Tour of Eastern Croatia

Cruckster on Tour of Eastern Croatia

DAY 1 26th August 2010
Arrived Dubrovnik airport mid-day. It is quite hot, probably about 30 degrees C.
Spin along main coast road to Dubrovnik. Lunch stop in Cavtat. Ostentatious mega –yachts at berth. Come the re-revolution… Night in the Hotel Sumratin
Distance 19.86 miles Time 02:20:58 Average speed 8.4 Max Speed 27.1mph

DAY 2 27th August 2010
Destination Metković. All along the coast road (E65) including the big bridge over Rijeka Dubrovačka – a sort of loch. It’s blisteringly hot. This spin is OK, but the road is busy. We stop at Slano and ask tourist info if we are OK to cycling the minor roads inland to get across the looming Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH) incursion, but they advise us that the border crossing are for locals only, so we stick to the coast road. There’s no BiH border/customs post – only Croatian. No problems getting through. We lunch in Neum – no decent places to eat and have a Bosnio-burger in a bus station cafe. Back in Croatia, there’s a great climb inland and then drop down the side of the hills with the Neretva plain in front of us onto to the E73 to Metković. Night in the Hotel Narona. Good room, good food.
Distance 62.20 miles Time 05:02:05 Average speed 12.3 Max Speed 36.9 mph

DAY 3 28th August 2010
Our destination is Imotski, but our plan is to catch a coach or train (with the bikes) up the river to Mosta, then cycle across to Imotski. All advice about the trains is conflicting. We conclude that there is next to no service so try the bus station in Metković. We wait for what is supposed to be an hourly coach, which doesn’t arrive – ‘late’ we are consistently told by the station staff. Eventually, after a 90 minute wait a 17 seater ‘coach’ arrives, but the driver won’t allow bikes on board. We give up and cycle direct to Imotski in the afternoon, dodging cavalcades of drunken wedding parties on the road. Night at the Hotel Zdilar.
Distance 51.53 miles Time 04:30:31 Average speed 11.4 Max Speed 27.7 mph

DAY 4 29th August 2010
Great night last night in the Hotel Zdilar. There’s a wedding reception on in the Hotel and normal guests are few and far between. Our host Theo kindly prepares a massive mixed grill which we eat al fresco over the road from the Hotel entrance, then we spend the rest of the night talking to wedding guests, mainly about wine and vineyards on the Pelješac peninsula. Our room in the Zdilar is big and the best of the holiday as it turns out. Breakfast is also unique – in the debris of the wedding with the clear up slow to start, Theo knocks up an impromptu platter of 6 slices of ham with 6 fried eggs.

Another sunny day with cloudless skies, but the wind picks up later. We continue NW on the minor road to Studenci where we have lunch. There’s nowhere to eat – it’s Sunday and there is only a shop but it is closed. Thankfully a kind local chap understands our predicament and rings the shop owner who comes and opens up, so we have a kind of lunch of assorted semi edibles on a bench washed down by a couple of tins of Karlovačko. To be fair the ride is pretty dull onwards to Sinj. There has been a climb up past Pološko Blato (waterless lake) and another climb up to 731m at Vukič. Trilj was fairly memorable – a beer at on one of a series of very popular cafe bars on the south side of the Cetina river. Night in the Hotel Alkar, Sinj.
Distance 48.36 miles Time 04:41:15 Average speed 10.03 Max Speed 38.2 mph

DAY 5 30th August
The weather has turned – it is raining when we wake and set off. Breakfast is dismal in the semi-empty hotel. The previous night we spent walking around looking for Sinj’s only restaurant. The town centre is packed with cafe bars that don’t sell food. In the rain we climb out of Sinj into the hills to the west through Sutina and Donji Muč. There’s a good Torca wall mural there’s but not much else. A forgettable ride ensues on the 511 until we get to Klis where we break out of the upland limestone country and view Split on the coast below us. Half starved we find 2 restaurants here with lamb on a spit a speciality. We have a superb mixed grill at the Restaurant Hajduk before a heart racing spin down the hill through the suburbs of the city on freeways, overpasses, etc. Night at the Hotel Dujam. Excellent laundry service provided by the shop in the hotel building.
Distance 29.01 miles Time 02:47:42 Average speed 10.03 Max Speed 28.6 mph

DAY 6 31st August
When in Split, visit Diocletian’s palace. We choose a tour and it’s very good, though there are many tours taking place and I’m sure it’s matter of chance whether or not the tour is any good. We eat at the 3 arches.

DAY 7 1st September
Ferry from Split to Supetar on Brač island. I ought to say here that we not allowed to take our bikes on the catamarans which run fast services at inconvenient times – early morning or tea time. So all the ferries we take are car ferries operated by Jadrolinja. Bikes are charged for at about the same as the foot passenger rate. Once on Brač we turn left to take the coast road to Postira. Alarmingly the road turns to dirt after Splitska, or so it seems. Actually we are on a coastal track: the coast road unknown to us is 100m up the hillside. This coast track is not marked on 1:100,000 Turističko-nautička karta ‘Dalmacija 3’ published by V.B.Z which we are using for the islands. Otherwise the map is fine and shows the relief well. Cruckster has his first and only black risotto for lunch, then it’s a climb up to Pražnice followed by an mighty dash down the hill to the Sumartin ferry port. We are late for the ferry and catch it just in time.

The black risotto tastes creamy and only slightly fishy, but is alarming and unappetising to look at. It gives you ‘black lips’ reminiscent of Robert Smith of The Cure, perhaps. After some cleaning, a black liner effect is left.

