Day 12: From Rijeka to Rab (103 km, 1100 vm)

Yet another early day. I wish I would have set the alarm but because I did not I kept waking up to check the time. When I left the apartment at 6 it was warm outside. But maybe it just felt like it because of the air conditioning.

Last night I decided that I would stay on the Croatian coast line a bit longer. My initial idea was to go on the direct route from Rijeka to Sarajevo which would have meant that I would have to head inland again. But since Rijeka did not really offer the beach feel that I expected and since I wanted to jump in the sea I changed my route to go via the Island Krk to the Island Rab. I wanted to stay at a small camp ground right on the sea which I found on the internet.

The ride started with a climb to get out of Rijeka. After about 300 vertical meters the road continued to drop and rise for about 50 to 10 meters. I had to catch a ferry from Krk to Rab at 11:45. Really plenty of time but with all the climbing I was getting a bit pressed for time. During my ride up into the mountains to cycle around Rijeka and the main high way – it is cracy how quickly you gain altitude when you go just 1 km inland – it dawned on me that I didn’t even check if I could cycle across the bridge that connects Krk to the main land. From the distance I saw the bridge. At some point I stopped and checked online. It said that it is possible but that the path next to the road for cyclists and pedestrians is very narrow. When I arrived at the toll station for the bridge I saw what narrow meant. My bike with its luggage just fit in between the guard railing and the railing to my right. If I rode my my bike I was sitting slightly higher than the railing to my right. With the heavy winds it was hard not to knock the railing to my left and my right which made me feel like I was going over the railing. So I left one foot clicked into the pedal and used the other one to push. Getting off the bike and pushing was not an option as there was not enough space. My legs were cramping when I finally got to the other side of the bridge.

The ride on Krk was busy. The road was packed with cars and it took a lot of concentration. Thankfully the Bora winds had eased down so it was not quite as challenging. 17 kilometres later I finally was able to turn off the main road towards the ferry. There were hardly any cars there. I arrived at the port about 1 hour before departure which gave me time to grab a coffee.

The ferry ride to Rab took about 80 minutes. It was a nice feeling to do 20 kilometres without any effort. On the ferry I met some people from close to Munich. They have been coming to Croatia every year since the 70ies. They were staying in Rijeka and were taking a “road trip” around the islands.

The ride from the port in Lopar on Rab to the camping place went quick. Despite the ups and downs I was going quick quickly due to the back winds. The camping place is nice and cosy. It only has 20 camping spots and no kiosk or restaurant attached but it is located right next to the sea. Right upon arrival I met a couple from the Netherlands and one from Munich. The Munich couple is travelling with the 4 month old baby and is intending to go to Montenegro as well. Karina and Thorsten are taking their maternity and paternity leave to travel for some weeks across the Balkans. Let’s see, maybe our paths will cross again in the next days. It is nice to finally arrive at a place where you find likeminded travellers.