Velica Gorica, near Zagreb, Croatia

Yet another border crossing but this time it's out of the Schengin zone and into Croatia. The border patrol guy gives me crap about having to pay 200€ for using a secondary road and trying to avoid the control point... yeah, right. I am expecting to see hoards of Syrian refugees backed up on the Croatian side of the border as reports have said that Slovenia had shut its borders. However, I see very little traffic at all and no refugees. I later learn that there is only one border crossing that is processing the refugees. 

The countryside is again picturesque but less polished than in Slovenia and a bit more dreary. This may be due to my route being alongside a major road all the way to Zagreb. On the plus side, there is continuous sun and no rain... a relief for the cold I've been harboring since Austria.

Wow, Zagreb is sure not a Mecca for cyclists. Cyclists are only safe on the broken-up footpaths and on many roads these don't exist. The cars emit a multitude of colored, noxious smoke from their exhausts and use excessive speed. Not for the faint-of-hearted - a bike-friendly level 5 in my opinion; with level 8 (deathwish) being Tslibisi in Georgia.