With much relief the port of Makarska is reached and we have an excellent ice cream and cappuccino at the Romana cafe. The limestone hills tower above us. A short spin down the coast road takes us to Podgora, where we stay at the Motel-style Hotal Mediteran. Very basic room with canteen-style restaurant. The Podgora sea front is packed with stores, pavement restaurants and tourist market stalls. We find a bar with a percussionist and drum kit on the pavement and listen to him before retiring for the night.
Distance 39.09 miles Time 04:11:45 Average speed 9.3 Max Speed 33.9 mph

DAY 8 2nd September 2010
The day starts with a good coast road ride to catch the ferry at Drvenik. This a short crossing to Sućaraj. Sunny weather. At Sućaraj starts one of the best day’s cycling we have and this is along the spine of Hvar island. The road is quiet of traffic and there is very little settlement. The smell of the rosemary, which is everywhere accompanies us. There is nowhere to eat on the main spine road so we drop down 300m to the coast at U. Pokrivenik where there is a hotel. After a couple of Karlovačkos the climb back up to the main road is hardly noticed, though it is blisteringly hot. Our run along the spine road continues until Polijca and then it’s downhill for a few miles down to Jelsa. We stop there and get ripped off at a campsite cafe. Finally we cross the plain to Stari Grad, and head for the Hotel Arkada. It is dark when we arrive. We eat out at the Hermitage, recommended by the Rough Guide, and it is very good.
Distance 62.16 miles Time 05:55:21 Average speed 10.4 Max Speed 27.6 mph

DAY 9 3rd September 2010
In the heat of exhaustion last night Cruckster realises he has made what at best can be described as a ‘cock up’ when working for the planning department. The ferry for Korčula town (which is our next destination) only runs twice a week. It turns out to be a big beast that comes down from Rijeka. Somehow, we have arrived a day early, so this means we can’t get to our pre-booked apartment in Vela Luka on Korčula island. The best option is to stay another night in the Hotel Arkada and get the ferry on the 5th September. The Arkada is a massive budget hotel that resembles a 1970s student hall of residence. It has swimming pools, but we don’t get chance to use them. This is mainly because we have a ride planned to Hvar town. Another sunny day. There’s a climb up to a restaurant on the minor road to Hvar past Selca. Amazingly we meet some cycle tourists there – nearly the only ones on the whole holiday and they recommend the lamb barbecued in the open hearth. It’s fantastic in the rosemary scented air. We stay too long to leave enought time to go down to Hvar town and return so decide to hurtle straight back down to the Arkada in the afternoon. We spend the rest of the day looking around Stari Grad town. It has some interesting architectural relics including many carved and moulded corbels, presumably for now-removed balconies. Decent evening meal in pavement cafe, with resident cat.
Distance 10.31 miles Time 01:20:28 Average speed 7.6 Max Speed 24.0 mph

DAY 10 4th September 2010
We cycle around the Stari Grad inlet to the other side where the port is. There are various booking offices and associated cabins and the scene is somewhat confusing with people worried about joining in the wrong queue. We bump into our pals from the restaurant yesterday – they are going through to Dubrovnik. This 3hr + ferry to Korčula town is by far the most expensive of our trip – the fare is 77 Croatian Euros and each bike 111! We have to buy the ticket at one kiosk and check in 5 minutes later at another kiosk. We can’t work out why.

Korčula town has a circular wall, part of which juts out into the sea. We head off to the Hotel Bon Repos, a couple of miles further around the coast to the east. The Bon Repos is better than the Arkada, though our room is in a separate block, like a small residential flatblock. It’s hot and Cruckster’s cycling pal prefers to recover from the exertion of the ferry ride down at the Hotel’s beach rather than hit the road for an afternoon spin. On his own, then, out of Korčula town there’s a long boring climb for Čruckster on the Vela Luka road through Žrnovo on to Čara, about 550m up. Then down to Zavalatica, where there’s a quiet restaurant with a terrasse looking out over the bay. Fantastic. For the return, a minor road along the coast through to Pupnat that provides a change. It’s beautiful and quiet. Return down the hill to Korčula town.
Distance 35.55 miles Time 03:18:12 Average speed 10.7 Max Speed 35.5 mph

DAY 11 5th September 2010
Slight panic first thing this morning after bizzare breakfast in the Bon Repos. We head off to Korčula town expecting the ferry to Orebič to leave from the same point as our arrival. However Tourist Info direct us back past the Bon Repos to a landing point near Baretica. A 30 minute ferry ride takes us to Orebič. The breakfast in the Bon Repos is segregated, for some reason – there’s a better buffet and different seating for some folks that we are not allowed to use. Never did find out why. The wasps don’t care about this, though.

We don’t stop in Orebič but press on down the peninsula main road in south east direction. This is vineyard country. There’s little else. No bars, no restaurants, no towns. At Potomje, there’s a tunnel through the limestone with the promise of a restaurant at the end, but after we have passed through it’s clear the restaurant is down at the foot of the cliffs, and somehow we have lost the will to lose 250m in height with declining energy reserves. We press on through more vineyards to find there’s nowhere to eat in Janjina. Fortunately there’s a beach bar at Sreser where we hit the mixed grill pretty hard. The rest of the peninsula road is OK, but as reach Ston it’s getting dark, and we are getting tired. Ston is back in tourist stopping off country, plenty of restaurants in a curious limestone village with a improbable wall snaking around it off and on a contour half way up the hill. We have to press on to Mali Ston, where our 4* hotel extracts about 45 British Euros each from us for a smart but small room with a singing en-suite shower. Meal back in Ston with resident cat, and FREE BOOZE. Our restaurant gives us a bottle of fire water and lets us help ourselves.
Distance 47.27 miles Time 04:49:36 Average speed 9.7 Max Speed 31.1 mph

DAY 12 6th September 2010
Maybe it’s the booze, or maybe it’s the room we have with shutters which block out every bit of light which cause us to oversleep…

We have a great al fresco breakfast at the Ostrea which makes a change from the cost-cutting Arkada, then onto the road. We return to the main coast road at Zaton Doli and are quickly tired of the busy traffic so take the first opportunity to branch off at Doli. Here a road climbs to join the Slano – Neum ‘moors road’ running inland at approx 300m height parallel to the coast. We turn right onto this road, and it is empty and superb cycling. We meet a cow at the cross roads and that is it. Great views of the hills to the north and east. After passing a quarry we drop down to the coast road at Slano where we have lunch at the same cafe as our outward journey. The waiter remembers us. He says they don’t get many mad cycle tourists like us, which is nice.

Lunch over we climb back onto the moors road and now treated to occasional views of the coast and the Elafati islands. From one viewpoint we pass a series of shapes that look like figures, some hunched, some that look out to sea, formed from piles of small stones. We have to leave the moors road for the last time at Trsteno to join the coast road as the mountains draw closer to the sea at Dubrovnik. We take the road around Rijeka Dubrovačka inlet, under the bridge before arriving back at base, and a night in the Hotel Dubrovnik. A great trip.
Distance 42.68 miles Time 04:38:24 Average speed 9.2 Max Speed 33.4 mphDubrovnik to Airport – nightmare road as climb out of town is on the cliff edge side of the road
Distance 14.58 miles Time 01:3:19 Average speed 9.3 Max Speed 28.5 mph
Postscript: after our return to UK we find William Bennett’s great blog at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/croatiaandbihtour

He set off from Dubrovnik just before we returned on that coast road.

