Well what can I say about the journey here... I know people say its not about the destination, its all about the journey... but I think that we have been really fortunate as we have enjoyed it all (apart from the squeaks in the motorhome when travelling across the rougher roads. But we were definitely on the road less travelled, often not really paved and devoid of humans for extended periods. These pieces of the journey are likely to be some of the most memorable as the scenery was ever changing, occasionally seeing tiny villages, many deserted and ruined, potentially by the reasonably recent civil war.

When we turned back towards the coast, we were treated to the most stunning road (Route 8) which ran all the way down the Adriatic coast with us often being afforded some unforgettable sights of the islands and azure sea. We just had to stop in one of the lay-bys to have lunch as the view had to be enjoyed.

One of our stops on Route 8 down through Croatia.

Another stop on Route 8 down through Croatia.

As we continued towards the port of Pizuna to catch our ferry we passed a cyclist one his mountain bike all loaded up. It looked hot and hard work as the sun had made a welcome return to our journey. As we were buying out ticket for the ferry from Pizuna to Ziglen the same cyclist rocked up. As usual, we got chatting. He was a very friendly German man that had spent the last few months riding from the top of Norway and was en route to Greece. He was absolutely fascinating. Before his current adventure he had cycled from Andalusia in Spain all the way to the top of Norway via many stops including Bristol!

As we left the ferry, we bid him safe travels and set on our way across the island that we found ourselves on. The land was completely barren. The highlight was reading a sign about how the road was used to advertise many cars, then we saw the film crews and a couple of covered cars… and I managed to collect one of the many tiny cones that guided you around the crews. What a muppet. A few minutes later I managed to fish it out from under the rear axle - no damage, thank goodness.

A few miles later we were heading towards Simuni and the campsite that Sarah had chosen for our next stop. It was breathtaking to say the least. So this became our site for the next four nights so that we could rest, cycle, read and walk.

Our beachside pitch, Simuni, Croatia

Looking back from the beach, Simuni, Croatia

As you can see the pitch had its own patio area leading to a decked area leading on to the beach and sea beyond. We took the opportunity to cook breakfast outside and then got the bbq out for dinner too. Well you have to make the most of the weather. We explored the site by foot and then took the bikes on a wild and lumpy adventure. Sarah didn’t enjoy this as much as I did.

We did venture out again on the bikes, this time towards Pag, Croatia, up the long (well for one of us) climb up the hill (500+ feet of climb) towards Pag. Once we reached the top, we were greeted with a great view down towards the little town dominated by the sea, mountains and bridges. As we had not come prepared with lights, we decided to turn back before descending in to the town as we needed to gert back before we were caught riding in the dark on the, occasionally, busy road.

The view down to Pag, Croatia

The cycle back to Simuni, Croatia

The following day we relaxed in the sunshine catching up on our books and generally chilling out. This a really nice change of pace as it was the first time that we had really simply stopped and done nothing. The most energetic (albeit seriously leisurely) was to hire paddle boards and have a little adventure around our bay. As you can see it was a stunning day for it. Later we ate outside and even had the fire pit lit - it was perfect.

Sarah paddle boarding, Simuni, Croatia

Me paddle boarding, Simuni, Croatia

The fire pit at our pitch (including fairy lights), Simuni, Croatia

After our rest day, we were back on the road and heading towards Split and Dubrovnic.