Breakfast at 8.00 and then off on the bikes, heading north through Istria.
Beautiful scenery so reminiscent of Tuscany but without the tourists. For the most part the cycling is not too taxing although Cath has some problems with her gears slipping. Ian offers to test it out for her and his response to my question as to how the test had gone was a Smithy classic " well, it's got better brakes than mine", presumably designed to reassure Cath that if the faulty gear change does cause her to have an accident the top-class brakes will stop it from being fatal.
We stop at the small town of Visnjan for coffee and mid-afternoon take a roadside break for a quick picnic before making the rather hair-raising descent to the Mirna river. ( the high number of fast-moving trucks etc only adds to the risk factor and it is not an experience enjoyed by Gail and Cath in particular).
After crossing the river we start the tortuous 6 km climb up to the beautiful hilltop town of Groznjan along a gravel road. Cath and Gail push their bikes to the top, a real achievement given the terrain, hot weather and the steep incline. Ian reaches the top through a mixture of cycling and walking and although I cycle most of the way the climb beats me as well near the summit and its Shanks Pony for me for a section.
Groznjan is a magnificent hilltop town, quite the equal of any in Italy, and the views across the valley of the River Mirna are breathtaking.
After a cold drink at a bar we continue on the town of Buje and the nearby hotel Parenzana.
Great dinner and drinks before we drag our decidedly weary limbs off to bed at 10.00pm.
Only a few hundred more kms to go!
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