Dubrovnik to Zadar (and back) by bike

Any useful info welcome – please post as a comment

Round the Top Blog

Day 1, 26th June 2009. Inchbae Lodge, near Garve to Gairloch.

Night at Inchbae Lodge. We take the A835 down Strath Garve back down to Garve. This is a new road and you can see the old twisty road beside it in places, now disused. A great start to the tour. Just before Garve we take a sharp right W on the A832 towards Gairloch. We assume that’s there’s no place to get lunch on this road, so get packed lunches from the Inchbae. However there’s a Hotel at Achnasheen and also a cafe by the station. Drinks at Kinlochewe. Tail wind today – it’s hard to believe as we are heading W.

Distance 53.18 miles Cycling time 3:42:08 Average Speed 14.36 Max 41.3 mph

Day 2, 27th June 2009. Gairloch to Ullapool

view from Gairloch

A climb out of Gairloch on the 832 towards Ullapool. Up and over to Poolewe at the end of Loch Ewe which has the Isle of Ewe in it. It seems that Poolewe is pronounced ‘Pooloo’. Does this mean that the Isle of Ewe is pronounced ‘Isle of Ooo’. I hope not. I love you. More hills to get out of Aultbea and Gruinard. We manage to get to the excellent Maggie’s cafe on the side of Little Loch Broom for a late lunch. There’s also a hotel at Dundonnel. Through an empty landscape and into a stiff headwind we finally get to the junction with the A835. Then it’s an easy run down to Ullapool.

Distance 61.42 miles Cycling time 5:44:14 Average Speed 10.7 Max 39.9 mph

Day 3, 28th June 2009. Ullapool to Drumbeg

A couple of climbs out of Ullapool on the A835 before after about 12 miles we turn W on unclassified road which eventually runs along Loch Lurgainn. This is a top quality run, with a mountain called Polly (Pollaidh) over our right shoulders. At the end of the loch there’s a sharp right up the hill towards Lochinver. Cruckster falls off on the way down but isn’t badly hurt. Lunch in Lochinver. Then there are more ups and downs around the coast road to Drumbeg. Prize for the scruffiest settlement goes to Stoer where the road is full of sheep droppings and tufts of dirty wool snagged on the barbed wire of roadside fences. Night in the Drumbeg Hotel

Distance 47.72 miles Cycling time 4:39:26 Average Speed 10.24 Max 38.8 mph

Day 4, 29th June 2009. Drumbeg to Durness

On to the A894 and north we pass a coach from Zell am Zee which has stopped to let the passengers stretch their legs. We have a nice chat with

near drumbeg

them. Then on to Scourie for lunch. NE of Scourie (‘Scoorie’ not ‘Scowrie’) over Laxford Bridge and onto A838 this is wild open countryside. The run down past the Kyle of Durness is superb.

Distance 49.16 miles Cycling time 4:44:22 Average Speed 10.37 Max 34 mph

Day 5, 30th June 2009. Durness to Bettyhill

This is a feature day for Cruckster – another part of the tour which stood out on the map, similar to the run past Polly. We turn E in anger for the first time to head across the N coast, but the minor roads up Strath More and down Strath Naver are too good to miss. Loch Eriboll and Loch Hope both deliver in the scenic stakes and we have (packed) lunch at the Dun Dornaigil broch.

Broch

 Strath More is empty. One or 2 farms, that’s it. It’s also hot – hard to believe. The crossroads with the A836 is a bleak spot, nothing to delay anyone there, but just past this is a friendly campsite by Loch Naver where we get an ice cream from the shop and exchange midge-bite stories. Not much at Syre to detain anyone; we press on down Strath Naver which lacks the scale and grandeur of Strath More, but is a pleasant ride. We are leaving the hills. After a long day, we trundle the last 3 or 4 miles down the A836 into Bettyhill. I remember this as the ‘Day of the Cleggs’.

Night in the Bettyhill Hotel, perched on a cliff top with stupendous views of Torrisdale Bay.

Distance 67.55 miles Cycling time 6:21:16 Average Speed 10.24 Max 38.8 mph

Day 6, 1st July 2009. Bettyhill to Scrabster

The ‘cleggs’ we are told are a type of horse fly – big brown things which specialise in landing on your skin to suck your blood. Knock them off once they’ve started their meal and you’ll be left with a thin trail of blood on your skin. We have a race on to get the lunchtime ferry from Scrabster to Stromness. There’s not much to see on route, a couple of hills, the road is set well back from the coast. Endless clover-filled fields. The scent of the clover is really strong. Fare to Stromness about 17 Pounds Sterling including bike. This is a big ferry – so a good idea to get there with 30 minutes to spare. Also, we are asked for photo ID before tickets are issued. Lunch on the boat. Night in Stromness at the Ferry Inn.

Distance 33.39 miles Cycling time 2:45:41 Average Speed 12.09 Max 32.6 mph

Day 7, 2nd July 2009. Tour of Orkney Mainland

Skara Brae and Skail House. About £6.50. Pretty good value. Good cafe at visitor centre. Then on to the Brough of Birsay. By the time we get there the tide is in and the causeway inaccessible. However we can see the ‘island’. There’s no time anyway as we have to press on to get to the

Ring of Brodgar

 Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness. At the stones we are attacked by midges so we leave at speed to return to Stromness

Distance 36.02 miles Cycling time 3:19:59 Average Speed 10.8 Max 31.8 mph

Day 8, 3rd July 2009. Stromness to Wick

Today has another race against the clock, this time to get the midday ferry from St Margaret’s Hope to Gills Bay. It’s pretty tough against a headwind, first along the A965 then after Finstown we bypass Kirkwall on a road S of Wideford Hill. Then onto the A961 S of Kirkwall. It’s a long haul to St Margarets we don’t get much chance to admire the Churchill barriers as we cross them and Scapa Flow, or to stop and look at the Italian Chapel. This is a smaller ferry than Scrabster to Stromness. Interesting to pass deserted islands of Swona and Stroma. From Gills Bay a dull run on the A836 to John o’ Groats for lunch. Yes, John O’Groats lives up to its reputation. The natural landscape is hardly awe-inspiring and visitor facilities minimal. One or two ‘outlets’ a souvenir shop or two, an Edwardian hotel – fenced off and boarded up. Fortunately, there’s an ‘End to end’ cafe. One thing that typifies the general dissatisfaction with the place is the fact that there is a guy who at 3pm takes down the finger post that people like to have their photo taken against. I guess he owns this concession and must charge for this privilege. Sad. Whoah! To add to the gloom, the clouds have rolled in for the first time this holiday. We press on to Wick on the A99, without further delay.

