May 6, 2022 to May 10, 2022
The road to recovery
Day 75 - Prijedor to Sanski Most
Day 76 - rest day Sanski Most
Day 77 - Sanski Most to Kljuc
Day 78 - Kljuc to Bosanski Petrovac
Day 79 - Bosanski Petrovac to Drvar
Easy does it! We are finally feeling like we can get back to some normal days again. Our fitness has taken a bit of a hit but hopefully will be on the up from now.
The first couple of days in Bosnia weren't immediately pleasing, compared to the recent past in Slovenia and Croatia. More unfinished and disrepaired houses and buildings, maybe a bit more litter around, generally a bit duller and dustier, and less attractive scenery. Not that it was bad, and the people were friendly - just in comparison.
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However, as we progressed into the country, south and east, things changed. More mountains, more forests, greener fields, and what looked like a bit more prosperity - including a suspiciously large number of shiny black expensive cars!
The landscape became really unique, maybe glacial? Plains of short grass with many rocky outcrops, sometimes strangely flat, sometimes cratered with huge round scoops, butting into hills rising seemingly straight up.
In Kljuc there was the biggest thunderstorm I think I've ever witnessed - dozens of lightning flashes with thunder, and hours of torrential rain! Luckily we were already indoors!
In Bosanski Petrovac we stayed in a closed motel - a Bosnian / Italian cyclist we had seen on the road on his bike the day before drove past us in his car, luckily, and helped us find somewhere to stay. It was nicely done, all wood in a log cabin sort of style, but pretty spooky in its dark, empty, abandoned state!
We also ate one of these. Having one a week or so while touring seems like it might be a good idea (or just an excuse?).
We had quite a climb from Petrovac to Drvar - over 700 metres, which we managed without too much suffering - though it was only a 40kmish total day. It was a pretty nice road, good surface, not too steep, not too much traffic, and through very nice forest.
In Drvar there was another thunderstorm! Not so much lightning but masses and masses of rain.
I feel like we've been a bit unlucky with rain, getting truly soaked a few times on this trip, but we were able to avoid that fate and shelter from these two enormous downpours so that's nice.
Now we are heading back to Croatia for some Adriatic coast action, feeling pretty strong again (finally!) and looking forward to what's to come!
Today's ride: 139 km (86 miles)
Total: 2,852 km (1,771 miles)
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Keep smiling xx
2 years ago