Cadence

 June 1st and 2nd, 2025

Already, the rhythm of the day has become familiar.

7:30 breakfast, 8:30 briefing, 9:00 on the bikes.

Ride for a couple of hours, maybe with a stop for a view or a walk in a little town, back on the boat, which has sailed ahead to meet us, sail for a bit to a quiet cove so that people who like cold water can swim right off the back of the boat, then sail several hours more, during which time we are served our mega-lunch at 1:00.

Sail a bit longer (allowing us a rest time) to our evening’s destination. Explore the town we’ve stopped in, out for dinner. Then some go for drinks out or in the ship’s bar, while some of us just go to bed.

Repeat.

No, it’s not dull!

Our rides these two days were similar, 20-24 kilometres in length, with some not-terrible hills (well, to be fair, nothing is terrible  on an e-bike, but some of the braver hybrid-bike folks found it challenging yesterday.) Mostly we have been inland, cycling through arid hills spotted with olive groves and scrub. 

 

June 1st

The Canadian Seven!

 

Looking towards Primosten

We had enough time to explore the town of Primosten before sailing. Bettyanne, Carol, and I wandered to the church at the top of town, where a service was underway and being broadcast over the churchyard. We couldn’t understand the language, but the service would have seemed familiar to any Catholic.

Part of the fleet, in Primosten. Note gelato stand -- these are important!

Primosten Gate

 

Spirits for sale next to the Primosten Gate

Some more sights of Primosten:

Waterfront with fisher boat sculpture

(churchyard video)

 

Some of our people swimming by Primosten. Too chilly for me!

June 1 -- lunch #2, stuffed peppers for 4, served family-style

 During lunch on ship, we set sail for Vodice, where we would spend the night. There was not a lot to see in Vodice, short of a Crucifix sculpture made entirely of barbed wire and a church filled with plastic flowers. 

 

Plastic flowers, all of them

 

 

The streets felt authentic, though, more than most places we've seen

Art shot of the day: those are candy tennis balls in a candy store window

The waterfront of the towns we've visited are lined with restaurants meant for tourists who arrive by yacht and tour boats like ours. They all have pretty much the same menu, but the ones with better chefs have higher prices. I've learned it's worth it to pay a few extra euros for food that's really good rather than just okay.

Our "Team Canada and a Scot” had dinner together in one of the nicest of those restaurants in Vodice. Magnificent seafood. After my raving about the deliciousness of octopus, Bettyanne had to try it. Let’s just say it wasn’t her idea of delicious! After she choked some down for a bit, Carol kindly traded an avocado toast for the last tentacle. Carol thought the octopus was good, which was reassuring to me — I’m not weird, really!

In Croatia, there are cats everywhere. They are mostly stand-offish, like cats everywhere, but the occasional one will tolerate having its picture taken. Here's the kitty of the day:

 

June 2

I had had visions of rest stops at pastry & café stops along the way, but there has been little of that so far. Well, except today, when we sneaked in a chance for a café latte, which seemed like a good idea until Miranda came charging over to tell us we needed to leave, like, right now. But, but…! To be fair, the rides are short, and rest stops are not really needed. As if that was the point.

But I suppose the ship needs to keep to schedule. The port authorities, I’m presuming, are like air traffic controllers. Ships are on a schedule, the berths predetermined. Sometimes there are as many as six boats like ours rafted up together on a pier, so it won’t do for one to be out of sync with the others.



Today’s ride took in a lengthy seawall, some scrubby low hills, and a couple of high-end campgrounds. Croatians, or at least these ones, are fancy campers! Amazing tent or trailer set-ups right along the shore. Stony beaches, turquoise water. Fantastic.

In the small fishing town of Betina on the island of Murter, we toured a tiny shipbuilding museum, then settled in to a café, until Miranda rustled us up. 

Traditional wooden boat, still made today

Rode the last few kilometres to the ship. Part way, we realized we’d lost some of the group. Miranda looked a wee bit panicked and was on the phone to Ana. Someone along the way had lost sight of the group ahead and had taken a wrong turn. Ana realized it before they got too far. Something like this happened on the one previous bike-boat trip I did. Maybe it’s mandatory. Anyhow, we were united before long, and rode to meet our ship.

Waiting for the missing ones. Every bike tour has to lose some riders.

We were given another spectacular lunch (fish this time, no meat, thank goodness!) as we sailed towards Sali, on the island called Dugi Otok. We stopped blue-cove swim spot along the way (not for me!) I think the sailboats anchored there were probably not happy to see our beast show up.

Fish lunch for four

Happy birthday to Jane! Second dessert to everyone!

Announcements from our guides, Miranda and Ana

Language lessons

 

 

Carol and other intrepid swimmers, off the back of the boat

After mega and intrepid swim, Cheryl, Jane, Bettyanne, and I went to explore the town. At the TI we got a map and directions for basically seeing everything. We found ourselves on a wonderful sea wall trail that took us around the penninsula. This was before we climbed up the mountain on which the town was built, and then back down to the harbour side. 

A wonderful walk, because we really needed the exercise

Seawater swimming pool

Apparently, Jane has a passion for stairs, so these were our birthday present to her

Seven men on a roof. Also two on the ground supervising. On Pender Island, this would be a dream come true!

I don't know if Jane loves going down stairs as much as she loves going up them

Tonight was the Captain's Dinner, which I gather is a cruising tradition. It meant dressing up, such as it is for the likes of us, and being treated to a second megameal in one day. More meat. I think even the big meat eaters might be feeling a little over-meated. Anyhow, the thought was good, and dessert was a really nice berry pastry that even I of little tolerance for sweet stuff could enjoy. 

Afterwards, we were all herded to the upper dance for a party, complete with Tequila Sunrises that were more sunrise than tequila. Boom box, disco lights, the whole deal. Things started off rather slow, but got going when we requested Croatian music. Ana turns out to be a great dancer, and got us all up and hopping. Really happy to get some exercise, right?

Dance party!

Finally, today's kitty. If she looks a little miffed, it's because of the cars going by