Distance 53.77 miles Cycling time 4:33:26 Average Speed 11.8 Max 31.4 mph

Day 9, 4th July 2009. Wick to Golspie.

Wick is a big town. The previous night we have wandered around the remains of Thomas Telford’s Poulteney Town – worth a look if you are interested in buildings and history. This morning the mist has closed in and we see nothing of the coast as we spin down the A99. In a cafe on Orkney, some other cyclists tell us of a legendary cafe called ‘La Mirage’ in Helmsdale, which is en-route for us but a long haul at about 37 miles. Lunch in La Mirage is worth it. Excellent Fish and Chips. The portions are enormous, in fact Cruckster gets four battered fish on his plate. Things have also improved because the sun has come out and the mist receded. Good run

Golspie

to Golspie, even though we are on the increasingly busy A9. Night in Granite Villa which wins the prize for the best B&B of the holiday. Great friendly welcome, and fine breakfast with excellent selection of jams.

Distance 55.34 miles Cycling time 3:59:18 Average Speed 13.87 Max 40.3 mph

Day 10, 5th July 2009. Golspie to Inchbae Lodge

More A9 though we detour around the lovely Loch Fleet to Dornoch which is a fine little town with castle on the High Street. After Dornoch Firth the A9 is getting bigger and busier. We detour via Invergordon which is a mistake trying to find a lunch spot, but on Sunday afternoon it’s a bit like a set from a zombie movie. We eventually find some life (and decent food) at the Tomich Garden Centre cafe. The B817 via Alness and Evanton is OK, and the A862 via Dingwall is a little better. We stop for a break at the Hotel in Dingwall and have send back not one but two different pints of real ale. On the TV Roger Federer is grinding out his win against Andy Roddick. The last 10 miles on the A835 are a good ride. It’s amazing how quickly the dull E coast is behind us here. An alternative route would be to take the A949 to Bonar Bridge, then the 836 along the S of the Dornoch Firth then fork S on the B9176 to Alness. Night in the Inchbae Lodge.

Distance 69.83 miles Cycling time 5:37:26 Average Speed 12.41 Max 32.4 mph

To be completed: I’ll add some links and some pictures and a summary in a few days.

‘Round the top’ Scotland and Orkney Cycling Tour

Cruckster’s 2009 cycling tour side-steps the Eurozone.

Scotland and Orkney
Start – Garve. Inchbrae Lodge
Day 1 – Garve to Gairloch.  Heatherdale
Day 2 – Gairloch to Ullapool.  Point Cottage
Day 3 – Ullapoool to Drumbeg via Lochinver.   Drumbeg Hotel
Day 4 – Drumbeg to Durness.  Foynaven
Day 5 – Durness to Bettyhill via Strath More and Strath Naver.  Bettyhill Hotel
Day 6 – Bettyhill to Stromness via Scrabster.  The Ferry Inn
Day 7 – Tour of Orkney Mainland.  The Ferry Inn
Day 8 – Stromness to Wick.  Bromhill Guest House
Day 9 – Wick to Golspie.  Granite Villa
Day 10 Golspie to Garve.  Inchbrae Lodge

Dolland & Aitchison merger

So they are merging with Boots Opticians.  I have a letter sent to me as a customer to inform me that: -

On May 2nd my contract with D&A Contact Lenses Limited will be assigned to D&A Contact Lenses 2 Limited.  On May 5th D&A Contact Lenses 2 Limited will change its name to D&A Contact Lenses Limited.

On May 2nd my contract with D&A Professional Services Limited will be assigned to D&A Professional Services 2 Limited.  On May 5th D&A Professional Services 2 Limited will change its name to D&A Professional Services Limited.

There’s more but I can’t bring myself to reproduce it here.

There’s also stuff on what it means for me as a customer.

One thing they don’t say is ‘why?’

Walkway open again but, guess what….

…the surface is very poor for cycling.  I’m not surprised – there’s little evidence that people who actually ride bikes have any say in these works.

This is Route 1. You would think they’d get it right.

Walkway surface with British Euro (pound coin) shown

Wynyard Woodland Park cycle track closed

Former Castle Eden wallkway closed for 10 weeks from beginning of March. There’s a notice on the barrier suggesting detour via route 14 and Hartlepool – that would double the journey and is no use for people going to Sedgefield. Link to sustrans site more details of closure

 

There’s nothing on the Wynyard Woodland Park website. Come on guys!

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and St Petersburg

Lithuanian flag

LITHUANIA

14th August 08
Ryanair London Stansted to Kaunas. No problems. We arrive at Kaunas in the dark and decide to take a taxi into the city. Actually we need to take two taxis because there isn’t one big enough to take two people and two boxed bikes. Cost is therefore doubled. About 25 EUR per taxi. Our first night is in the Hotel Daniela, Kaunas. Hotel is very good – large rooms, good bathroom and excellent breakfast.

15th August 08 Day 1 Kaunas to Druskininkai by bike.
After a brief look at old town Kaunas and visit to helpful tourist info in main square we head off south on

We saw many storks : here are some in their normal setting (storks enlarged)

route 130 to Prienai. It’s the Day of Assumption and a national holiday in Lithuania. Many stores are closed but route 130 is very busy all the way south. Lunch in small bar in Prienai. Alytus, then Seirijai, Leipalingis on route 180 and finally Druskininkai. No hills, except for small climb up from bridge over river and out of Kaunas. Unremarkable route. Night in Hotel Regina. Room a bit small, but other wise, very good. Good evening meal in hotel restaurant and breakfast.

