πCycle.net

As we pack up in Zagreb we find a mouse in my pannier, but it has to go, no freeloaders are allowed. The campsite is South of Zagreb so to get North we have to cycle through the city. We use cycle routes we spotted from the bus the day before, avoiding the horrendous route we took in. We take Ians route (oops) which gets steeper and steeper through large posh houses that look like foreign embassies with armed sentries. As we get to the edge of Medvednica National Park a convoy of Citroens go the other way giving us cheery waves and tooting. After the castle, with views over Zagreb the road is suddenly no entry i.e. one way only. There is no way we are going back and climbing again on a different road so we carry on. We get off after almost taking out some solo cyclists as they cut the corners on their way down. There are no campsites in North Croatia so we stop at a guesthouse and watch Live and Let Die on TV.

As the traffic has improved away from Zagreb we stay longer in Croatia and head East seeing lots of rural villages with free range turkeys and headscarved grannies chatting. At one point we hit a Bermuda Triangle and the road we want disappears (some say due to navigator error, but I disagree). By 1.30 we have travelled 30 miles but are less than 10 miles from where we started in the morning. We are both miffed but still manage 70 miles that day. At the hotel that night we have a surreal experience as the packed restaurant suddenly gets a presentation from a salesman selling interior decorations – no wonder they put us near the door. As we head outside to get to our room there is a dirty car and I am inexplicably drawn to write Clean Me on it. I realize too late that we are the only English people for miles around. The next day we shoot into Hungary.

We have spent a rest day in Pécs seeing yet more churches and art museums. Luckily most Hungarians speak English or in most cases German so we have not had to try the impossible language out yet. We are only 4 days ride from Romania but Ians voice of reason will probly stop us from going that way.

If you have not realized it yet there is a mileage tally on the Route map page. We have currently done around 2700 miles with a daily average of 43 miles excluding rest days. I think my hard leather Brooks saddle may be worn in now.