Scrapbook: Cycling Venice to Dubrovnik

Historically, the influence of Venice went far beyond its borders. The powerful Italian city-state was a major financial, maritime, and cultural power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and it trafficked in silk, spices, and other trade goods through the 17th century. A more than two-week fall cycling trip with Australia-based Bike Odyssey starts in Venice and heads east through the Istrian Peninsula (and crosses from Italy into Slovenia and then Croatia). It hugs the Dalmatian coast before finally ending in Dubrovnik, where Venetian influence didn’t quite reach is a magical sensory tour with everything from truffle-hunting dogs in Istria to Roman palace ruins on the Dalmatian Coast. And bathing it all, the Adriatic’s sparkling, impossibly blue waters.

Venice deserves an entrance by water and the water taxi from the airport or the train station is easy, breezy, if a little slow, public transportation.

View from the water taxi, which costs 15 euros one way.

The darling island of Lido, with its glasslike canals.

Shady avenues are perfect for in-no-hurry cycling.

Found the beach.

It was mostly empty.

Two books I meant to read.

A soft landing in Lido di Venezia after a long travel day.

Look up: The city’s famed St. Mark’s Square.

The front ornament on a gondola, explained: The top part represents the hat worn by the city’s leader, or doge. The six rectangles represent the six districts of Venice and the one rectangle opposite the first is the island of the Giudecca.

Snack like a local.

A lion, usually golden and one paw holding a book, is the symbol of the once-powerful city-state.

Venice in a picture: both sacred and profane.

Thankfully, life still happens in Venice. Residents give the city breath and culture. Tourism without foresight or controls can overwhelm quickly and residents have been pushed out by high rents and the ugly side of tourism for years.

Local guide Enrico shows us where he used to live in the district of Cannaregio.

Look down: brass plaques in the oldest Jewish ghetto in the world (instituted in 1516 by decree of the doge and the Venetian Senate, and dissolved by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797). The plaques are a late 20th century initiative in memory of those deported to concentration camps during the Holocaust. Placed just outside where they once lived, the markers indicate name, date of birth, date of arrest, date of death or disappearance (if known). There are markers in other sectors of Venice also.

Drink like a local: Aperol spritzes all around. That empty chair is mine.

Venice’s secrets are revealed in the details. Look up, look down, get past the crowds to somnolent alleys and campielli (small Venetian squares), and slow your pace, and even then, you will still only be scratching the surface of La Serenísima, this improbable city-state built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea.

A stormy morning. As I picked my way down centuries-old, steep, suddenly slick cobblestones, I came across an elderly local woman struggling with a cane in one hand and an umbrella in the other. I offered an arm, took her things, and we navigated the narrow alleyways to steadier ground together.

I spoke no Slovenian and she spoke no English, so we settled on Italian, which I don’t speak, either. “Chirurgía, she said, pointing to her stiff knee. “Grazie; sei una meraviglia.”

But the marvel was the encounter and I was the grateful one.

The old stone seawall of Piran.

Venetian touches (see the lion?) in Piran’s main square.

The skies begin to clear over the main square.

Mona takes me to her favorite fish place—casual, fresh, off-the-beaten track.

Here comes the sun. Thanks, Mona!

When a heavy downpour and expected winds scratched a planned afternoon ride with the Bike Odyssey group I’m cycling with, it opened up an opportunity to see a good friend, who took a two-hour bus to meet up with me. Thanks, Mona, for the lovely welcome to Slovenia. You quite literally brought the sunshine! Piran, Slovenia.

Testing out my rental e-bike. Yes, I’ll be wearing a helmet.

Leaving Slovenia. Entering Croatia.

There are amazing athletes in a range of ages.

Lots of great local wines here also.

Rest stop, no problem.

A variety of surfaces, from asphalt to gravel, in good to neglected conditions.

Truffle hunter and his dogs.

Found one.

Let them eat truffles.

Mostly Aussies, with a sprinkling of Scots and Americans.

