September 8, 2015
To Ilok: Croatia gets hilly
Today was a mixed day. Leaving Osijek, it was mostly farmland.
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It rolled gently for a while.
Vukovar is a big city that was midway on today's ride. The city and the surrounding area sustained a lot of damage during the civil war in the 1990's. There are a lot of damaged buildings still, although many are undergoing restoration or rebuilding.
There is a war memorial, a water tower that suffered damage during multiple attacks, but managed to keep standing. The information board at the site refers to the "Croatian Homeland War" and says the tower is a symbol of "devastation, but also ... of resistance, defiance, and invincibilty."
There is another memorial in the way out of town, with a large cemetery. It did not have any information boards. There were a lot of local people there, and I tried to be respectful and keep my distance.
Beyond that, there were quite a few more vineyards.
The road got especially challenging, with 6% and 8% dips down to villages and then 6% and 8% climbs back up. I think there was a series of 5 of these, and true to form, I walked some of the hills.
The river popped into view at one of these villages. You wouldn't think a route that follows a river would be so hilly!
I stopped in The town of Ilok. It has some wineries, and is one of the few towns on today's ride with accommodation options. I'm at a restaurant/hotel/winery, and had dinner here. I had a glass of their wine. It was good. I should be drinking more while I can!
There is a bridge across the river to Serbia not far from here. Tomorrow I'll have a choice whether to ride the north side in Serbia or the south side in Croatia.
Today's ride: 83 km (52 miles)
Total: 2,210 km (1,372 miles)
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