Waiting by Andiamo van to board the ferry.
We rose at 7, had a quick breakfast, dressed in bike clothes and headed for the dock to catch the 9 AM ferry to Brac. Brac is among the largest of the Dalmatian Islands which line Croatia’s coast, and home to the highest elevation in the Adriatic—2,500 foot tall Mount St. Vid. We visited the historic town of Skrip, then headed to the top of Mount St. Vid to mount our bikes and begin our ride. Yes, our guides decided, after a brief visual evaluation of our age and fitness, that it made more sense to have us ride down the mountain than up the mountain. We couldn’t have been more pleased.
Leaving Split harbor….
We cruised 22 km down to the village of Pucisca where we had pizza for lunch before pedaling up a 3 km. climb and winding our way along the coast back to the ferry dock. Oh yes, we stopped for a piece of delicious local cake, available only in a small town named Dol along the way! Then we returned by ferry to our hotel in Split for another night.
DeeDee and Betsy on the ferry, already having a great day.
Josko with Rajka, gold medal olive oil maker of Skrip, explaining how it’s done.
Great olive oil starts here. Note varied colors, ripeness.
While we’re on the subject of Adriatic food, we saw caper bushes growing spontaneously out of stone walls.
After leaving the top of Mount St. Vid, we had constant great views to the Adriatic.
Back down to seaside towns and pizza for lunch. Note the lack of a barrier between promenade and sea. America: if I drive off the edge, it’s your fault! Europe: if you’re dumb enough to drive off the edge, you deserve what you get!
It’s a hard life: waiting for pizza and beer at water’s edge in Pucisca. The famous stone-cutting school was closed on this Sunday.
A side trip to Dol for a very special cake. The recipe is supposed to be secret, and is officially protected by Croatia’s Cultural Ministry. (Of course, the ‘net has no secrets.) Meanwhile, locals enjoy a Sunday afternoon dance.
The sun set on the ferry ride back to Split, marking the end of a lovely first bike day
That looks like a fabulous trip….beautiful and interesting….say hello to my sis! xx Ellen
So beautiful! Love seeing your photos and hearing your story.