Day 4

Slept OK until 5.00 when the stream of traffic for the first ferry started coming down the hill. Packed and with much more energy topped the hill. 

The introduction to Istria was much more like my Ideas for this trip. The ridge top road was lovely. Flanked by expensive looking villas and tall poplars. Gently rode to Plomin stopping for coffee at a hotel with magnificent views. Stopped at a petrol station in Plomin for bike and tyre checks. 

Road to Pazin in the centre of the peninsula  is another huge hill but thankfully no valleys so no work is lost. Houses, villages along the way so water, coffee, beer available. Very hot and steep though took 2 hours to travel 8km. 

Vineyards form part of the scene. Very hot work. Great lunch in Pazin (local Turkey recommended by the waitress) and one last climb out before a long, pretty, descent to the major holiday town (and port) of Rovinj. A tough day but less so than the two previous. 

Arrived in Rovinj a little tired, very sticky and dusty at the relatively early time  of 6:00. Time to get a room. There is one sign for tourist information as you enter Rovinj which indicates that if you take up the challenge you can eventually find it. I never did. Rovinj is a very pretty port with lots of winding, crowded streets. I asked several times but was always directed to commercial "tourist information" places which are essentially agencies. Frustrated I took this option only to be told there were no rooms to be had for two weeks. Bugger! Time for a beer and a new plan. Decided I might try to get the ferry to Venice that night so walked my bike (you can't cycle in the crowded narrow streets) to the port. Informed that there is one ferry a day at 8:00am. Double bugger! Best not miss that so - to the ticket agency trying to figure out the next move. Marco, the young man at the agency, was very helpful. Could he have my passport? Of course! Can he have the address I was staying at in Rovinj (insert hysterical giggles here). No, that was the nub if the problem. Oh. Maybe he could help. A quick call later and I had a room owned by a family friend who also had a restaurant.  Many thanks Marco!

Marco the superstar!

Sunset was spectacular. 

In no time I was comfortably showered and ready for an excellent dinner at Paštrik. The wonderful owner recommended great food and gave me a honey grappa to make sure I slept (really?) 

Went to bed happy and set two alarms for the ferry. Venice here I come. 

A tough few days but mountains, a heavy bike, and temperatures in the very high 30°s will do that. Lost quite a lot of weight as it is almost Impossible to eat enough - I will work on this in the next phase. The universal kindness of the people I met in Croatia was a godsend. 

Updating this blog is time and internet dependent. I will cover Venice and the following day at the next opportunity. As a trailer - they were great!

Also sending all the pictures for anyone who wants more (there are loads of Venice) needs great bandwidth - which I haven't had. I'll update when I get some.