By Bike

Pula to Umag.

Another scorcher of a day! Sam and I set off pre-dawn to beat the heat. In the cool and quiet we snake our way north along the coast to the beautiful fishing port of Rovinj.

We arrive just as local vendors are setting up their market stalls. I’m invited to try out different flavoured honey – sage, rosemary, lavender, apple, strawberry… Unfortunately, I couldn’t carry any!

Continuing north its a rapid descent into the limestone Limski fjord. I’m loving how well my bike descends. Such a thrill!

By now though it’s super-hot. We stop off at a shady café in Vrsar for a second breakfast. 

On to Poreč for lunch and a catch-up with Sue and Liz. They’ve been battling the holiday traffic and are looking forward to a stroll about the old part of the town.

Sam and I try out a local dish of Istrian gnocchi with truffles. Interesting, different… Then it’s on to our camp near Umag for the night and celebration with a hard earned beer.

Umag to Muggia.

Overnight we’re hammered by another wild electrical storm. Another early start and a shorter ride through Slovenia and back into Italy to complete our round trip.

Most of the route is via quiet roads and bike paths. A highlight is riding beside the Sečovlje Saltpans National Park, a centuries old saltworks and nature reserve where salt harvesting practices have hardly changed since medieval times, as well as a haven for salt loving birds and a rare species of turtle.

Yet another beautiful historic seaside port in Piran. I notice that all along the coast, each port has been teeming with expensive sail boats and motor boats. Strangely though, while the sea looks so calm and inviting, nearly all are moored. And its peak holiday period! Why is it so?

On a descent not far out of Piran we’re overtaken by a trio of racers, one a young, lithe teenager who displays the poise and skill of the next Tadej Pogačar!

On what was mooted to be a day with gentler climbs, we’re surprised by a kilometre incline averaging 10+% and topping out at 17%. I try to reassure my legs that this is good medicine for what lies ahead, but my legs aren’t buying that they are the parts of my body that are sick!

The remainder of the route is largely wonderful cycling along bike paths and cliff hugging roads to Muggia.

Today is a rest day before commencing our Alps Odyssey. We’ve had 5 great days in Istria and a 360km ‘warm-up’. Tomorrow we head to the mountains. Only 8 weeks to the sea again in Nice.

According to Garmin