18^th September Ardning, Austria to Slavonski Brod, Croatia

I got up early and had a very generous Teutonic breakfast in Ardning. The day’s first challenge was a SatNav that didn’t recognise my destination address.  Rapid unpack of Laptop to Google the general area of my hotel in Slavonski Brod, to identify a larger road that the SatNav might like. Second challenge …. Dense mist (I am never sure whether the all  enveloping white blanket is fog or mist… I assume mist on the basis of my recollection of the lyric “Fog on the Tyne is all mine…”) With a morning temperature of 8 C and mist, my first few miles were less than straightforward. Austria’s tunnels became my friend. The tunnels are warm and mist free.

 

 

 

The sky is blue......

Talking of tunnels …. The longest I travelled through today was probably 10km. As I entered the temperature was 10 C, at the heart of the tunnel 30 C…. quite a dramatic transition.. temperate to tropical in a few tunnel metres.

100 miles later I am at the Slovenian border. My stay in Slovenia was short and almost sweet. Initial impressions of their motorway network were most impressive.  The motorway I was travelling on then literally vanished….. motorway, motorway, motorway, Field!!!!....  The motorway was replaced by a single lane road. My SatNav again rebelled.  It was completely unfamiliar with its surroundings.  Luckily I had a feeling that I should be heading for Zagreb. I followed this instinct nervously for some time then decided to find a map or wifi access. I stopped a young guy riding a bicycle and asked “is Zagreb in Croatia?”  …….. “yes it’s the captal….” A little embarrassing… but I had none the less confirmed that I was pointing in the right direction.

 

I am now in Croatia…. It appears well developed and the sun is shining. I am drinking a cupucino and enjoying free wifi access. The motorway I am riding along is a toll road. It is in almost faultless condition has a speed limit of 130kph and is sparsely used. I have seen almost no bikes to speak of. At the service station where I am relaxing, my bike has become a tourist attraction. I am pondering whether I might be able to exploit this by offering people the chance to be photographed sitting on the bike for 1 Euro? I hope this curiosity does not later revisit my bike reincarnated as crime!

Did you Know that Croatia is officially known as Republika Hrvatska....

Arrived in Sl. Brod. Along the way I have passed places whose names I recognised from the news reports of the war in the former Yugoslavia…… Banja Luca, Sarajevo. I am staying in Pansion Antonio. Decent place, accommodation is getting yet cheaper as I head east.

I feel good! The 300 or so miles I rode today were comfortable! I am fine!

Lessons learnt..... Be sure to update the maps on your SatNav before setting out. In fact be sure of the coverage of your maps! Arriving in Calais I have to admit that for a few moments I was uncertain as to whether I had European maps or not.

Slavonski Mileometer