Day 1 2009 03 27 Dubrovnic

Here we are on the BA flight from London to Dubrovnik. From the plane, islands circled in yellow, green and blue are visible. So are quite steep mountains. I start to realize that the bike trip might be challenging.

After landing, we spend 1h40 to reassemble the bikes. I have to twist the end of my fork back to put my front wheel, as it has been damaged during the transport. The ultralight bike bags bought the previous day have suffered two, multiple holes and a broken zip.

We quickly bike the 20km to join Dubrovnik. The road along the sea is very nice and sunny. But once in town, the campsite is closed. I would be tempted to still sleep there, but we need a place to leave the bikes during our visit...the eternal problem of visiting towns with bikes! After three attempts to rent a private room for the night, we are successful.

I am impressed by the standards of living. Many new cars. The new houses are a bit dull, always square with small windows, but very comfy inside. After a pizza, we walk to the centre. The suburbs are nice, relaxed, well lighten. The 'grad' or old centre is stunning. We stroll through the small green alleys for a couple of hours, the streets are nearly empty, the weather mild and that's enjoyable.