Two-wheeling it: It was a challenging 43 miles from Slovenia into Motovun, in Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula. Many in the group powered through to the last kilometer; a few rode in the vans; others did a combination; and some, like me, rode e-bikes, which offer a boost through the tough bits. No judgement, tons of encouragement and support, and great guides. The following day was easier, with a stop to learn about the famous Croatian truffles and a tasting lunch. Svida mi se ovdje! (I like it here!) Bike Odyssey

Istrian villa.

Rolling through vineyards.

The hilltop village of Motovun.

Made it to Plovin, at the edge of the Istrian Peninsula.

Deserved rest, with bonus view of the Adriatic from Plovin.

Morning crossing to Porozina, on the island of Cres. Brestova Ferry Terminal.

Cruising Cres.

The winds can be bracing on the Croatian islands.

Fairytale villages.

Enrico and Dario load up the support van.

Great to see good friend Isabel in person! She’s amazing.

Into the Adriatic.

Southward through the Istrian Peninsula through tiny villages, along the towering rock hills of Ucka National Park, and ending up in Plomin, with stunning views of the Adriatic. Bike Odyssey

The following morning, it’s a ferry over to the island of Cres, the largest of the country’s 718 islands and said by the ancient Greeks to be the body of Apsyrtus, murdered by Jason and his Argonauts. Croatia.

The Museum of Apoxyomenos showcases a single item and its remarkable story: that of a classical bronze statue of an athlete, recovered from the sea bed after 2,000 years and meticulously restored. Mali Lošinj, Croatia.

Venetian gate.

Jupiter on stone.

Vestige of the recent Balkan war.

Roman Forum with Christian church.

Headstand amongst the ruins.

Relics, columns, and statuary at the Museum of Archaeology.

Found items.

Art on Zadar’s seafront.

Art installation.

A wedding!

Towards Zadar. The Dalmatian coast, now part of Croatia, was a Roman province from the second century BCE to the fifth century CE and under Venetian control from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The port city of Zadar is a wonderful place to see these influences. Dalmatian Coast, Croatia.

Waiting for the ferry to the island of Ugljan.

On the ferry.

With Penny.

Off the ferry. Enrico leads the way.

Linda says left.

Cycling Ugljan.

Another ferry back to the mainland, another ride, and to the D Hotel in Sibenik.

This view, or…

Or this view?

Ferry nice. Zadar to Sibenik, Dalmatian Coast, Croatia. Bike Odyssey

To Krka National Park. Dalmatian Coast, Croatia.

Split screen: People always say how lucky I am to travel all over the world, and, yes! But really I feel more grateful for the friends I have all over this beautiful planet who give life to the places. (If you are reading this, you are one of them.)

How wonderful to reconnect with Vese, an old friend, over coffee, who took time to show me her favorite spots in the historical marvel that is Diocletian’s Palace, and, later, to make a new friend, Nives, in the same area.

It is indeed a small world and we are all connected. Split, Croatia.

Split, set on the sparkling waters of the Adriatic, was founded as a Greek colony and has seen a succession of invaders, from Romans to Venetians to Ottomans to French, and more. Summer tourists have been the most recent invaders, but in the fall and winter the city reverts to its residents. Dalmatian Coast, Croatia.

Roman vestibule with a later-built Romanesque church bell tower in the background.

Art underfoot (Roman tiled mosaics).

Vese points out the narrowest street in the complex.

An example of the repurposing done over centuries of use: The Roman palace with its large arched windows was, during the Middle Ages, converted into smaller homes. Windows were made smaller and interior walls built. Today it’s a restaurant.

The Vestibule, once part of the Imperial corridor, now often hosts a capella singers for its excellent acoustics.

A mix of Roman, Renaissance, Venetian, medieval, and even modern styles make up this weird and wonderful site full of stories.

Behold, a smiling benediction from a second-floor window of a nunnery.

A little night music in the Peristyle, the central square within the Palace.

It’s hard to express visually how magical Diocletian’s Palace is. Built by the Roman emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence at the turn of the fourth century CE, the massive complex has been repurposed by succeeding occupiers and residents over the intervening centuries, so the result is a hodgepodge of often inelegant styles. In the late 20th century, the whole expansive complex was recognized for the cultural treasure it was, and in 1979, UNESCO declared it a world heritage site.

