September 9 - It's a Rainy Day????

Rogozvica in the Rain

This morning, for the first time since our early days in Paris ( 15 weeks ago..!), we wake up to cloudy skies and a forecast of rain. We hop on the free bikes at our villa and bike into the harbor, maybe a kilometer away, for some coffee and breakfast. While waiting for my omelet, the very light drizzle starts, and the awnings are unfurled to keep us outside and dry. 

We watch as a boat pulls in and docks. It is a small cruise, maybe 20 people, with the top deck filled with bicycles. We watch as the passengers, in bike shorts, hop off and the three bike valets hand each bike down over the rails. We watch the bikers climb on and take off and then we watch the boat pull out. Hmmmmm...

We figure it out and we love it. Not a van supported biking trip but a sailboat supported biking trip. The bikers are off for the day to later arrive in a new small port, the boat there ready and waiting. Probably a late afternoon sail and swim and then an evening in a small town with dinner on shore.  A novel concept and since today is now a little bit of a drizzly day from our tiny balcony, I can use the time to google this and, I cannot believe I could even think this, plan a future boat-bike trip, really what in the world could be better?????

Then we head a bit further up the coast, towards Zadar, where we will hole up and relax for two nights in some tiny place called Sukosan. Since the weather may continue to be cloudy and rainy, we MAY finally have a chance to read a book or two. We marvel at the fact that in over 100 days of travel we have not, in total, read even three whole books!!!!

On our drive north, ( no rain...!) we pass many small towns in coves with boats and hotels and I have a bit of buyers remorse that we, at the last minute, booked our next two nights, mostly because of the rainy forecast. We didn't want to be town hopping in the rain or end up having to bunk down in some not so nice town, not so clean room and be stuck in.

We pull into Sukosan ( still no rain) without even a single wrong turn, mostly because they actually have street signs, even if the names are too long or too hard to read. We pull up to the Dijan Apartments ( 4 units only), which look exceptionally clean and tidy, but no one is around. 

So, of course, I head into the bakery next door, and with no Croatian except Havla Vam (thank you), I still manage to make myself understood. After a quick phone call, one minute later, there is Ana on her bike, letting us in and showing us around. There is real A/C and WE-FEE (WiFi) and a big bedroom, a stone wall deserving of a fireplace, a kitchen as modern as at home and a large patio with table and chairs.

But wait, there is more.....the sun has come out and for the rest of the day we drive around, to the market, the beach and scoping out a konoba for dinner. We have lunch on the patio, a simple salad of local tomato, cucumber and shallot with some fresh mozzarella. We wash it down with Radler Limone, which Steve is quickly deciding is his favorite new drink. 

I recall our Tuscan Villa,  thrice the price and one third, no one tenth,  the cleanliness, and figure for my 69 Euro a night, we made a good pick. There is even a sofa bed for two more, so if anyone reading can hop a really quick flight into Zadar, we have a place for you to sleep, at least for one night. 

Sitting and reading the town's tourist brochure, it is surprising to learn that just twenty years ago, during the Croatian War of Independence, they fought right here, enough to bomb out and destroy churches and who knows what else.  And as we walk around town through the small alleyways and past the half gone stone walls

we can see the Croatian soldiers and resistance fighters hiding behind and shooting.  You glance again and can almost see a body writhing and being riddled with bullets. But then....

Today it is peaceful, with fruit trees and vines and beaches and boats. It is a bit of a throwback to simpler times where every Friday night here is Fisherman's night with donkey races and the biggest pot of mussels simmering that you ever saw.  We will miss that, but luckily, every single night is a good night to walk along the docks at sunset, and sit on a bench, with the old men, as the sun goes down and the fisherman row out to sea, standing in their small boats on their way to catch our dinner for tomorrow. As the song goes....simple pleasures are the best.  We just have to keep finding them when we get home.