in change which was pretty good as I’d somehow managed six beers last night. It’s very easy to drink after a hard day and a campfire to sit around.
I said goodbye to the only other couple on the campsite, who had been playing guitar and singing while I packed up. The guy on reception had trouble with his computer when checking me out and as I was leaving he called me back to give me a bottle of cold water, what a nice gesture, as it was very hot again. I set off on this amazing road 918 which took me 19 miles mainly downhill with hardly any cars along the Kolpa river. It was so gorgeous I didn’t know which way to look. One minute down at the wonderful turquoise blue gin clear river below me and the next up into the forest and rock formations above. This is brown bear country so I was hoping to spot one in the woods but that will have to wait. There were no shops en route but I stopped to watch a fisherman at a weir and then after an hour I took a dip in the river while enjoying my cold bottle of water.
Watching the fisherman
Taking a cooling dip in the river
It was a remarkable ride and I coasted most of the way but when I got to the end I was running low on energy, so I stopped at some wooden carvings to eat the apple that had fallen from the tree at the campsite before I left.
Company for a snack
Then just as I approached the border there was a petrol station where I bought a big ham, cheese and gherkin sub with some American peanuts and a 1.5 litre bottle of Pepsi. I had been told what was coming next by the builder at the hotel the day before and he was right. Once I crossed the border bridge, where there was a stunning Croatian lady soldier in full uniform, I stopped to buy bread and Mars bars to get me up the mountain ahead.
Mountain roads, mainly uphill
I think it was about ten miles uphill, which was hot tiring work, but I think I only stopped twice. If you stop on a mountain it can be very tough to get going again, I think you just need to dig in and take it slow. My legs were tired though from the last two days and I was so pleased to reach Delnice .
View from the road
I stocked up at Lidl to cook dinner and carried on to the campsite but now with the extra weight of food and beer I had another two hills to climb. I made it and the campsite is basically a couple’s back garden with six pitches. I cooked and chatted to a couple of Croatian bikers on Harley Davidson bikes and shared their rum.
If anyone fancies a great road to cycle on I can wholeheartedly recommend the 918 along the Kolpa river. In Slovenia. It’s a tough climb to get to and a very tough climb once you cross back into Croatia but my god it’s worth it. A fantastic 34 miles today but those hills are tough.
Camping lokve 80 kuna.