Distance 82.56 miles Time 06:52:24 Average speed 12.01 Max Speed 29.6

16th August 08 Day 2 Druskininkai to Vilnius by bike.
With more time to cycle today we plan a route to Vilnius that takes us off the main roads. Dzukija tourist map 1:200,000 enables us to do this. It’s sunny and warm, about 25 C. The route is initially through the park, via Marcinkonys, Varena, Valkininkai, then on to 176 to Baltoji Voke, then due north to Vilnius via Pagiriai. Good metalled roads all the way – even through the park. Nothing else notable, except good lunch in ‘rustic’ bar in centre of Varena. Night in Hotel City Gate. This is difficult to find, but OK.

Distance 88.48 miles Time 06:55:27 Average speed 12.77 Max Speed 27.6

17th August 08 Day 3 Vilnius to Riga by bus.
First we inquire at the Central railway station Tourist Information about trains to Riga. We are told that there are none. But the advice is vague so we try the ticket office information. They also say there are no trains but

Silver birch - our ever-present companion as we cycle through the forests; here in harvested mode

there is a train to Siauliai which is about 35 miles south of the Lithuania – Latvia border. So is there a connecting train to Riga? We never find out. We also never find out if there is a direct train the next day (Monday). In all these bureaux were very unhelpful. So we try to book a coach ticket at the Eurolines office at the bus station. We are told bikes are not allowed to be taken as baggage. Not much choice here. We try the rival Ecolines, but the booking clerk cannot speak English. Before taking the desperate step of hiring a car, we go down to the bus station to see if the Eurolines driver will take the bikes. After initially giving us a sharp ‘No’ he changes his mind after we beg and plead. The coach is about a third full, so there is plenty of room in the baggage hold.

Night in Hotel Forums. Noisy, but good bedroom. We walk out and see massive firework display over the river. Poor breakfast in hotel with little choice and service at table in tiny room.

latvian flag

LATVIA

18th August 08 Day 4 Riga to Valmiera by bike.
We take the train to Sigulda to get through the Riga suburbs. Once on the bikes we take a minor road NE to Kipari but soon after that the road surface turns to dirt. As Cruckstrer’s cycling companion is on touring bike with narrow wheels we decide not to risk punctures and return to E77 running NNW. It is raining and this is very boring cycling. We then take the P20 into Cesis and stop for a drink. Cesis and the P20 beyond going north are OK. Night in Hotel Wolmar which is very good. The room is very big and comfortable. Good welcome and bar. We eat in the hotel restaurant and the food is very good. Map = Gaujas Nacionalais Parks 1:20,000. SIA

Distance 46.08 miles Time 03:29:15 Average speed 13.21 Max Speed 31.3

19th August 08 Day 5 Valmiera to Pärnu by bike.

Typical road: this one is between Estonia and Latvia

Today we know we have to take a dirt road to get to the border. The Gaujas Nacionalais Parks 1:20,000 map we have shows dirt roads in yellow and we realise this now. We take the P17 due north out of Valmiera and it’s not bad: there are some breaks in the lines of trees either side of the road. At Rujiena where we have a very good meal at another ‘rustic’ bar, we take the P21 which soon forks left to Ipiki. Thereafter it’s a dirt road for about 5 miles to the border. There’s no traffic on this road and the ride is OK. The border crossing is completely unmanned – and the metalled road starts again as soon as we are on Estonian soil. Moisalkula is a ‘one horse town’ as we say in the UK, so we press on to Kiling-Nomme. There are a few more services here, but closed when we arrive. We continue on route 6, joining E67 into Pärnu. Night in Scandic Rannahotell. Big hotel, small room, but with sea view. Enormous dining room. Map= Valmieras Rajons 1:20,000. SIA. And Eesti 1:500,000. Jana sata Map Publishers.

Distance 87.83 miles Time 07:14:16 Average speed 12.13 Max Speed 20.0

Estonian flag

ESTONIA

20th August 08 Day 6 Pärnu to Haapsalu by bike.
We take route 60 NW out to P to Lihula. Route 10 NE for 10 mile and then 31 into Haapsalu. There’s a strong southerly wind so it’s frustrating to be always in a cross wind. It’s also raining at times. Unremarkable landscape. Night in Hotel Paeve Villa. We asked the Scandic Rannahotell to phone Hotel Paeve Villa to say we were en-route because we only had internet reservations and no vouchers, but they could not get through. At Hotel Paeve Villa they told us that Scandic Rannahotell had emailed them. Top marks to Scandic Rannahotell and thank you.

Distance 72.62 miles Time 05:54:02 average speed 12.30 Max Speed 22.4

21st August 08 Day 7 Haapsalu island tour by bike.

The Estonian flag on our ship to Vormsi

Tourist Information in Haapsalu are friendly and helpful. Our best option is to take the ferry to Vormsi – the smallest and closest of the islands. The ferry trip from the terminal about 6 miles out of Haapsalu is about 1 hour long. A gentle spin around the metalled road that runs around the east of the island takes about 90 minutes. The landscape is little different from the mainland.

The OTT platform at Haapsalu (now a museum)

Distance 26.53 miles Time 02:35:24 average speed 10.24 Max Speed 19.6

22nd August 08 Day 8 Haapsalu to Tallinn by bike.
East of Tallin, the first place with a bar where we can take lunch is nearly 40 miles away at Rummu on Route 17. This place appears to be starved of investment – there are

typical Baltic wooden houses

empty / derelict flat blocks and a factories that look like they are running on half steam. After lunch we press on through the rain to Keila after which we branch off NE to Vaanna to take the smaller roads into Tallinn via Liikva and Rannamoisa. Night in Reval Hotel Central – good quality hotel aimed at business and tourist trade. We wander through the old town to the train station to see the daily 23:30 St Petersburg train on the platform. This is for one of the last times, because our booklet guide to Tallinn informs us that the service ceases for ever from 1st September. Good but expensive meal (56 British Euros for 2) in the Maharaja Indian restaurant on the mail square.

Distance 77.93 miles Time 06:17:29 average speed 12.38 Max Speed 20.8

23rd August 08 Day 9 Tallinn to St Petersburg by bus.
We go to the Eurolines office in Tallinn bus station and book single tickets on 1th 11:00 to St Petersburg. These are approx 17 British Euros (pounds sterling) each. We are leaving the bikes at the Reval Hotel Central in their luggage room – they have kindly allowed us to do this. We have a voucher for our return to Tallinn in 3 days time.