What’s so magical is that the history of two millennia is writ on a pastiche of repurposed palace limestone to construct houses and stores for people who have come and gone but left their mark. As friend and local Nives said, “Unlike in other cultural sites where you all you see is ruins, this is a living place that has been continuously inhabited, each generation layering its culture onto the last, taking and repurposing whatever material they could find.” Split, Croatia.

Kid and pup enjoying the path to Marjan Forest Park.

Entering the Old Jewish Cemetery, on the western hills above Split.

It’s beautiful and peaceful in these piney woods. Old Jewish Cemetery, Split, Croatia.

Scenic overlooks above the city.

A lovely walk up to the piney woods overlooking the city. Marjan Forest Park has marvelous seaside views and an old Jewish cemetery. Split, Croatia.

With Isi, leaving Split.

Hvar is a famed summer resort island with intimate coves of clear blue-green water, house rentals, and lots of cafés.

The view from atop the fortress.

Great views from up top.

The fort’s construction began in 1278, when Hvar was under Venetian rule, though it’s been rebuilt and restored in more recent centuries.

On the upper floor of this building was the first public theater in Europe.

The town dock.

Welcoming committee.

Another ferry, another island, Hvar, as we wend our way south down the Dalmatian coast. Thirteenth-century walls, a hilltop fortress, and a main square anchored by the Renaissance-era Hvar Cathedral. Oh, and the most beautiful pocket beaches imaginable. Hvar, Croatia.

Full disclosure: Though I tried to use it sparingly, it was great to have a little battery boost to get up the many steep hills.

Eye-popping vistas at every turn.

Fruits of the many vineyards we cycled through.

I’ve been avoiding dairy, but not today.

Absorbing Korcula’s remarkably well-preserved walled fortress city. It feels like the setting of an E.M. Forster novel, though more people might recognize it for a Game of Thrones backdrop.

Good morning, Korcula.

Exercise-induced endorphin high.

A glorious cycle through the length of the island of Korcula, said to possibly be the birthplace of Marco Polo. Both his travel writing around the turn of the 14th century and the strategic position of this island bridged East and West. The walled town is a treasure of fascinating history and ideas. For example, the streets were placed in such a way to channel or block the winds, keeping the town temperatures controlled. We are only now beginning to appreciate engineering and design in harmony with nature.

Leaving Korcula.

An epic last ride hugging the coastline.

And through a tunnel.

The peleton, though we were often spread apart on the route.

The fortress at Ston.

Linda, my most frequent riding partner. We shared so many laughs and now I have another friend in Scotland.

So great to spend time with Isabel and see her work her magic. Thank you, Isi!

Isi celebrates the end of a great Odyssey!

Baptized by the Adriatic.

Last day on bikes. We started in Venice 16 days ago and unbelievably are now rolling into Dubrovnik, having cycled through olive groves, vineyards, border controls, mountain passes, seaside villages. All made better in the company of friends old and new. Hvala! Bike Odyssey

Protected from attack by sea.

The Main Street in the old city.

You can walk the entire perimeter of the fortified walls.

The Rector’s Palace, also a film location for Game of Thrones.

High perch.

Amazing views at every turn, history and culture seeping from the walls, the blue Adriatic all around, steep stairs to climb, gelato shops for refreshment—I loved this leisurely two-hour walk.

Just a few hundred residents still live within these walls.

Brilliant blues.

And ochre reds.

Luminous evening stroll.

If these (medieval) walls could talk: This complex structure—the walls of Dubrovnik—are among the largest and most complete in Europe, and they protected the Republic of Ragusa (centered on the city of Dubrovnik) for some five centuries from the 1300s. The walls, reinforced by towers, bastions, and fortresses, were never breached, even by the powerful Venetians. The old city these walls protected is full of interesting buildings and museums that span architectural styles from medieval to Renaissance to Baroque.

Today, Game of Thrones film locations lure people in, but I hope they stay to learn about the far more fascinating political, religious, and cultural games real people played.

Photos © Norie Quintos.