Croatia Sucks. Sorrowful, Sick, & Shameful Split And Its Hajduk Hooligans

Today I wake up late. Perhaps I should train better for these all-nighters and hanging with locals until 4:30 AM evenings. I pull myself out of bed and down the stairs a little after noon. The sleep served me well. I feel good, energized and not slow at all. When I walk over to my […]

Riding Dalmatia, The Croatian Coast to Split

Though I would later regret my decision, I take the ferry from Trpanj to Ploce and ride to Split along the coast. Someone talked me out of taking the ship to Korcula, and then from there take another ferry to Split. “Are you here to ride or get ferried around in boats?” the local guide […]

The Dingac Tunnel & Beyond

For a small country, Croatia has so much for me to explore—and learn. Leaving Orebic in my rearview mirror behind, I head toward Dingač, the infamous and inhospitable wine region southeast of here. With my eye on research for my new book, I cannot leave the Peljesac peninsula until I’ve seen Dingac and its steep […]

From Postup To Orebic & The Boutique Adriatic Hotel

I usually travel with no plans, no reservations, and no itinerary. So today after packing up, at the suggestion of Antonio and Sabina of the Holiday Adriatic Resort and Mikulic Boutique Winery, I motored my way northwest toward the end of the peninsula to Orebic where the Mikulic family operates a bouquet hotel and a […]

Finding Treasures and Possibilities on the Pelješac Peninsula in Croatia

Mikulic Boutique Winery & Adriatic Holiday Resort Traffic and big trucks torment me as I wind my way back north to the Pelješac peninsula. Yesterday I connected with a young winemaker whose family for three generations crafted wine from the venerable Plavac Mali, a grape varietal only found here in Croatia. Since breaking through the […]

What A Difference A Day Makes—The Old Town Dubrovnik Amusement Park

I catch the earliest water taxi to Dubrovnik. On the way, I pass the remnants of the Kupari Resort a former Yugoslavia military retreat that catered to the elite of the Yugoslav People’s Army. Built sometime between the two World Wars on prime real estate on a secluded beach just south of Dubrovnik. It was […]

Do I Need To Go To Dubrovnik?

Last night, the battery was still too weak to crank the engine after dinner. The good news is that there was a slight charge as the instrument and operating lights work. After breakfast, I recruited two bellhops who helped me push and jump start the bike. I didn’t need two, as with both pushing unevenly, […]

Hospitality, Service, and a New Clutch. But Wait! Now The Battery?

Sunbathers appeared on the docks below my room early this morning. The temperature is already pushing 80 degrees, and I haven’t had coffee. After a refreshing shower, I join the other guests eating breakfast on the patio outside. It’s not long before the waitress brings me coffee and with it a small plastic bag with […]

Walls, Wine, Oysters, and a Plan

I’m in a hotel in Mali Ston, Croatia, but my bike is stranded on the side of the road with a broken clutch cable in Ston, Croatia, just a few kilometers away. I contact Dooby in Zagreb, who is about 700 kilometers away. Between us, we fail to find a replacement cable any closer. Mr. […]

From Mostar To Dark Ustaše Memories & Bike Problems

It’s getting harder to find and shift into neutral. I’m worried. The clutch feels spongy due to a stretched cable. So before taking off, I trade a few messages with Dooby at Lobagola B&B in Zagreb, Croatia. He’ll order a new clutch cable for me and find a shop that can repack the muffler that’s […]