Another new country (9, if you're counting): To Osijek, Croatia

September 7, 2015

After breakfast, I stopped by a grocery store to pick up snacks for today's ride, and by a money changer to change the last of my forints into kuna. I didn't have a lot, so I needed to find a bankomat during the ride today.

It was pretty quick and easy to the border. First a spotted an old tower. It didn't look like it is in use now, but is a reminder of times when border crossings were harder.

Then I stopped at a cafe to try to spend the forint coins I hadn't been able to change, but was still left with a few. I pedaled on, and passed a truck inspection station. There were perhaps half a dozen trucks there, heading into Croatia. When I reached the border, there was no backup and no line at all. The man on the Hungarian side looked at my passport, did whatever immigration officials do, stamped me out of the Schengen area, and handed my passport to a woman next to him. I guess I looked a little quizzical. He pointed to himself and said "Hungary", and pointed at the woman and said "Croatia". She asked me where I was going. I told her today's destination, Osijek. To which she replied "O-sick?". Yes. I guess I bungled the pronunciation pretty badly. She gave me back my passport, and I went on for my border-crossing pictures. One day, there will be someone else there to help me get a better picture, but not today.

That's Croatia, if you don't recognize the name.

There was nothing notable on the Croatian side of the border, no money changers or cafes, or really anything. There was a subtle change though, and I can't quite put my finger on what it was. Traffic was light, and it seemed really quiet. The pavement was nice and smooth.

First Croatian church I passed. Note the playground in front of it. A good use of the grassy area, in my opinion.

The route was well-signed. Croatia has added more detail, with EV6 now described as Atlantic to the Black Sea (Crno More, in Croatian) and supplemented by the Ruta Dunav sign.

The Danube only came into view a few times.

The road climbed up into an area that produces wine. The climbs weren't bad at all.

The landscape was really something

and the towns had some interesting old buildings.

There were some old decorative bicycles, made of grass, at a couple of different spots.

I found a bankomat about half way through today's ride, in Knezevi Vinogradi, and have some more kunas if I need to pay cash for accommodation.

I had considered stopping for the night in Bilje, about 8 km before Osijek, as when I checked last night it looked like it might have better accommodation options. I did stop for an iced coffee, which came with ice and a side of ice water! It did not come with Wi-Fi, and my Hungarian cell service didn't seem to be roaming into Croatia, and time was early, so I decided to go into Osijek and find some Wi-Fi to look up accommodation. I'm glad I did. Osijek is a pretty town on the Danube. There is a long promenade on the river, and an attractive Centrum. I found a cafe called "San Francisco" with wifi. There were a bunch of cafes in the area all named after other locations, like Amsterdam. And as in Bilje, the drinks have ice!

I'm at Apartments Uno, which is outside the Centrum in a residential area. I have a well-equipped kitchen and a full-sized bed. I picked up some eggs and sausage and bread and butter and cooked dinner and am set for breakfast tomorrow. Life is good.

Today's ride: 75 km (47 miles)
Total: 2,127 km (1,321 miles)

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