the life of riley (between steep climbs)

The photos below are mostly taken on Peljesac which is an island-like peninsula off the Croatian coast. We spent a few days basking by beaches, hauling ourselves up steep inclines away from beaches, then barrelling down hills to other beaches. We imagined the Croatian islands would mean nice, flat riding around the coast but this didn't turn out to be the case. The islands are formed from mountain tops which have become islands due to a rise in sea level once upon a time. These partially submerged mountains make for steep island cycling and beaches are all at the bottom of plunging mountainsides.

 

 

We took the coastal gravel road on our return journey back across the peninsula to the mainland. There were amazing views and no traffic as the road was pretty rough (even involving lifting the hefty bikes up winding stairs through a village at one point). It also meant we got to see a lot of the vineyards that were bursting with fruit and sample a few sneaky grapes. It was harvest time so very busy with locals out working the fields. We met a family taking a break from the midday sun to have lunch in the shade. The old father led us to his adult son who could speak English and we had a drink of their home made grape rakija. It's a schnapps made from a white grape and includes eight herbs which he pointed out were growing about. It tasted good and was apparently medicinal. The son explained that this area is known for its wine, with excellent grapes resulting from the steep sun-facing hillside plus extra sunlight reflected from the sparkling water below. Despite having no prior interest in wine tours/tasting/talk, we nevertheless found it really nice to learn a bit about the process firsthand in such a casual way. 

(the praying mantis is for you nich)