The trip to St Petersburg is long and tedious. There’s also an hour’s time difference. We stop for 10 minutes at various places en-route including Rakvere and Johvi. The border crossing takes about an hour, and there’s no queue on the Estonian side. There are hundreds of trucks parked up along the roadside as we approach Narva, though. The road on the Russian side is very bumpy through being patched up, worn and obviously badly maintained. Our coach spends a lot of the time with the nearside wheels on the dirt hard shoulder trying to avoid the ruts and bumps. The road is also very busy. This would have been a very bad cycling route, had we gone with our original plan. We arrive slightly ahead of schedule at the Baltic Station at about 20:00.

Night in Hotel Rinaldi. This is on Moscovskiy Prospekt. It’s very hard to find as it part of an apartment block and there’s a tiny sign outside a huge metal door that leads to a dirty and broken down entrance all and stair. This type of security and access is a shock coming soon after our recent experiences. Inside the hotel and rooms aren’t bad, though the breakfast is very basic and there’s no choice. I guess 50 Euros doesn’t go far in Leningrad. We also have to pay the hotel to register with the police, though this isn’t much – about 5 pounds sterling for a form, if I remember.

Russian flag

RUSSIA

24th August 08 Day 10 St Petersburg
City Tour (in the rain) by open top bus. About 10 pounds each. Headset with choice of languages is OK.
Drinks in the Shamrock Bar. Ok..
We eat in the Dickens Pub – food is good but expensive – western prices. Russian lager Nyevskoe is about half the price of imported stuff and quite drinkable. We trail off to a Fish themed bar (recommended in the Rough Guide) off Ligovskiy near Moscovskiy Railway Station. It’s a student underground type place down an alleyway. No music though on this Sunday night.

25th August 08 Day 11 St Petersburg
Russian Museum – we look at the modern galleries. Cost about 8 pounds. The Grand Hotel is a good place to use internet and get money. The ATMs we tried asked an unexpected question we didn’t like ‘which account do want to withdraw from?’ and in one case we were successful gave a fixed amount (1,000 Roubles) which is only about 20 pounds. We spend some time wandering up and down the Nevskiy Pr. Finally, we aim to go for a bar that’s in the Rough Guide’s top 20 places to visit in St. P – it’s call ‘Lenin’s Last Laugh’ or something like that – however it seems to have moved around the corner since the Guide was published and has changed – no Lenin-theme uniformed staff or videos on the box. There are (still) plenty of busts of Lenin dotted around and other oddities, though. It’s also tiny.

We stumble upon the Tinkoff brewery pub/restaurant. This is on Kazanskaya U. It’s an enormous place, and despite its size, is not blatantly advertised on the outside. It doesn’t look like a bar. However, the prices are high even by western standards and it’s not meal time so we have a swift ‘half’ – which is very good and move on.

Another good meal in the Dickens then it’s off to find some music – advertised in St Petersburg Times (weekly freebie in English which is OK and has an interesting comment this week on Russian occupation of parts of Georgia) and St Petersburg Times at the end of Nevskiy. Alas, the music is not on tonight, but we console our selves with 100 cl of Russian Standart Vodka and a glass of tomato juice. Excellent.

26th August 08 Day 12 St Petersburg to Tallinn by bus.
We booked our tickets the previous day in the Eurolines Office next to the Baltic Railway station. By now we have gained confidence in using the metro – it’s OK if you can transliterate. Our coach is the 11:15 and costs about 20 pounds each for a seat. It’s almost full.

The ride back to Tallinn is grim. In addition to the delays and the bumpy road there’s an extra hour’s delay at the border where we take our bags off the coach for an airport-style check in a small garage with a car ramp and jack in it. It’s so bad all the passengers have to squeeze around this to queue for the search.

It’s good to be back in Tallinn. We check back in at the Reval Hotel Central. Walk around the old town.

Nice plaque on medieval house in Old Town Tallinn. Good to see the plan form shown on it. There are more.

Cruckster likes the modern plaques on the old merchants buildings that describe their (usually medieval) origins and development, including even ground floor plans! The Depeche Mode bar is sampled and we sit through about half an hour of ‘Violater’ videos which is enjoyable enough. The off to the Beer House on Dunkri 5. This is a brash Austrian style bar / restaurant with various beers brewed the Austrian way . We try 4 or the 5 or 6 beers brewed on the premises and they are excellent. The food is good as well.

27th August 08 Day 13 Tallinn to Stansted by air.
The airport is only 3 miles from the centre. We meet a couple of Germans who have cycled all the way to St Petersberg and then on to Helsinki. Alarmingly they could not find any accommodation in Helsinki the previous night so had to get the ferry to Tallinn to stay there. They are told they have to get their bikes wrapped up (cost about 5 pounds each) for the flight to Frankfurt. However, when we check our bikes in for the flight to Stansted – there is no such requirement.

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This was a good tour with the highlights being the cities we stayed at. The cycling was monotonous and arduous (for us) but the absence of any hills meant that the distances were achievable. There is a problem moving around with bikes by public transport in view of the poor or non-existent train services and no-bikes policy on Eurolines coach services.

All hotel arrangements worked well. The voucher service provided by Lithuanian Hotels worked well 100% and all the hotels were very good standard and value for money (all hotels described above excluding Wolmar, Paeve Villa and Rinaldi). We booked the Wolmar , and Paeve Villa directly and they honoured our online reservations (that weren’t paid for in advance). We used HPS in London to book the Rinaldi (by phone, 020 8446 0126). The Rinaldi was OK, but not to the same standard as the others, clearly you need to pay much more that 40 pounds each a night in St Petersburg.

We booked our visas through the Russian National Tourist office in London – the online booking process worked as described and our visa arrived after 8 days (we chose the 8-day service – total cost about 95 pounds each).

Footnote: we saw that Marie Curie Cancer Care are running a ‘Bike the Baltic’ trip that takes a similar route to ourselves. We think that the descriptions of the Baltic scenery were rather over-stated. This is a good landscape only for getting your head down and grinding out the miles.

Back home: Northumbrian (UK region) flag

Cruckster is back! Tour of Baltic States and Leningrad

For the first time in 2008 the temperature in NE England rises above 20 C and Cruckster thaws enough to arise from his barrow in the permafrost.

Why not go to the Baltic States for a holiday? That’s a good idea!

LITHUANIA

Our first night is in the Hotel Daniela, Kaunas.

