Cruising through Croatia

Entering Croatia put me right into the hills. Hills so steep that on more than one occasion I had to get off and push. Bikes are such an efficient way to travel but at around 13% grade it becomes not only easier but also faster to just get off and push. The hills did not last long though. By the end of my first day in Croatia they were flattening out. And on my third and forth day here I could not see a hill all the way to the horizon.

So I had entered farm country. It seems that many of he households keep a rather large garden, but I was going down roads with dozens of tractors and large tracts of land ready to be planted too. The towns I went through contained only the street I was on. The houses were small and generally made of brick. Many were in poor condition. It was obvious, on the roads I followed at least, that Croatia is the poorest country I've been through. It seems by the stares I get not many cycle tourists visit the area. I might be the first one towing a third wheel, which gets nods of approval from time to time. Many people in the single street towns sit on benches in front of their homes and watch the traffic. So when I go by I get a lot of attention.

Other things to see included fields of yellow flowers which I could not figure out what they were growing, tiny churches, one castle and a lot of statues of Jesus on a cross. The camping was good too. On two occasions I just camped right in the town park and no one seemed to mind, though the mosquitoes have been getting worse.