Zagreb

15 hours by bus (Flixbus) direct from Berlin lies Zagreb in Croatia. Bus travel is cheap, reliable and more environmentally friendly, if a little uncomfortable. It is the best way if one needs to bypass some of the colder overnight northern climes in springtime. That, and I have cycled this route before and want to tackle new paths. 

Gray, drizzly skies welcome me into Croatia, as well as Borko, a friend of many years. I had specifically chosen to come make this bike ride south in May in order to avoid the intense heat of summer. However, this dripping sky is not what I had in mind as cycling motivating weather. It is Croatia and the clouds are burned away to reveal brilliant blue skies in subsequent days. 

Borko has his fingers in multiple business pies: moving van man and honey entrepreneur being his primary ways of generating income. The Euro currency was introduced on January 1st this year and, similar to other countries, caused a spike in prices. This, combined with a higher-than--European-average inflation rate of 17%, had been particularly tough for those Croats whose income is not directly sourced from the tourism industry. Wandering around the local Lidl shows that basic groceries are now priced even higher (approx 10-20%) than in Germany. 

Prior to setting off on this adventure to Albania(?), I had prepared my route. Factors involved in this process included avoidance of major roads, extreme climbs and where I would be able to stay overnight with people on hospitality sites such as TrustRoots, WarmShowers and BeWelcome. I no longer use CouchSurfing since it became a B Corporation (August 2012) and more recently a paid subscription service (May 2021). Finding hosts in this part of Europe was very difficult, with few hosts available and few replies to my requests. Looks like it will be mostly wild camping and probably fewer creature comforts than on previous bike treks. 

After doing some research and talking to others who have cycled in Croatia, I decide to avoid the coast road as the traffic can be heavy and dangerous for bikers. Also wild camping is more frowned upon in these more touristic regions.

 

This means more hills to tackle, but also probably more backwater villages to visit with a slower pace of life and a more welcoming curiosity for passing strangers. As it turns out, even my quieter roads are not safe enough, and Borko advises me to take even more minor and hilly roads to avoid conflicting momenta with my more heavy and fast road users. This means, basically, that any route prepping and most of the arranged hosts are now no longer possible. Luckily Borko is well connected in Croatia and has a friend with whom I can stay on the border of Bosnia. 

I spend a few days in Zagreb, meeting up with friends, helping Borko sell honey at a farmers' market, going to punk concerts and going to BicPop, a DIY bicycle repair workshop in the heart of the city.