Day 1 Kaunas to Druskininkai by bike. Hotel Regina.

Day 2 Druskininkai to Vilnius by bike. Hotel City Gate.

Day 3 Vilnius to Riga by Autobus. Hotel Forums.

LATVIA

Day 4 Riga to Valmiera by bike. Hotel Wolmar.

Day 5 Valmiera to Pärnu by bike. Scandic Rannahotell.

ESTONIA

Day 6 Pärnu to Haapsalu by bike. Hotel Fra Mare.

Day 7 Haapsalu island tour by bike.

Day 8 Haapsalu to Tallinn by bike. Reval Hotel Central.

Day 9 Tallinn to St Petersburg by Autobus. Hotel Rinaldi.

RUSSIA

Day 10 St Petersburg

Day 11 St Petersburg

Day 12 St Petersburg to Tallinn by Autobus. Reval Hotel Central again.

Day 13 Tallinn to Stansted by air.

We wanted to cycle over the border at Narva, but sad to say, are taking the cautious route (by autobus as, apparently, there are no trains) to make sure we actually get into Russia.

Hotels have been identified on http://www.lithuanianhotels.com/ which is easy to use and also has some hotels in Latvia and Estonia listed on it.  There is an advance payment system which we are using that involves faxing credit card details to head office in Vilnius. We booked the hotel in Leningrad through HBS.

KPYKCTP

Cruckster on Tour of Co. Donegal, Rep. Of Ireland

All distances in miles, speed in m.p.h

All accomodation except Ballybofey, was found on the Donegal Tourist Information site

DAY 1 27th July 2007
Sailed on 3:15pm from Stranraer to Belfast by traditional boat. Arrived at 6:30pm. Have brought car so we can drive across the North to Derry, and leave it there to pick up after the cycling. Got lost in Belfast as missed sign for M2; many road works on motorway west out of city. Arrived in Derry City at approx 8:30pm. Night in very good B&B Arkle House. Good meal in Rafters Pub.

DAY 2 28th July 2007
Destination Malin Head, set off into headwind along A2 then R238 easy ride to Moville. Break for lunch. Met some drunks. Continued on R238 to Malin village via Culdaff. Then on R242 to outstanding White Strand B&B, literally almost on the White Strand beach. Stupendous views. Beautiful light. Excellent hospitality.

Distance 42.49 Time 03:25:56 Average speed 12.38 Max Speed 27.5

DAY 3 29th July 2007
Our destination is Buncrana, not far down the W coast of the Inishowen peninsula. So we have time to do a tour of Malin Head headland. Massive stacks of grey clouds are scooting in from the Atlantic. We are hit by torrential showers that burst with no notice. The anti-clockwise circuit via the weather station is worth it, though. We retrace our steps on the R242 to Malin – this is a nice ride, more interesting than the run from Buncrana, then continue along the R242 towards Carndonagh. There’s a fork to the right on a yellow road that by-passes Carndonagh. that we take because we want to go to Doagh Island. The Famine village on the ‘Island’ was recommended to us and Cruckster recommends it to you. It totally lacks the usually all-pervading and sanitising influence of big money and sponsorship, and is all the better for this: – provocative and thought provoking. Cruckster is, though, embarrassed to admit that he had hoped to pick up some lunch and a pint of the black stuff on the island, but there is none to be had. Despite the easy cycling conditions an “all you can eat for 10 Euros” deal would have been much appreciated, though somewhat inappropriate…

Back on the road, the R238 through Ballyliffin and Clonmany is pretty dull, also the yellow road towards Dunaff Head. We are on this so that we can spin up and over the Marmore Gap (approximate elevation, 240m). Before that, a couple of miles out of Clonmany, Cruckster spots a derelict single storey thatched cottage with ‘torpedoes’ sticking out of the gable wall, cantilevered in a way to support a stone chimney stack above a timber fire hood. Can this be true? The Marmore gap is a morceau de gateaux, and after that it’s a gentle spin down the north side of the Owenerk river valley which is nice, followed by the less exciting run into Buncrana.

Buncrana on the night is average. The food in the ‘Thai’ restaurant is poor and we spend our night watching the locals ‘lapping’ around the town’s one-way system. The same tractor passes us 5 times… Night in ‘Ross Na Ri’ B&B: very average and the smallest en-suite we’ve ever had. It’s so small the wash handbasin is jammed up against the W.C., so you are ‘on the pan’ your head is hanging over the tiny sink.

Distance 47.80 Time 04:50:46 Average speed 9.86 Max Speed 33.5

DAY 4 30th July 2007
Get your sea-boots out, it’s ferry time! Buncrana to Rathmullen across Loch Swilly – we are headed for Carrigart today. The R268 N. out of Rathmullen is surprisingly lumpy and tough and Cruckster is goosed by the time he gets to the viewpoint at Saldanha Head, S. of Portsalon.

It’s a good view of a fine strand but all the height is instantly lost as we continue on the main road to Portsalon. Here, there’s an excellent bar, a bathing beach and thesun is out! Bliss.

We spend too long in the bar at Portsalon, and have to cut across Fanad Head without a visit to the north coastline. A yellow road takes to the R247 and the dull run through Carrowkeel, Millford, then along the R245 up the W side of Mulroy Bay up to a yellow road forking inland to the left at Gull Island. This takes us through lovelyopen moorland country past Lough Natooey with afree-wheel run down to the R245 near Dunmore.

Carrigart is fine, a nice bay, excellent food in the ‘Star’ hotel, and great B&B at Sonas in the little settlement of Carrick, to the E.

Distance 42.19 Time 03:37:05 Average speed 10.28 Max Speed 30.9

DAY 5 31st July 2007
Destination Bunbeg today, and with Muckish Mountain always in our sights we follow the R245 to Creeslough and the N56 N. to Clonmore. There we take a left on a yellow road to the northern side of Muckish Mountain, the pick our way through more open moorland N. to Dunfanaghy. Lunch in town. Quick spin down to beach -Granoog’s Point. The weather is changing in the afternoon and after the N56 leaves us at Gortahork and ride on the R257 into the teeth of a westerly gale to the N. of the ‘Bloody Foreland’ is hellish. There’s a bar at the point where the road swings southward, mercifully, so we dive in out of the driving rain for a rest and some coffee.

