Croatia Cycling: Day 7

Day 7: Ston
Distance: 16km
Elev Gain: 382m

Only one trophy today!

Itinerary Description

Overtaken by the Dubrovnik Republic in the 14th century, Ston became the most important stronghold along the republic's northern boundary. From Ston, enormous defensive walls were built stretching across the isthmus to the nearby harbor of Mali Ston. At ~3,000' in length, this is the longest defensive wall in Europe and the second longest in the world after The Great Wall of China. We walk on the walls with good views over the maze-like streets of Ston and the ancient salt pans which brought this area much wealth during the lucrative salt trade.

What I Will Really Remember

(1) A Crash!
I didn't crash my bike (again)! Knock on wood. Just as we were departing to ride, I fell off a set of slippery stone stairs. For a second, I thought I could break the fall, and before I knew it, I was at the bottom of the stairs. Ouch, I'm okay! Ouch, it's just a skin abrasion on my hand. Ouch, it's just a bruise here, here, and there. Bah! I was probably more beat up than I wanted to believe, making today's 16km ride the hardest ride ever! I think I was whining both silently and verbally all 16 kilometres. All I wanted is to stop cycling, jump into the Adriatic Sea, and just float!


(2) Bosnia & Herzegovina
To drive from Northern Croatia to Southern Croatia, we had to go through the Neum corridor of Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH). This 12-mile stretch is BiH's only access to the lovely Adriatic coast. The irony is that the border separates two peoples that lived together for centuries, speak essentially the same language, and share many of the same customs.

The border crossing was uneventful in that we sat in our van for nearly an hour while our guides, passports in hand, said something in Croatian. What it entailed, I’m not sure, as my passport carries no evidence of entering Bosnia, and only an EU entry stamp back into Croatia.

It is possible to avoid the border crossing by ferry, but adding significant time to the travel, so until a 2,400-metre bridge is built to bypass the corridor, the only way through by land is through the border crossing.

(3) Fresh Fish from Sea to Table

Pet first, then eat! :-)