Ride: 80km
I am not sad about leaving Croatia. When the Croatian Border Guard said why you
are going to this part of my country and not to the Adriatic
Sea area, it might have been a hint. He said, “I do not like this part of Croatia
at all.” However it has been
interesting, the war damage the rundown villages and the vast areas of
agriculture. And everyone goes to the Adriatic; the last thing I want is crowds of
tourists.
The place we stayed last night was a lovely privately run motel, very old
but beautifully kept. We had dinner in
their courtyard under a clear cool sky. A$10 for goulash, salad, a beer and a big bowl of pasta. Kev and I couldn't get through the pasta it
was so big, even with our cycling appetites.
The border crossing on both sides again was painless.
It's hills again today, but we are quickly getting so fit they don't rate,
even 10%ers. Well I wrote that at lunch;
one hill too soon, 6 km of pain was to follow. I'm very glad I didn't bring Wendy or Graham (pommy cycling mate) on
this one I'd really be in hot water. The
6 km hill was followed soon after by more and more right to our hotel. It's the Sidro 5 km out of Beska right on the
Danube. And because we need a twin room we happened to get the best room in the
place with a balcony directly over the Danube.
Stopped at Petrovaradin Museum & Fort for
lunch. The site of a battle in 1716 which involved our old mate
Prince Eugene from Hungary. We stayed in his palace, at Rackeve in Hungary,
it's a small world. On this occasion
he gave the Turks a hiding. War plagues
this location because in 1999 NATO bombed two bridges that cross the Danube to Novi Sad to stop the
Yugoslavs killing Albanians in Kosovo. Are these places ever going to see everlasting peace?
We have noticed a change in
the drivers' attitude towards cyclists. The Serbs are much less tolerant and
don't give you anywhere near enough room when passing. Is that an indication of their aggression
that has manifested itself in so many attacks on neighbours and even their own
ethnic minorities. Or am I reading too
much into this situation? There are
definitely less bicycles around the further East we go.
Restaurant in our hotel, overlooking the Danube
and a new bridge under construction
View from our room balcony
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