Back on the road and the W. coast, now visible, is amazingly populated and busy compared with relative barren emptiness of the road E. of the Bloody Forehead. We drift along the R257 S. into Bunbeg and Cruckster is running on empty.

Bunbeg House is a nice B&B down at the little harbour run by Andy, famous for his role in Tony Hawks’ book ‘Round Ireland with a Fridge’. Decent Fish and Chips at Andy’s followed by a trip to the local bar ‘Hudi Beag’. Very friendly folks in here. Later we listen to a piper in the lounge who is playing something like Northumbrian Pipes in ‘D’ with out the stopped end and with highland fingering. Superb. He’s Scottish we are told, but never find out his name.

Distance 47.88 Time 05:06:34 Average speed 9.37 Max Speed 30.7

DAY 6 1st August 2007
Trip to Tory Island. We miss the ferry at 9am because it leaves 10 minutes early from Bunbeg harbour, as is traditional. On hand is a helpful member of the ferry company with a van who takes us, with the bikes, to Meenlaragh, pronounced ‘Maharoge’ where the ferry departs for the island at around 11:30. The island is worth a visit but not for cycling. There only 2 or 3 miles of road, but enough for some islanders to keep their cars there so they can drive up and down this short strip. Our friendly van driver takes us to the Glenveagh visitor centre after we survive the obligatory 45 minutes pitching and rolling on the ferry back so we can look around, take a boat trip on Dunlewy Lough and cycle up the poisoned glen. By the time we get there it’s closing time and all we do is cycle back to Bunbeg. Errigal mountain is a worthy sight, though.

Expensive fish and chips in the Sea View Hotel restaurant. All night we are debating whether it is worth going to Leos’ bar – home of various traditional musician luminaries, but in the end we don’t go – it’s a dark night and several miles from Bunbeg.

Distance 11.85 Time 00:56:24 Average speed 10.48 Max Speed 22.0

DAY 7 2nd August 2007
Cruckster’s bike fails after 4 miles this morning. The chain wheel turns, the block spins but the rear road wheel does nothing. Fortunately we’re on the N56 and after a call from a service station a very kind taxi driver charges us no fare for taking us in his Mercedes to see if his uncle can fix it. But uncle’s not at home. Back to the service station. No bother, another family member who has a ‘people carrier’ takes us and both bikes to Dungloe where a man who fixes lawnmowers may be able to do the job. We’ve missed out on cycling the coastline of the Rosses.

One and a half hours with the lawnmower man and the bike is fixed; a new back wheel is necessary, and Cruckster’s bike can also now do a nice job of trimming the roadside verges. We settle in to the ‘Mary of Dungloe’ festival. There are many ‘Marys’ about and sessions, drinking, etc. We like Dungloe, but soon it’s head off out of town on the N56.

Ardara, pronounced Ard’ra is even better. Many bars, most with sessions. Nancy’s has a curious menu with only 2 main courses one consisting mainly of prawns in a bowl. Potatoes, chips (fries) are not served here. Night in Brae House B&B.

Distance 22.27 Time 01:53:36 Average speed 11.76 Max Speed 27.7

DAY 8 3rd August 2007
Today’s destination is Killybegs, not far by the direct route on the N56, be we decide to head out towards Glemcolumbkille. Two routes were recommended to us by revellers at the ‘Mary of Dungloe’ festival. One up Glengesh on the R230, the other up an unclassified yellow road after the Assarnacally waterfall. Suicidally we choose the latter. A fine start to the day weather-wise, but we take a turning too early off the N56 S. of Ardara and cycle 3 miles of the no-through road along the peninsula N. of the Bracky River. Our correct route takes us along a lovely gentle yellow road S. of the river to the waterfall. Shortly after we turn S. for a climb up the Owenwee River valley into a shocking gale force headwind. Halfway up the newly laid road surface ends (we had been warned) and the final mile ascent takes us an hour on a rough track surface. This is totally wild and empty country – no new roadside houses up here. On top the going is improved and we gradually make our way on yellow road first running parallel to the Owenteskiny River and then over Meenacharvy Hill and down the Murlin River in to Glemcolumbkille
Its 2:30 pm and Biddy’s bar has a session on. Pre-packed sandwiches, though. Yuk! So we also try Roarty’s, which is empty.

The R263 to Killybegs looks tempting after the morning’s exertions, but the wind is now a southerly and feels like a southeasterly as it howls past the dark grey flanks of Leahan and Slieve League, both with their heads (and shoulders) in the low grey cloud and mist. It’s hard work going down the valley of another Owenwee River, or River Wee, I suppose. Is there an ‘Owen River’ or River River, as Owen seems to be the English for Abhainn, I suppose like the River Avon, or even River Rother? We spin along into Killybegs after the final 5 miles or so slightly north of due E. delivers to us, at last, a tail wind. En-route, the yellow road out of Carrick around the coast and S. of Derrylahan hill had been pleasant enough, though by Kilcar, we given a similar road around Croaghmuckros a miss and choose the R263.

There are few eating and drinking places in Killybegs. We have a decent meal in the harbour-front hotel. Our room in The Cope House is adequate.

Distance 41.41 Time 4:44:44 Average speed 8.72 Max Speed 30.5

DAY 9 4th August 2007
R263 NE. out of town, then right onto a yellow peninsula road, fine view of Killybegs across the harbour. We cross the N56 and take a yellow road NW to Croagh. Then pick our way W. across country on yellow roads towards Letterbarra. At one point we take a wrong turn and start to head into the Blue Stacks, but turn back because our lunchtime stop is Donegal Town. After lunch, the weather is dismal so we run along the N15 through the Barnesmore Gap, almost unnoticeable gradient due to reasonable tailwind, to night in Ballybofey.

Ballybofey seems to be wedding town in Co. Donegal. Rooms are at a premium here and we have part with 50 Euros each a night for a room each with no en-suite or facilities, 10 Euros each more than the most expensive B&B to date. We have a half-decent meal in a family-run pub, but the highlight of the night is a superb gig by Donegal’s own ‘Crimson Reign‘ in the Corner Bar. Those boys can play guitar.

Distance 44.97 Time 03:57:35 Average speed 11.35 Max Speed 33.5

DAY 10 August 5th 2007
Back to Derry. It’s raining so, we take the R236 through Convoy, Raphoe and Saint Johnstown.

Distance 27.89 Time 02:22:28 Average speed 11.35 Max Speed 27.7